Soulful is the word that immediately comes to mind when one listens to a song by Kah Ris. It is almost impossible not to be thoroughly consumed by the vulnerability and raw honesty that she reveals through her music. With the perfect fusion of Reggae, Pop and R&B, Kah Ris creates something that is entirely her own — emotional, mesmerizing, and sincere.

And while you might be charmed by the sheer talent and the melodious voice of this 22-year-old, for Kah Ris, this is done with the ease that comes from walking in your purpose. “Music chose me. It is the thing I do the best, with the least effort. I believe that it is my divine gift, using music to touch the souls of others,” she told BUZZ.

Kah Ris, born Karisanne Redwood, is originally from the quiet community of Middle Quarters, St Elizabeth. She lived in Mandeville, Manchester for a short period, before moving to Ontario, Canada six years ago.

But her musical roots were watered here in Jamaica. “ I’ve been performing almost my whole life between church choir and school dance groups. I started dancing at age two. From there I started writing poems which became songs at age ten. Then I began recording at age twelve which led into producing music at age sixteen and it’s just been a domino effect since,” she said.

At just 13 years old, Kah Ris released her first song Unfamiliar Melody and has had a string of awards and recognition since. “I was selected as one out of 15 from approximately 40 female artists to participate in the 2017 Honey Jam Canada program. My original song, Small Talk placed Top 100 out of 2000 plus entries in the 2018 CBC Searchlight Contest. This year, my original, Unspoken Words, (unreleased) was shortlisted for the 2019 SOCAN Young Canadian Songwriters Award.

Karis writes her own music, and is influenced by Sade, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson and Toni Braxton, as well as her own experiences.“I like to take my experiences and the experiences of others around me and access the deepest part of it, the place where most people don’t want to go,” she said.

Her latest single, Slave To The Memories documents the nostalgia that can result when a relationship loses its sparks.

And while she continues to grace various stages in Canada treating audiences to a charismatic performance, her desire is to return home to Jamaica to perform. “It would be a dream for me to grace the Reggae Sumfest stage! Jamaica will always be home and that is the place where my roots remain. Jamaica nurtured my talent in my earliest stages and I want nothing more than to be able to share my gift there as well,” she told BUZZ