Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Justina Lee Brown struggled to survive as a child living in the ghetto of Ajegunle and Kirikiri. As heartbreaking as her childhood may be, to this day it makes her the daring and creative women she is. Justina did not let her past slow her down, on the contrary, it inspired and encouraged her to succeed.
Singing started off as a way to kill time on the street as a child while helping her mother sell “ice water” in the Udo market in Lagos. People rapidly started to notice her and gave out tips to encourage Justina to continue. Knowing her voice brought happiness to passing strangers filled her with joy. A sense of purpose appeared in Justina, she saw an escape out of her misery into a new and alluring world. Through thick and thin, music kept her company whether it was a small melody playing in her head or her emotions taking control of the lyrics like ink flowing on paper. When admiring her ascension onto stage from Nigeria to Europe, you may ask yourself what the key to her success is. The answer from Justina herself: “Honesty, Truthfulness and Kindness are the food every human soul needs.”. These inspiring words show not only the kind hearted person she is, but they are also to be taken as advice to follow your dreams through selflessness and creativity.
Inspired by every genre, Justina Lee Brown’s work takes us on a musical trip down a road of jazz and pop to afro high life music and funky soul blues. Along these various stops her gospel roots often emerge.
With six albums to her name, the latest being “Black and White Feeling” which presents the emotional blend of her journeys and experiences. Her powerful and dynamic voice accompanied by her moving and uplifting shows is the reason Justina and her band were nominated for the finale of The European Blues Challenge while representing Switzerland. This new step is quite an impressing achievement, especially considering the fact that it will be the first time an African Nigerian Women is representing Switzerland for this challenge. In 2019, Justina won the “Women in entertainment Award” in London for “Best African Female Voice”. She and her band then decided to take their music to a deeper international setting by going on tour in 2020 in the USA where they were a big hit.
As a child Justina felt lost and without a real home, today she is proud to state that music is her new home. Through a musical mixture of love, life and emotion, emerges Justina Lee Brown.