Born Brenda Thomas, I was raised Jewish West Indian and fell in love with my Jewish name ‘Racchel’ and stuck with it. My life has been interesting to say the very least. I was raised a Black, Jewish, West Indian woman. My running joke was I was born with three strikes, but in truth I know I am quite unique to most. The Sammy Davis Jewish jokes were routine in my life, but it taught me early to love me and be appreciative of my heritage. Both of my parents were born in Barbuda, the sister island to Antigua. I was born in the United States.
I lived and attended school in Barbuda until the tender age of 10 after which I went on to complete my schooling in the United States.
Entertainment is in my blood, my father formed the first steel band in Barbuda, my brother and uncle also play quite well I might add. I was part of a singing group that performed in the local clubs in New York. Still in my twenties I moved to California, there I constantly went on auditions and had a weekly satellite radio show. Moving right along I was back in New York in a couple of years, doing voice-overs and working in a recording studio while working retail to pay the rent.
One day I received a call from my father asking me if I would like to come to live in Antigua/Barbuda. Being single in every sense of the word, he didn’t have to ask twice. As we say in Antigua/Barbuda I didn’t have chick chick nor come come. I was packed and basking in the sun with in two months. While working at the family business, I had my weekend show(s) on Observer Radio in Antigua. I am affectionately known in my hometown as the “The Lady with the Laugh, the voice of Barbuda”. Initially I had to report daily from Barbuda on the any happening, even if it was a goat crossing the road.
With a population of 1500, including livestock, this was the news. I learned to make the most mundane activity sound like a trip to Mars. Back on the main land of Antigua I co-hosted the most popular Friday night show in Antigua on the same station, aptly named Tastee Talk. Listeners had their say on a variety of adult relationship based topics, from How To Break Up With Someone, to Halitosis On A First Date. Tastee Talk was live for four years.
Each and every Saturday morning I mixed things up with the “Java” morning show, which features regional and international artists, as well as the latest happenings worldwide.
In addition to mixing it up on the radio I managed the Digicel store in Barbuda for a few years before moving to the main land Antigua where I continued to be a part of the Digicel family. First as a sales representative, then Corporate Sales Manager and lastly Customer Care Operations Manager before moving back to the United States.
In my current position as Marketing Operations Manager for Jamaica I get to do two things I love, work for Digicel and be on the radio. In my position I get the opportunity to promote the wonderful product of top up in the Diaspora on various radio programs.
