Jose Gonzalez Live at St. Andrew's-Wesley United

Jose Gonzalez is a Swede with low expectations. In an interview with Mania TV he states that he doesn't know why people like his music, and that he doesn't expect to gain success in North America. I'm guessing that filling up concert halls this side of the Pacific was beyond his humble imaginings. On March 31 Gonzalez filled both the halls and the pews of St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church. The high ceilings and dramatic atmosphere was the perfect environment for the unassuming artist, and the natural acoustics of the venue suited the haunting qualities of his music.

Opening the show was L.A. based Mia Doi Todd. The wily-haired Doi Todd's earthen feel provided the ideal precursor to Jose Gonzalez. She and her percussionist calmed the bubbling anticipation of the audience with Latin and Arabic musical influences and the sounds of nylon stings, a foot-harmonium and lingering vocals. "Kokoro" was her most memorable tune, providing an interesting homage to Doi Todd's half-Japanese background. I'm sure she gained more than a few fans with her performance, and she was graced with a large applause as she left the stage.

Jose Gonzalez started his set alone—just a man and his guitar. As his dramatic instrumental introduction began, Gonzalez shrouded the church into the type of attentive silence that a priest dreams for. His poetic verses and intricate finger-picking communicated pure emotion and invoked a melancholic yearning in the hearts of his listeners.

While Gonzalez and Doi Todd both played music that engendered the most tender emotions, the concert had its humour. Both artists' quirky interaction served to lift any spirits that were feeling too much emotional weight. While this interaction was meagre, the laughter was enough to render a pleasant balance of joy and tears.

Gonzalez's percussionists/back-up vocalists joined him by his fifth song. The three melded in a simplistic amalgamation as voices joined into one and strumming merged with quiet congas. Highlights of Jose Gonzalez's performance included his rendition of "Hand on Your Heart" (a cover on Kiley Minogue's 80's tune) as well as originals "Killing for Love" and "Down the Line".

I have been enthusiastically recommending Jose Gonzalez to everyone around me, and will continue to do so for some time to come. His whisperings and creative musicality resonate in the hearts of all who hear him.

Jose Gonzalez played a standing-room only show at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church on March 31, 2008. You can purchase his album at Amazon.ca.

Photographs are © Ami Sanyal. Please contact before using images for any purposes.