World music lovers who know Janet “Sula” Evans from her work with the reggae vocal group Zion Trinity and Moyuba, the perennial Jazz and Heritage stage opener at Jazz Fest known for the drumming and ritual chanting of the African diaspora, will be in for a very pleasant surprise upon listening to her adventurous new album.

A Journey Within is an exploration into spirit consciousness. The album’s opening cut, “Healing Humanity” is a meditative chant invoking the orisha Omolu. Also known as Babalú-Ayé, the deity is the ancient Yoruba father figure associated with healing. Evans, as Sula Spirit, provides all of the voices on the a cappella cut as she does throughout the album.

Listeners at this point may think they are about to be immersed into the vocal traditions associated with Yoruba religious traditions, Brazilian candomblé or Cuban santería. However, the next cut features an English language rap and beats more associated with hip-hop. It’s a jarring transition at first, but the rest of the album reveals a performer perfectly comfortable working across genres.

By the time the album closes, the listener has experienced a comprehensive musical exploration bringing the ancient ritual prayer/chants into the modern era. There are reggae cuts, poems, chants to several other orishas and more beats.

Many of the songs are message-driven including “God’s Protection,” which features the chorus, “God protects you from yourself.” “Live Your Dream” suggests reaching for the stars and reveals that there are angels all around us. 

Sula Spirit wrote, produced and arranged every cut on the album with the assistance of a co-producer and her beat makers. The sound at times is sparse, like dub reggae, while the chanting is lush. It is a fascinating record that brings the past into the present.