By Joanna Dhanraj
Gospel and soul singer Lashaunda Brown has recently been heating up the local arena with her mesmerizing voice. Also a contemporary dancer, Lashaunda began singing with her church’s worship team when she was 16.
Last Saturday night, she performed a cover of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” at the Miss Earth Guyana Coronation at the National Cultural Centre. The audience remained quiet throughout her performance and erupted in cheers at the end. She later did an interpretive dance.
Though singing became one of her loves when she was a teenager, Lashaunda was first introduced to it at the age of six. She attended Precious Jewels Nursery, St Gabriel’s Primary and Tutorial High and was one of the main dancers at her schools. This of course made her one of the popular students more so because she was always friendly. She began dancing when she was four years old.
“Thanks to God I was blessed with both. I like dancing but I love to sing. Singing is my passion. It is what gives me joy and hope,” Lashaunda said.
Lashaunda and her family have always been surrounded by church, specifically the New Life Ministries. It was church that polished her talents, always providing her the opportunity to stay positively active. Today she is part of the New Life Ministries Dancers Group. Life for her has been filled with music, dance and beautiful instruments. Her only regret is that she does not yet know to play one, but she is not one to sit idle and having always had a fascination with drums, she hopes to learn play them someday soon.
While church has been instrumental in her upbringing, there are a few renowned persons in the music industry who have inspired her. Making the local list are singers Jackie Jaxx and Calvin Burnett. Internationally, those on the list are Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Yolanda Adams, Toni Braxton and Celine Dion. “Just a few to mention… all power-house and passionate singers,” she said. In addition, she greatly admires Beyoncé and hopes that someday she would be lucky enough to meet her.
Asked about her favourite song, Lashaunda named three: “Unbreak My Heart” by Toni Braxton, “For You I Will” by Monica and Celine Dion’s “I Surrender”.
She also sings Hip Hop and while for now she is doing covers, she is working towards releasing her first gospel and inspirational album by next April.
Her older sister Latana also sings and dances, Lashaunda said, acknowledging that it was the two of them who stuck it out together when it came to rehearsals. Seven years her senior, Latana, she said, is one of her mentors alongside their mother. Her sister, she noted, is the one who does the songwriting and is therefore penning the pieces for the album.
“Dancing allows me to express myself in many different ways,” she said of the art. Sharing the benefits of being singer and dancer, she added, “[Some of the pros are] getting to do what I love while sharing my passion with the world, travelling to beautiful places and getting to meet all kinds of people from different walks of life.” However, there are cons as well but the list is smaller and includes getting hoarse or missing her family when she travels, especially her niece whom she adores.
Over the years, Lashaunda has also performed at weddings, funerals, birthdays, concerts, Hip Hop and Poetry nights and the Miss Earth Guyana 2018 pageant. She has found herself singing at places like South View Tavern Restaurant and Bar, 704 Lounge, Marriott Hotel, Aracari Resort, the National Cultural Centre and Berbice Town Hall among others.
Sharing of an experience, the young singer said, “One time I tried to sing in a higher key than the key I would normally sing in and my voice cracked. From since that day I’ve learnt to be authentic.” She was trying to sound exactly like the singer whose song she was covering.
One of her main challenges she said was forgetting the lyrics to songs she had to sing. She said she deals with the issue, but it makes her nervous. However, being religious, she prays about it and has found that this works. Prayer, she said, renews her faith and makes her feel more confident about herself and her God-given talents.
Speaking of local support for gospel and soul music, Lashaunda said she believes persons are more drawn to upbeat songs. She wishes for all artistes to be treated equally and be given the same amount of support and sponsorship.
A secretary, Lashaunda is only able to do what she loves part time, but she hopes that a decade from now, she can become one of the most inspirational power vocalists in Guyana and be making her mark on the international scene. Right now, she does not think it is possible to thrive financially as a full-time local singer and while some might try, it would be difficult.
In her free time, she works on improving her singing and dancing by watching tutorials. She uses this time to catch up on her reading also.
Her favourite foods are black eye peas cook-up made by her mother, macaroni and cheese pie, pumpkin and cabbage.
Her pet peeves are hair in food and gum on clothing.
Lashaunda can be followed on Facebook at Lashaunda Brown.
