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Taj
Weekes is an enigma… on the one
hand deeply serious and
intensely passionate about his
worldviews and on the other hand
a gentle and humble man with a
quick and easy smile. Driven to
inspire conscious thought and
provoke discussion through his
poignant poetry and lyrics,
Weekes says, "I write from the
heart and I speak about issues
that move me. I believe that’s
what really matters."
Born and raised on the island of
St. Lucia, Weekes grew up the
youngest of ten children in a
family where music was ever
present. "We were always singing
and playing in my house. My
father was an incredible
singer... we took that from
him." By age five, Weekes was
singing in church and by the age
of nine, he and his brothers had
formed a band, playing in local
talent shows, the town hall or
parish centers around the
island.
Weekes would painstakingly write
down the lyrics from songs he
heard, often tinkering with the
words in a song to make them his
own creation. "From the time I
started writing," he said, "I
did my own thing. I was always
attracted to the lyrics in the
songs and would listen to people
like Lord Kitchener and the
Mighty Sparrow. They were like
town criers telling the stories
of the day. Reggae is what you
call the poor man's cry. It's
music you can sit and listen to.
It's listening music."
Weekes grew up blissfully
unaware of category or genre -
to him, great music was, and
still is, great music no matter
what the style. "My musical
influences were quite varied,
'cause the radio stations played
all kinds of music. There were
no formats, so we grew up
listening to everything from
reggae to calypso to classic
rock and classical music."
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Weekes soon felt confined by the
borders of St. Lucia and left
home to fulfill his musical
ambitions in North America.
There he formed his band Taj
Weekes and Adowa and label Jatta
Records. Weekes and his band
Adowa unite a true social
consciousness with an
unforgettable reggae groove.
Blending in elements of acoustic
roots rock and afro-folk
simplicity, the band’s vibrant
sound defies genre and has
garnered critical acclaim and a
wide audience across the globe.
To
date, the group has released two
full-length albums, Hope and
Doubt and Deidem, which won
"Best Reggae Album" at the Just
Plain Folks Music Awards and was
shortlisted for a Grammy Award.
The band released their
much-anticipated third CD, A
Waterlogged Soul Kitchen, in
August 2010. AWSK presents a set
of fresh reggae songs laced with
acoustic strings, guitar, violin
and cello, and splashes of
soulful harmonica for an album
that challenges listeners to
redefine common perceptions of
reggae and where it's heading as
a genre.
Always striving to bring
awareness to the issues he is
passionate about, Weekes founded
his charity, They Often Cry
Outreach (TOCO), in 2007 to
improve the lives of
underprivileged children in the
Caribbean through sport,
enrichment, educational and
wellness programs.
Named a Goodwill Ambassador by
the International Consortium of
Caribbean Professionals and
recognized by a division of the
United Nations, Weekes addresses
issues such as global warming,
casualties of war, domestic and
youth violence, diabetes and
health, poverty and the welfare
of children through both his
music and his charity.
Listen to the
music of Taj Weekes
Taj Weekes &
Adowa Links:
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