Neisha knows where the money is

Neisha Smith must have sounded quite contrary, to some, singing a semi-pop song at a Carnival event. Singing calypso and soca are not her forte, “I don’t think I have a voice for that,” said the multi-styled singer. So, imagine her surprise when she was booked and paid too, for a performance at Powergen’s media lime a few weeks ago.

It was the first time that the TTEC senior accounts clerk received money for a gig in her 20 years of singing. Winning Best Female Vocalist backed up by the now defunct band “Rainforest” at the 2002 Anchorage Pop Rock Music Awards, too was a welcoming reward.
Singing at school, in the church choir and at weddings was a natural progression. “From age 13 I have been singing. I always liked it.” She never received any formal training but believed she was born with a gift. “The only time I doh sing is when I’m sleeping.” She’s thinking of taking some lessons on the keyboard, however. “I could strum a little thing on the guitar but not if my life depended on it,” she laughed as she leaned back in her swivel chair. But singing on the whole isn’t her first priority. Her son and only child, ten-year-old Daniel is. Neisha, 33, is a single parent and like many, has found a way to earn some extra cash by doing something she loves.

After it occurred to her that “I could make money off my voice” she ventured into the commerical light. She didn’t plan to follow in her mother’s (Susan Blanc) footsteps but she has found that her lifestyle very much mirrors that of her mother. Blanc also sings. “She is a boss (good) singer but doesn’t like crowds,” Neisha said. Like her son, Neisha grew up in a single parent household. She was the only child. Her father (Peter Blanc) died when she was two years old and the only memory she has of him is that of pictures she possesses.

There’s no telling, working an eight to four job on a full-time basis, caring for a household and raising her son are no easy tasks. She said: “It’s tough having to cope with working all day providing your son with the lifestyle you’re accustomed to. It’s finishing a job at 4 pm and picking up another — cooking, cleaning out, washing my own car, when it needs repairs taking it to the mechanic. “It has taught me a lot of things. It has taught me not to be taken advantage of... I have lots of family support, lots of cousins who would babysit. They’re very accommodating.” Though it’s time-consuming, she enjoys every moment spent with her son — sitting with him to do his homework, helping him get chores done and taking him to the movies. “I’m always having to tell him to move his towel. ‘Doh leave yuh clothes where yuh take it off.’ I’m trying to get him to clean the room. He’s doing well with making his bed,” Neisha added. “I tell him ‘it’s just you and me kid’. He’s seen me at my lowest and at my highest.” Neisha grew up in Westmoorings and later moved to Diego Martin where she now resides.

She’s a former student of St Joseph Convent, Port-of- Spain. At age 18, she secured her first job at TTEC, where her mom was an executive secretary. She moved from temporary clerk in the Payroll Department to permanent clerk in the Field Office, Billings Department and now, senior accounts clerk in the Budget Department. Looking back on her 15 years at TTEC she described it as “rewarding. The work is challenging and I like it. Staff  is like family and I feel very comfortable.” She enjoys teaming up with staff for “talent sharing”, a biennial concert event. She’s fond of singers Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick, R&B, pop, jazz and alternative music. At last talent sharing she, together with two guys, lip-synced to a medley of songs including Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita”. Neisha also models for print, television and radio advertisements. It was another means of taking advantage of her natural beauty. “People always telling me ah have a pretty face so I took advantage of that. I sent my pictures to all the agencies... The money comes in handy to pay school fees and repairs to my car,” she said.