About Leela Vernon
Leela Vernon MBE was a Belizean cultural icon noted for her contributions to preserving Creole culture in the country. She was awarded the title "Queen of Brukdown", received the Order of the British Empire for promoting Creole culture and music, and was named the Brukdown Artist of the Year in 2004. She was honored as National Hero in 2016 by the National Institute of Culture and History. Vernon co-founded, along with one of her daughters, the first Creole Council of Belize in Punta Gorda. In 2004, Vernon won the national Brukdown Contest and was crowned Artist of the Year. In 2007, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her efforts to promote Kriol music and culture.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.