By Angus Taylor Photos by Franck Blanquin

Many current roots reggae artists claim to make music that harks back to the days of old. But not many can claim to have done this in a way so in harmony with modern times as St Lucian born, New York resident Taj Weekes. In just three albums he has carved out a niche for lyrical and musical prowess that invites even the dreaded comparisons with Bob. In 2010 he and his band Adowa released one of the year's best albums in third effort 'A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen', whose unusual title is a reference to the floods in New Orleans. But what is most surprising about Taj is that music is only a small part of his spectrum of activity: he is a published poet, runs a charity, They Often Cry Outreach, and is a mentor to young people in public schools. And, as Angus Taylor found out during a rigorous and open ended discussion in June, there's a lot more to respect and admire about this soft spoken yet quietly confident man than the incredible records he makes...

The Morgan Arts Council (MAC) brings authentic reggae poet, singer and songwriter Taj Weekes and his band Adowa to the Ice House in concert on Saturday, December 10 at 8 p.m. The public concert concludes two days of assemblies with Weekes in Paw Paw and Warm Springs Middle School as part of MAC’s long-running Adopt-A-School program.

Hailing from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Taj Weekes has an expanded approach to reggae incorporating sounds from vintage Ethiopian funk jazz to roots rock, from Deep South blues to West African percussion. His gritty tenor and lilting guitar are perfect for poetic lyrics that tells tales of hardship and hope. He has reflected musically on the impact of Hurricane Katrina, the twisted tragedy of Darfur and the careless destruction of the Gulf oil spill. Weekes and Adowa balance elegant melodies with rich strings, purring percussion, bluesy harmonica licks and funky, funky keys.

Taj Weekes & Adowa present “Janjaweed” from the album “A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen” on Jatta Records. We first posted Taj Weekes the St.Lucian Reggae artist and his song “Rain Rain” a little over a year ago. Rain Rain illustrated his perspective of Louisiana right after Katrina. We were recently reminded of his latest, Janjaweed off of the same album that helps shine some light on what is happening in Southern Sudan and Chad.

Simply put…great song, great visuals and a great way for us to take notice or to be reminded of  a conflict currently happening that many of us tend to forget about…something Reggae music has been known to do .

Written by Ayeola

Q&A

1. Can you describe your sound?
It wouldn’t be up to me to describe me … cause somebody’s opinion of me is not in anyway connected to my opinion of myself… I don’t know if I can describe my sound… I know what I try to do is put a riddim to a poor man’s cry with Selassie-I as the backdrop, but that’s about all I can tell you.

2. You seem to be very busy-performing at several major Reggae and Music Festivals plus you have a lot coming up in 2012. I am sure you have a strong following but would it be fair to say you are niche/underground artist in the sense that you are not really known in the region nor featured heavily in regional media?
It all depends on who is interviewing me me and who is asking questions.  I kind of realize sometimes because certain people don’t know who you are it doesn’t mean your underground or a niche artist… some people just don’t know who u are. I mean I’ve been accused of being called a so-called elitist songwriter, and maybe I don’t sing about jumping and waving a flag or something enough so maybe I don’t get covered in the regular Caribbean Blogs. Caribbean people want to listen to a certain kind of music right now and these are the people they push over and over you know.

3. You say you became a professional artist after you left St. Lucia in the sense that you were getting paid for your talent. Having experienced the business side of the music business have you seen any changes back home since your initial departure towards the business side and have you done anything to help bring about any of that change?
I will answer second part first. I have been back to St. Lucia, plenty times and since then we’ve had a musical society which collects royalties for people. It was first known as Heranowa Music Society and now has grown to encompass the entire Eastern Caribbean as ECCO – Eastern Caribbean Collective Organization for Music Rights. We didn’t have that when I was growing up. That has come into play; but also the advent of the Internet has changed the entire musical landscape completely: a man can make his music in St. Lucia, have it on the Internet and sold across the world. As far as taking music seriously in St. Lucia, I’ve come to realize it’s not a Caribbean thing. Whenever resources are limited, people tend to focus on academics, and anything to do with sports or creative lifestyle whether music, painting, dancing; these things are always considered secondary. I think too its based on the size of the country. When a man know you live down the road he cannot see you as a professional or a star because, you know, he used to play foot ball with you around the corner. How can he all of a sudden see you as this incredible human being? So all of this has something to do with the whole idea of the stifling of music and creative industries in the Caribbean.

New York Music Daily has composed a list of 2011's 50 best albums, Nominating Taj Weekes & Adowa's most recent album, AWSK for a spot on the list.

Taj Weekes & Adowa- A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen. The roots reggae star is his usual politically-charged self on this mix of warm grooves and ferociously insightful anthems.

Additionally, the single "Drill, Baby Drill", was Included in the years best 100 songs.

Taj Weekes & Adowa- Drill. Remember “Drill, baby drill?” The roots reggae star savagely makes fun of the idiocy of the idea in the wake of what happened in the Gulf. -by delarue

Taj Weekes & Adowa will contribute to a collaborative effort, inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement which seeks to  "provide an anthem and rallying cry for the protesters involved in the uprising,"

Some legendary names in music and art are voicing their support for the movement, with a music compilation record called "Occupy This Album," the album producers say.

David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Devo, Third Eye Blind, Ya Lo Tengo, Lloyd Cole, The Guthrie Family and filmmaker/activist Michael Moore have signed on to the project, the producers said in a press release.

Taj Weekes and Adowa
St. Lucia, Caribbean Islands
http://tajweekes.com
Sunday, August 28, 3-4:30 pm

Taj 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.

Weekes is the youngest of 10 children in a St. Lucian family that was immersed in music. He and his brothers formed a band when he was nine-years old and played around the island. A musician, humanitarian and poet who is a Goodwill Ambassador, Weekes created a non-profit charity to support the lives of underprivileged children in the Caribbean.

The band members include Taj Weekes (lead vocals, guitar); Adoni Xavier (guitar) from Trinidad; Radss Desiree (bass) from Dominica; John Hewitt (keyboards) from Brooklyn, New York; and Jamaican Cornel Marshall (drums).

Roots Fest isn’t their first trip to Montana; Weekes and Adowa performed at the Mount Helena Music Festival in late June of this year.

What: River City Roots Fest
When: Sunday, August 28, 2011
Time: 3:00 pm
Where: Main Street, Downtown Missoula
Tel: (406) 543-4238
Tickets: Free to the Public