A live album documents – in an unforgiving, public kind of way – the exact point where humble art meets brash showbiz. Where intellect meets entertainment. Where solitary craft (song writing) meets public emotion (adoring fans) and the imperfect realities of performance meet idealistic expectations of the Big Event.

On the evidence of many previous examples, those massed meetings of paradoxes can become messy collisions, with art usually at the bottom of the pile-up. But it comes as no surprise that with Pariah in Transit, Taj Weekes and his band Adowa easily maneuver their way through the dangers. It seems that Taj’s inner introvert is on very good terms with his inner extrovert. The poet and the entertainer co-exist.

Jatta records 2013

The Live Album