On Our Radar: Beraccah Kisia

Beraccah Kisia

For a large portion of  musical artistes, particularly those who would like to be considered mainstream, their progress or success is engineered by creating numerous channels of communication, handing out (mostly mundane) information that grows beside and often overshadow their music. On the other side of the spectrum, there are artistes whose music absolutely speaks for them in profound and deeply personal ways. One such artiste is Beraccah Kisia. 

What is there to say about Beraccah Kisia? Well, she is an Eldoret-born Nairobian who began practicing the art of writing songs/poetry and musical performance even before her teens.  She is currently currently studying Music Performance at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. That being said, what really speaks for her massive talent as a song writer and performer is her debut album Lunch Break  that was released in 2012 under the pseudonym (August Cellars). 

Lunch Break  is a compilation of songs about love and life, mostly with a very raw, minimal acoustic touch to it, making you feel like you are at that very moment sitting face to face with Beraccah as she sings, accompanied only by the guitar and a few drums. The song writing ranges from beautifully simple in It’s You to thoughtful pieces on love, lovers and loss in A Stone Of The Heart and All Secrets – it’s all there. Released at a time when Asa’s Beautiful Imperfection  and Sauti Sol’s  Mwanzo  were hitting their peaks around the  country, Lunch Break  was probably the most slept on Kenyan album in 2012. 

When she is not singing or writing her own songs, Beraccah can also whip up some pretty awesome covers. Check out her version of Kodaline’s  All I Want (video above) and her re-imagination of A$AP Rocky’s Fashion Killa: 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Beraccah is certainly among the cream of the crop of awesome Kenyan artistes who are bubbling under the surface. Check out the rest of the songs off Lunch Break  on Bandcamp and follow up what she is up to on Facebook