As a singer, songwriter and musician the creative edge of Sera Buras, points to this young artists deep roots and colorful background in the American South. An hour from New Orleans, theres a town called Buras, named for her grandfather, who settled there from France. Sera herself was born in the one red light/two convenience store hamlet of Kiln, Mississippi, midway between the Big Easy-New Orleans and Biloxi. Depending on the moment, says Sera, Ill tell people Im from one or the other, - with both towns acting as home base throughout her rambling youth.
Music has always been Sera's unstoppable force - her earliest memories involve absorbing it from her parents, both natural musicians. Her Dad is a bluesman at heart who started playing his favorite artists for Sera when she was just a little girl. She grew aspiring to the likes of Al Green, Ray Charles, and Marvin Gayes. Sera's Dad played Bourbon Street clubs as a young man, and her mother pursued a music career in California. After marrying, both turned to their faith in raising their children, and music became central to professing that faith. The youngest of five, Sera traversed the South, singing lead with her familys gospel group, their travels dictated by her fathers day work as a contractor and where he could pitch a tent to preach to the faithful while the entire family performed.
By the time Sera turned 12, she and the family were on the summer gospel circuit, opening for established, mostly African-American acts. This continued until the group disbanded when her siblings married and started families of their own. By then, her father had his own church in Gulfport - Sera was music and choir directorand she began sneaking out to area casinos to hear all kinds of music. . Soon, she was playing piano and singing with a group performing at casinos up and down the coast. During this time she met Atlanta-based producer, musical director and writer Alan Grip Smith, whose credits include Keith Sweat, Jermaine Dupri, and Xscape, among others. Taken with her talents, Smith invited Sera to write with his production company.
It is at this point in the story that fate takes over and delivers Sera into the care and creative mentoring of Platinum and Grammy winning producer Gary Katz (Steely Dan, Laura Nyro and too many more to mention). Gary helped Sera to tap into the beliefs that came from being raised in the church and turn it into a broader spiritual bent. Gary guided Sera's natural musical tendencies to writing songs with a strong pop music sensibility and a whole lot of universal appeal.
Sera has two nationally released compact discs to her credit that were both produced by Gary Katz; the2003 self titled which was co-produced by Grip Smith offered an urban and pop flavor while the 2004 release entitled Open On Sunday touches on the blue eyed soul side of Sera. Sunday was mixed by Industry giant Hugh Padgham.
All these events have placed Sera on a fast track to becoming a triple threat talent - accomplished composer, confident, nuanced, and buoyant vocalist and a musician skilled in melody and commercial appeal and 2005 begins a new era; on June 27th, the International release of Platinum artist Charlotte Churchs first single and video, entitled Crazy Chick hit the stores. It was written by Sera and she helps with back up vocals for Charlotte as well. She is currently recording for her new project now. She will write, co-write, produce and co-produce with a list of well known musicians, composers and producers. Sera has arrived.
