MEET THE BROWNES, a family who live, love and laugh in perfect harmony, especially at Christmas.
For popular entertainer Nikita, brother Jabari and parents John and Veronica, the holiday is a welcome break from their hectic lives. As part of the Leacock family, who are well known for their musical talent, they infuse their love for music into their annual celebrations.
They recently spoke with EASY at a relative’s house (the Lashley’s) in Paynes Bay, St James, where the family will celebrate Christmas this year. The holiday is so special that it takes about six months of planning, Nikita noted.
“Christmas is our biggest holiday and we look forward to it most. And what’s most important is showing gratitude, which we learned from very young. So whenever you receive a gift from someone, even if they are on the outside, we ensure that gratitude is shown by saying thank you and sealing it with a huge hug and kiss. And forget the little tags on the gifts – we would write paragraphs like ‘To my lovely beautiful, gorgeous, amazing wife’ on the gift,” she said.
As part of their Christmas tradition, the Brownes attend the First Baptist Church and watch James Leacock of the band Promise perform in Queen’s Park. And of course, with so many talented relatives under one roof during their family get-together, Christmas Day becomes full blown musical as songs like Silent Night and Away In A Manger fill the air.
Veronica and John, who were a part of the Ellerslie Folk Chorale, have been together for 32 years. Over the years, the former Empire hockey players have shared many things with their children, their love for sport and music, being a few. But amongst the most important lessons passed on, they noted, is an appreciation for “the simple things in life”.
Through pain and tears, their family bond has grown stronger. About seven years ago, for example, both Veronica and John were laid off from their jobs. They also gave up their home in Brighton, St George, where Nikita and Jabari were raised, for another home to ease the financial strain. In these difficult moments, they comforted and supported each other. This determination, Veronica said, is something that her children demonstrate on the quest for success.
It’s not surprising that Nikita, who recently performed the American anthem at the Barclays Centre in New York, continues to mature as an artiste. This “ballad queen” has already proven her versatility with hits like Tequila with King Bubba, Haunted and I Forget, which is the title track from the movie Bazodee with Machel Montano. These days Nikita, a radio personality on Slam FM, works tirelessly to make herself and family proud. She recently put out a Carnival 2017 release Treat You Right on the Trinidadian produced Ray Ban riddim by P.A.G.E. and Precision Records.
“Getting signed by a major record label was forever my main goal but the entertainment industry has changed completely. So that isn’t the main goal anymore. I just want to be working. And I want to be a working artist for a very long time, and leave a legacy for myself and my family,” she said.
But Nikita, who has an associate degree from the Hospitality Institute, is not willing to “go down, split and jook” to be recognised. Instead, she carefully crafts her image.
“I tell people all the time, I’d rather my voice to be recognised first and then have people say ‘Oh, but she look good too’ instead of the other way around,” she noted.
Jabari, a multitalented 20-year-old, added that he admires his parents, who are members of the worship team at the Apostolic Teaching Centre, for countless reasons.
“Growing up Nikki and I used to watch them singing in the Ellerslie Folk Chorale. Then they developed a children’s programme out of that [called School of Performing Arts] and that’s where we started on stage,” he noted.
But Jabari admitted that he developed his creative talents around age 17, when he joined Operation Triple Threat (OTT). Since then, he has performed alongside the likes of Emile Straker and David Kirton.
Certainly, the former Coleridge & Parry student is no longer afraid of spotlight. He now dreams of attending a performing arts school and performing on Broadway, for which he is seeking to raise funds. So far his biggest role was Kermit, a lead role in Barbadian musical Mirror, Mirror, Show Me A Hero, which was put on by the National Cultural Foundation for Barbados’ 50th Independence anniversary.
Veronica, one of the 11 Leacock children, said was proud of her musically gifted children. She said music truly ran in their veins, from her father Cyril, a choir master at the First Baptist Church, mother Naomi, a soprano singer, and many talented siblings, who turned “everything into a song”.
For John, whose mother often sang at the Christ The King Anglican Church, music was also his first love. Although he did not further his music career, the general services officer at BIMAP said he was grateful that his children have achieved much more than he ever imagined.
Through life’s ups and downs, the Browne family remains a “bundle of sticks that cannot be broken”.
“We have been through challenges but what has kept us together is our faith in God and love for each other . . . . We continue to enjoy the simple things of life,” John said.