Janine and Janelle Xavier admit to having totally opposite personalities, but somehow, when they’re onstage with violins in hand, the music takes over and those differences don't make sense. “The second we start playing, that’s it. Music has always been, and will always be an extremely important bond for us.” They feed off of each other’s energy, constantly challenging each other. It’s a synergy you can almost touch. Together, they are Xavier Strings, stunning pair of young musicians who make the violin and viola sing. Janelle also seduces audiences with her deep, throaty alto, almost a smoker’s voice, never mind she’s never touched a cigarette. Janine sometimes joins in with a sweet soprano. Janelle is the only string player in Divine Echoes, the national band operating under the Office of the Prime Minister. It’s a full-time job, involving not only performances and concerts, but also daily rehearsals and the sharing of skills, techniques and ideas with other musicians.
It’s a far cry from her previous roles as an environmental consultant and writer in the UK, where she obtained her postgraduate qualifications at the University of Leicester, building upon a first degree in Geology from UWI, Jamaica. “When she came back from Jamaica, her suitcase was full of rocks,” her sister Janine remembers. “But all the really interesting stuff was in my mind,” says Janelle, “Jamaica was the first place that I felt the need to showcase my Trinbagonian-ness, and I did it with music.” Janine also has an interesting educational background, with a Master’s degree in Spatial Planning from the University College London and a first degree in Biological Sciences from King’s College, University of London. She now works as a Regional Planner with the Ministry of Local Government.
Their mother, manager and music consultant Joan Bacchus-Xavier, is a renowned musician in her own right. She worked in Europe as a double-bass player, the only black face in that classical setting for many years. Naturally, she ensured that her daughters were initiated from an early age. They have memories of coasting in a car without a radio, singing Whitney Houston songs in full harmony. Bacchus-Xavier taught her daughters the piano until they decided to take their musical development into their own very young hands. Casting around for an instrument they thought they might like, they settled on the violin. The instrument takes a long time to master and in hindsight, they realize that they used to sound like screeching cats, but their mother encouraged them anyway. That was then. These days, they try to churn up the staid waters of the local music scene, which still tends to be pretty conventional. “It’s important to take your instruments out there and turn them into something that works for you, your indigenous style…your feeling,” Janelle explains. “But for a Trinbagonian, indigenous is many things.”
So, although they are classically trained, the sisters delight in stepping into territory that few violinists have gone before: soca, chutney, reggae, tambrin, rapso, jamoo, zouk and fusion styles go hand in hand with classical music, rock, pop, R ‘n B, jazz, middle-eastern and African music. Locally, they’ve played with artistes such as Black Stalin, Ras Shorty I, Sean Daniel, Rikki Jai and Ravi B. “People don’t realise that we can chant on the violin,” they say of their rapso. “It’s so electric. You just hear the crowd in uproar!” With so many styles of music to choose from, the sisters focus on what their client really wants, and hold consultations before every performance. They do corporate events, private parties and everything in between. Among their most memorable gigs was a Valentine’s Day surprise organised by a group of men, who hired the sisters to go to each wife or girlfriend’s office and play for her. They even learned each woman’s favourite song.
The result: delighted women, jealous co-workers, and an extremely profitable Valentine’s night for the young men involved. “I almost feel sorry for them,” Janelle muses. “How are they going to top that next year?” Apart from being a growing business, Xavier Strings is the family’s pleasure and delight. “It’s really fun to be able to give people what they want in unexpected ways.” Apart from different musical styles, they offer multiple band sizes, negotiable according to level of intimacy required, time and budget. Perhaps their mother’s greatest legacy to them was to teach them the art of communication through music. “You have to make sure you know what you’re trying to say. It’s not just about the notes; it’s about the feeling and the expression. You have to bare your soul.”
By: Roslyn Carrington
Photo by: Karla Ramoo
