“Helping people understand the things they can’t see” - Portland born, Braille uses this one sentence to explain the meaning behind his name and music. The poetic temperament and concepts of his lyrics intrigue listeners from the outset. Braille (original name, Bryan Winchester) often expresses things of either a spiritual, emotional or personal nature; lyrics that paint pictures of the unseen have become a trademark stamp of Braille’s style.
Braille has seen much success in his short lived career. In 2004 he was named "lyricist of the year" by Sphere of Hiphop and his album "Shades of Grey" was crowned "album of the year". In April of 2005 he was named "one of the next 100" by Urb Magazine. He opened concerts for James Brown on several occasions, including performances at the B.B. King Blues Grill in Time Square New York and at the Benidorm Futbol Stadium in Spain. His 2005 tour schedule also placed him in front of crowds in Japan, Germany and the Netherlands. Braille has also worked with big industry names such as Pigeon John, Manchild (of Mars Ill), and 9th Wonder (who has also produced for Jay-Z). Now with the advent of his latest project entitled “Cloud Nineteen” C.A.I. wanted to find out what Braille had in store for his audiences.
C.A.I: Tell us a little about Bryan Winchester, the man behind the ministry? Interests, aspirations, what you do in your spare time?
My life is pretty simple at this point. My passion, my hobby, my career and most of my ministry opportunities all fall under music. That consists of checking my email, writing songs and rocking shows. All my time away from music is usually spent with my family. I enjoy just crawling around on the floor with my daughter. Even when I'm hanging out with a group of people, if there are babies/kids around then I'm probably on the floor hanging out with them. Aside from all that... I enjoy going to church, fellowship and worship. That pretty much sums up what I do. When me and my wife are hanging out we usually watch "LOST", eat good food and just talk about life.
C.A.I: What are the top three songs/ artists you have playing on your ipod right now?
I don't have an ipod. haha. Because I spend so much time creating music, I don't usually listen to music for entertainment. Most of my entertainment time is just doing whatever my daughter or wife enjoys. My daughter has a bunch of Mickey Mouse CDs that stay in HEAVY ROTATION.
C.A.I: To-date what would you say have been the major highlights of your ministry?
The highlights for me are the 4 or 5 times when I felt the presence of God pour down on me. I'm aware of God's presence on a regular basis but the times when I felt like he revealed himself to me and broke things in my life really stand out. Those "glimpses" of God and his glory and power have me convinced that worshiping God face to face is the most incredible thing we could ever experience. The other highlights are all the emails and letters of confirmation that I get from fans. Knowing that God is working through this music I make is a real blessing and it keeps me going when I feel like giving up.
C.A.I: In your music I hear a little Common, Lupe Fiasco, Nas and echoes of James Brown with “Say it loud”. Musically what artists would you say have most inspired you?
I've been making tapes since 1996. My first main influences were Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. I've tried to be a sponge during my career and soak up as much as I can. I wouldn't say there is any specific artist that I've soaked up the most from. I learn and grow more from hands on experience then anything else. Touring and being around people for the last 6 years has really played a huge role in my artistic development. Before I started touring I was just doing my own little thing. Once I got out there and started sharing it with people, it's the people that inspired me and influenced me to work on what I said and how I said it.
C.A.I: How did you get to meet James Brown in person and what was the experience like?
I was blessed with the opportunity to tour with James Brown in 2005 and 2006. I did around 20 shows as his opening act. It was an amazing experience. I learned so much from being in that environment. The main thing I learned is that God has bigger things planned for me then I have planned for myself. I didn't think I was capable or qualified (and I wasn't) but God expanded my faith through that experience and showed me that he still had more in store for me.
C.A.I: Now you have just released your fourth project “Cloud Nineteen”. What is the concept behind the title and the album?
"CloudNineteen" is technically my 5th official record as the lead vocalist. I also made a record called "Scatter Brain" but it was never officially released so I don't count that one. The concept behind "CloudNineteen" has a lot of layers. "Cloud 9" is used to describe happiness or a "high". So "CloudNineteen" is just saying that there is a higher place then the pleasures of this earth. Knowing God is a higher place and greater experience then anything we could achieve on this earth.
C.A.I You have worked quite a bit with S1 on this project. Tell our audiences who S1 are and why you chose to work with them on this project?
Yeah, S1 did every single beat on this record. So its' a collaborative record. We first did the song "Blessed Man" together. The chemistry we had was great and we started working on this album before we ever had a chance to hang out in person. It all happened much faster then we anticipated and we could really see God giving us favor and inspiration with this project.
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