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TAJ WEEKES And ADOWA
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW
History will define 2011 as ‘The Year of the Protester.’ The domino effect of the spirit of rebellion – from Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street – allowed the voice of the voiceless to finally be heard. For Taj Weekes & Adowa, protest and defiance are the cornerstones of their music and message so 2011 merely echoed the lyrics, the vibes and the emotion that encompass every piece they deliver to the masses. The band, self-described “town criers,” began 2011 on the heels of the release of their third album, A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen. Whether it’s an isolated story of human suffering and natural disasters (‘Rain Rain’), man-made disasters such as an oil spill (‘Drill’), a humanized tale of war (‘B4 the War’) or a decade’s worth of news headlines (‘Anthems of Hope’), the album serves as a musical montage that chronicles our modern day ills. It has garnered accolades from music critics and DJs around the world and was listed by New York Music Daily as one of the “50 Best Albums of 2011.” Additionally, the song, “Drill” was cited as one of the top 100 songs of the year. In France, the album was nominated as“Best Roots Album” by Reggae.fr, one of country’s major reggae media outlets. As the seeds of protest roamed across the globe, so did the music of Taj Weekes & Adowa.
Itineraire d'un Globetrotter
From walking the cafe lined streets of Paris to touching down on the African continent via Morocco to crossing the highways and bi-ways of the United States, Taj Weekes & Adowa added “globetrotter” to their ever growing list of monikers. First stop – Austin, Texas – where the band headlined the International Reggae Showcase at one of the music industry’s premier music conferences, South by Southwest (SXSW). Sharing the stage with Collie Buddz from Bermuda, Tidal Waves from South Africa, Black Ghandi from Spain, Mau Mau Chaplains from Austin, and Lynval Golding & Contra Coup from Seattle, Taj Weekes & Adowa performed to a sold out, international crowd of the world’s top music industry executives, fellow musicians and their Austin fans. In addition to the performance, the trip included panel discussions, a trade show and interviews from Norway with Arne Berg to Columbia with Phillip Seigenthaler and everywhere in between. The band returned to Austin in April to perform in front of an audience
Itineraire d'un Globetrotter From walking the cafe lined streets of Paris to touching down on the African continent via Morocco to crossing the highways and bi-ways of the United States, Taj Weekes & Adowa added “globetrotter” to their ever growing list of monikers. First stop – Austin, Texas – where the band headlined the International Reggae Showcase at one of the music industry’s premier music conferences, South by Southwest (SXSW). Sharing the stage with Collie Buddz from Bermuda, Tidal Waves from South Africa, Black Ghandi from Spain, Mau Mau Chaplains from Austin, and Lynval Golding & Contra Coup from Seattle, Taj Weekes & Adowa performed to a sold out, international crowd of the world’s top music industry executives, fellow musicians and their Austin fans. In addition to the performance, the trip included panel discussions, a trade show and interviews from Norway with Arne Berg to Columbia with Phillip Seigenthaler and everywhere in between. The band returned to Austin in April to perform in front of an audience of 30,000 at the Austin Reggae Festival. | |
Throughout the summer, the band crisscrossed the country, returning to major festivals such as the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival and the Midwest Reggae Festival. They also headlined festivals in new markets including Montana (River City Music Festival and the Mount Helena Music Festival), North Carolina (Shakori Hills Music Festival) and Wisconsin (Peg Egan Performing Arts). Blissfest, a festival that celebrates cultural heritage and diversity, offered Taj Weekes the opportunity to share his experiences and skills as a songwriter at their coveted songwriting workshop. The band closed the festival with their usual soul-stirring performance amid the pristine backdrop of the Northwest corner of Lake Michigan. |
FRANCE
Having already created a buzz in France with stellar album reviews, Taj Weekes’ much anticipated arrival to the "La Ville-Lumière" was greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm. The week long promotional tour, masterfully orchestrated by PR maven Max Nordez and his team at iWelcom, covered all areas of French media. Over croissants, crepes and café crèmes, Taj was interviewed by France’s top music journalists and radio DJs who literally, as one radio journalist stated – “could not wait for the day to come to interview Taj Weekes in person.” Having lived with his albums for several months, they wanted to see the man behind the music. He was featured in music magazines Vibrations Magazine France, Reggae Vibes Magazine, United Reggae, Notulus, and Ouestime. In video interviews, he was the spotlight on two of France’s major online magazines – Jamafra and Reggae Rockaz. He was also interviewed by top radio stations and reggae programs both in France and Africa – namely Radio Nova, Large Up, Party Time, Radio FM Cherie (a radio program that reaches Conakry, Africa) and Radio One, which reaches 30 million listeners on the African continent. At each and every interview, Taj’s socially conscious message was the focus, evoking in-depth, insightful, and thought provoking questions. A lot of questions focused on his humanitarian work through his charity, They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO) and what role it plays in his music. ‘Janjaweed’ was the track that created the most buzz at every turn. Some DJs thought it was a misplaced ode to ganja (thinking the track should have been called “Ganjaweed”), while on the African radio stations, it was not only obvious but a bold, in your face approach to a taboo topic. Calls came into the station days before the interview based on the title of the track alone. To summarize a rastaman’s journey in France in his own words, “j’aime ce pays beaucoup.”
Coming Home - St. Lucia Jazz Festival
The St. Lucia Jazz festival marked its 25th anniversary with a stellar roster from local acts to internationally renowned artists such as Carimi, Regina Carter, Chuck Brown, Angelique Kidjo, and John Legend. Taj Weekes, St. Lucia’s native son came home offering a piece of Trinidad, Dominica, Barbados and Jamaica to his home. He states, "It was great to be able to participate in the 25th anniversary of the festival and play before my home audience after having played to other people for such a long time. The level of energy we received was tremendous. It was really gratifying to bring my band, all from various Caribbean countries, to visit my hometown and people and be greeted by such amazing energy.” St. Lucia’s Tourism director expressed national pride in having Taj Weekes – recognized as a celebrated international artist back home – participate in the festival, defining his music as the “stuff of icons.”
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Headlines, Features and Cover Stories
In depth interviews and press coverage aren’t new to Taj Weekes & Adowa, however in 2011, the band was featured everywhere, making headlines with their new release and even making the illustrious cover of major reggae magazines. In France, Taj Weekes made the cover of United Reggae Magazine – in addition to adding “B4 the War” on their annual compilation album. He was also prominently featured in Reggae Vibes Magazine and Amina Magazine. Reggaeville featured in depth Q&A with Taj to discuss the new album and TOCO. Every interview opened up more of the world of Taj Weekes & Adowa – allowing them the opportunity to describe their music and message.
Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk – TOCO spreads its wings
In 2011, TOCO continued its mission to help Caribbean children in need. Throughout the year, the organization collected generous donations that included balls, uniforms, shoes, socks and gear as well as monies to fund TOCO’s mission trips. Early in the year, TOCO collected 5000 shoes from various elementary schools that were donated while the band was on tour to send to Haiti to address the crisis after the earthquake one year later. In addition to their annual collection of soccer equipment, TOCO expanded its programming to include an annual toy drive and educational workshops. In December, Taj presented a two day assembly to 6-12 graders in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia on the topic of acceptance and tolerance. Later that month, he made his way to St. Lucia to launch TOCO's First Annual Holiday Toy Drive - distributing toys to children in need and feeding the elderly at a local communit
They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO) is a 501(c)(3) U.S.-based not-for-profit organization founded by Taj Weekes and is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged, at-risk and orphaned children in the Caribbean through sports, health and enrichment programs.
2012 – The Next Chapter
In every movement that seeks social change, every step in the journey opens the door to new and exciting opportunities to expand their message and to serve others. For Taj Weekes & Adowa their journey includes bringing new music, videos and tour dates along their ever growing path to elevate the masses to social consciousness. The band is gearing up for a year full of live performances, record and video releases and philanthropy. Check out the band's website for constant updates on their latest endeavors. Slated for 2012:
· Album release and tour in France - Spring 2012
· Launch of their college lecture/performance tour - Spring /Fall 2012
· Worldwide tour, which includes stops in France, Germany, Amsterdam, the US and the Caribbean - Spring/Summer 2012
· Release of their 4th album - Fall 2012
Mission trips through TOCO - Visits to Haiti, St. Lucia and Trinidad/Tobago to distribute soccer balls, gear and equipment to underserved Caribbean communities.
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