Ashford Joseph, musician, composer, author and filmmaker, has accomplished all of this despite being blind for over 30 years. Joseph, now 74, began to notice the effects of retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 13. He began to experience loss of peripheral and night vision until he went completely blind in his early 40s.
Joseph recalled that when he was around 10 years old his mother bought him a guitar. He said: "I used to lime with my elder brother, who was a bandleader. I watched them play and through him I began to play my guitar. When I would come home from school, I used to pretend that I was performing on the Auntie Kay show."
He said he wanted to learn music very badly, so he got as far as passing the grade five level exam. He started his music school–the Sunrise Mission Foundation–in the early 1970s, teaching students to play various instruments, such as the cuatro and guitar. Joseph also involved himself with various communities, such as Los Bajos, Quarry, Siparia and surrounding areas, in training their church choirs or preparing groups for Best Village. He started composing approximately two years ago, as well as producing music and videos.
Although losing his sight did bother him because he loved to read, Joseph said: "I have come to terms with my loss of sight. It does not bother me to the extent of feeling sorry for myself. I did Braille classes and personal psychology.�I viewed that as a way to learn about myself, in order to analyse others.�I also did courses in journalism, as well as learning to use JAWS (Job Access With Speech)."
Joseph said: "When someone becomes newly blind, it is extremely difficult to pick up and do what they used to. But if there is someone or an organisation who could help, it would be ideal. Blindness is not the end but the beginning of a new life; I think it should be looked at that way." On May 8, Ashford Joseph gave the public a glimpse of his first novel, Shadow Before Me, and a preview of his first film, The Journey–as well as his new web site–at his new premises on Grell Street, Siparia. There were also some musical and cameo performances by several of his students.�
The complete launch of both book and film will be held at Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, on August 13, which is also Joseph's birthday. Shadow Before Me is based upon an ex-convict and his rehabilitation. The convict tries to recapture his life and what he had before he was imprisoned.