Anthony Joseph’s albums follow one after the other and resemble each other, which is good news, since they have been providing the material for concerts that have been systematically devastating for ten years. The seventh of its kind, People of the Sun has the qualities of its predecessors (unstoppable syncope, vocal charisma, social chronicles, and poetic writing), while at the same time allowing marginal innovations, such as beautiful string arrangements. The recording in Port of Spain inspires the omnipresence of steel drums, while the Trinidadian shares the microphone with a handful of guests, including his compatriots, Ella Andall and John John Francis, as well as his daughter, Meena. Alternating soul and trance, the album rolls out the syncretism which is also that of Afro-Caribbean cults. There are no weak spots but there is a highlight: “He Was Trying” – nine minutes of spoken word supported by a mid-tempo bass line which is one of the musician’s most beautiful achievements. He may not surprise, but Anthony Joseph does not disappoint; excellence is assured when he’s on stage.
Anthony Joseph, People of the Sun (Heavenly Sweetness / L’Autre Distribution)
