Manchester’s soulful chanteuse, Josephine, has created a self-reflective debut album which illustrates the many different sides of a fascinating character. Vocally, her prowess recalls ‘the Queen of gospel’, Mahalia Jackson’s distinctive contralto, yet behind the powerful delivery is a husky undercurrent making every replaying seem like a personal performance. This compelling delivery commands attention completely, on a record replete with a vibrant array of musical genres. Such an effervescent record is no surprise given Josephine’s upbringing. Born to a Liberian mother and Jamaican father who came to the UK before her birth, she’s enjoyed the advantages of a colourful West African culture as well as feeling intrinsically British. Born in the Manchester suburb of Hulme before soon moving to nearby Cheetham Hill, she soaked up the musical heritage of the city and that of the household, like a sponge. Her mother proved to be the catalyst for a future career in music, buying the twelve year old Josephine a guitar; the first gig