Bill Mortley

The Clothesline Project returned for its third year at the Derek Walcott Square last Tuesday in celebration of International Women’s Day 2012. The project was organized by TOCO and PROSAF together with the Division of Gender Relations and hosted by HTS/Radio100.  They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO) is a 501(c)(3) US based not-for-profit organization founded by St Lucian artiste 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.
The clothesline project is an exhibition of poignant messages penned by family and friends of people who have died and whose lives have been profoundly affected by the scourge of domestic violence. It also highlighted testimonials from women and girls who have and others who are facing domestic and other forms of violence.
The messages were displayed on t-shirts and the activity also provided counseling and answers to people who were currently in an abusive situation.  Taj Weekes explained to the STAR what the project is really about and how it has brought a positive change in the lives of women in St Lucia.  “It serves two purposes —it gives them an out and it also encourages other women to do the same. It is helpful because people see their story and what they are going through—they tend to shed tears or seek counsel in an effort to get help and get out of their abusive situation,” said Weekes. The recipient of the St Lucia House Foundation’s Humanitarian Award said he was touched when he saw women break down in tears after reading a few messages on the t-shirts. Weeks explained the t-shirts were all bought by himself and “the idea really, is to get persons to write their stories, their messages on the t-shirts. Hopefully next year, participants will bring their own t-shirts to continue hosting the event that is expected to touch and change lives in St Lucia.”  Velika Lawrence, a member of Positive Reactions Over Secrets and Fear (PROSAF) says one of the goals of the project is to address the issue of sexual abuse in St Lucia. She noted that suitable resources need to be in place to help the many women and girls who are affected “whether it is secretly or openly and there are many cases that are not heard of in public where young girls and women are sexually assaulted.”  She further stated that her organization exists to help the many forms of abuse that affect the lives of women every day.  “We live in a society where some of these incidents are kept hush-hush; we are not expected to talk about it, it is always a surprise thing and the clothesline project is happening at a time when a woman was recently murdered along with her infant. This was reported but how many go unreported; how many are covered to protect offenders of these crimes?” Meanwhile, Minister of Gender Relations, Alvina Reynolds has strongly condemned the recent brutal murder of a teenage mother and her one year old daughter. Reynolds says she was deeply saddened by the tragic incident and called on all members of the society to strongly denounce violence against women. She made the pronouncement during the annual clothesline project which was held at the Derek Walcott Square. The Minister further added that the financial and social impact of violence in the society is a major burden. She says persons need to work together to help fight and reduce the incidence of domestic violence against women.  The Minister for Gender relations indicated that women on the island are still plagued by poverty, unemployment and abuse and inequality.  The clothesline project began on Tuesday and ended yesterday with counseling sessions for abused women and even HIV rapid testing. It featured formal addresses by prominent women and celebrities and saw visits by a number of schools from Castries and surroundings.

http://stluciastar.com/content/news/domestic-violence-placed-on-the-clothesline/

Taj receiving award at gala ceremony, with Minister of External Affairs and St. Lucian Ambassador

The legendary St. Lucian artiste and philanthropist Taj Weekes has been selected for the St. Lucia House Foundation’s Humanitarian Award for his selflessness and dedicated humanitarian efforts.

Weekes will receive this prestigious award at the 33rd Anniversary of Independence Gala scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Grand Prospect Hall, located at 263 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.

A release from the Foundation states that it is honored to recognize Weekes, who is one of island’s most creative musical artistes. He has inspired many through his artistic and humanitarian endeavors.

In 2007, Weekes founded a charity—They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO)—aimed at improving the lives of underprivileged Caribbean children through a variety of sports, health, and enrichment programs.

Weekes was named a Goodwill Ambassador by the International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals and recognized by a division of the United Nations. Through his music, Weekes addresses several crucial issues, including global warming, casualties of war, domestic and youth violence, diabetes and health, poverty, and the welfare of children.

In 2011, the internationally celebrated artiste returned home to participate in the World-Renowned Saint Lucia Jazz Festival for the first time. Later that year, TOCO collected generous donations of balls, uniforms, shoes, socks, and gear, as well as money to fund its mission trips. TOCO also collected 5000 shoe donations from various elementary schools. The shoes were sent to Haiti as earthquake recovery aid. In addition to their annual collection of soccer equipment, TOCO has expanded its program to include an annual toy drive and educational workshops.

In December 2011, Weekes returned to St. Lucia to launch TOCO’s First Annual Holiday Toy Drive, distributing toys to children in need and feeding the elderly at community center in Castries, Saint Lucia. In 2012, TOCO plans to expand to other Caribbean islands, with stops in Trinidad, Tobago, and Haiti; the group also plans a lecture tour targeting high schools and colleges across the Caribbean.

The upcoming Independence Gala marks the end of activities in New York to celebrate St. Lucia’s 33rd Anniversary of Independence from Great Britain. The activities were organized by the Saint Lucia House Foundation, an umbrella group of St. Lucian organizations based in New York City, Connecticut, and New Jersey in collaboration with the St. Lucia Consulate General in New York.

INTERNATIONAL REGGAE ARTISTE Taj Weekes DONATES SPORTING EQUIPMENT TO TT COACHES

Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad – Jan 29, 2012

Taj Weekes along with Shirley Menard of (TOCO)  “They Often Cry Outreach”   foundation collaborates with ASK Promotions to donate 100 full football kits, balls and training equipment to the children of Trinidad.

Taj Weekes is a reggae singer and is 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 sports, enrichment, educational and wellness programs. As a Goodwill Ambassador, 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 TOCO, his charity.
Over 100 children in the Carenage and Maloney areas were beneficiaries of this year’s donation (football uniforms, tugs, cones, balls, and other gear) by the TOCO foundation - under the tutelage of their coaches Angus Eve (Carenage) and Vaughn Joseph (Maloney).

ASK Promotions is involved in the business of artist management and record production. It was through their collaborative efforts that this distribution drive was spearheaded. This took place in the form of a friendly match between the two teams on Sunday 29 January 2012 at the Carenage Recreational Ground, Haig Street Carenage from 10 am. - Followed by a mini concert featuring Janique Charles, Llettesha Sylvester, Russell Leonce and TOCO founder Taj Weekes. This initiative will be an annual event as the TOCO foundation and ASK Promotions seek to bring hope for children in at-risk communities, through sport and music.
Special thanks go out to the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Community Development, NLCB, and Bare Fruit for making this event a very successful one.

Member of Parliament Alicia Hospedales from the Arouca/Maloney Constituency, Diego Martin West Councillor Enroy Slater and Ministry of Sports officials were on hand to endorse the event.

During their stay in Trinidad Taj Weekes and Shirley Menard also met with Director of Sports Dave Bobb to discuss the potential awarding of 10 full football scholarships to young footballers in Trinidad and Tobago who meet academic criteria. This football showcasing is carded to take place in the summer. For more information on the football scholarships, coaches can contact ASK Promotions at 868.341.7896 or [E] info@askpromotionstt.com xxx

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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 .