Song Reviews

Dermot Hussey - XM/Sirius Satellite Radio - The Joint

"Songwriter Taj Weekes draws inspiration from poetry: the imagery of the elements in ‘Rain Rain’ and the fine ironies of inaction in the Land Of Dreams since the levees broke."

Ted Boothroyde - Contributing Editor - The Beat Magazine and Jahworks.org

"Rain Rain fits perfectly within the rest of Taj Weekes' oeuvre: a gentle and very appealing musical setting for a poetic, yet very pointed, exposure of uncomfortable truths."

Anthony Postman - Editor - Reggae Festival Guide Magazine

"'Rain Rain' falls sweetly like water, a modern reggae blues in sentiment, a poignant message that Taj Weekes & Adowa deliver with sensitivity and heart. We're in for a treat if 'Rain Rain' heralds the upcoming sound of A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen."

UnitedReggae.com

"The album features the debut single Rain Rain: a tough song about Hurricane Katrina and the lack of effective action for the residents of the devasted states in August 2005."

Gilroy "Ezi" Hall - Contributing Editor for The Voice

"Taj is certainly Shakespeare reincarnated. The poetry in this selection is a work of genius. Can't wait to get this album!"

Scott "Goldfinger" Shisler - WTJU 91.1 FM - Reggae Vibrations - Charlottesville, VA

"Be it New Orleans... or Haiti... or Afghanistan... this song rings true. One of the qualities of reggae music that I so admire is 'skanking softly and carrying a big stick': the riddim may be soothing, but the words tell you something else, altogether. Love it."

Tracy "Too Dread" Moore  - KTHX 100.1 FM - Reggae Shack - Reno, NV

"Once again, the gentle voice of Taj Weekes delivers a powerful musical message. Combined with the peaceful and effortless musical backing of Adowa, a number you just want to slip into..."

Mister G - Green Arow Radio - Madison, WI

"What a beauty of a track... makes me really want to dive ears/heart first into the entire album."

Rain Rain, Debut Single from AWSK

Jatta Records presents Taj Weekes and Adowa's ground breaking third album, A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen, set for worldwide release on September 21, 2010. Their debut single, Rain Rain, ushers in a deluge of fresh reggae songs laced with acoustic strings including guitar, violin and cello with splashes of soulful harmonica and a touch of afro-folk simplicity for an album that will challenge listeners to redefine common perceptions of reggae and where it's heading as a genre.
 
Originally prompted by the circumstances created by Hurricane Katrina, Rain Rain laments the delayed and often ineffectual action following the devastating events experienced by residents of Louisiana and neighboring states in August 2005. Weekes vocalizes, "When the Rain Rain washed away / caring went away / now love’s gone dry beneath a saturated sky." Weekes adds, "It seems appropriate that the song is ready for release just as the five-year anniversary of the disaster is commemorated."

Taj Weekes and Adowa Debut the First Single 'RAIN RAIN' from their Ground Breaking New Album, A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen, at Joe's Pub in NYC

Taj Weekes and Adowa will premiere Rain Rain in a special live performance on August 7^th at 11:30 pm at Joe’s Pub in New York City. Attendees will receive a Limited Edition Rain Rain CD Single to commemorate the event.

WEST INDIAN TIMES

By: Lady Cham

On June 8th, 2010,  St. Lucian born Taj Weekes, an insightful Reggae musician, songwriter and vocalist graced the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach. He was at the beach to perform with his band Adowa while on a tour for their most recent album 'DEIDEM'  which was released on his own independent label, Jatta Records.  DEIDEM is a play on words DE-I-DEM which basically means 'all of us.'

THE PULSE - CHATANOOGA

By: Stephanie Smith

The reach of Rastafari and reggae has spread beyond the songs of the legendary Bob Marley, but the vibration remains the same: One World. One Love.

As a child growing up in St. Lucia in the Caribbean, Taj Weekes was exposed to all different kinds of music on the radio—reggae, calypso, rock 'n roll—in addition to the liberation theology and music he grew up with in church. It was reggae, however, that he fell in love with.

"Reggae initially meant put rhythm to a poem and cry," says Weekes. "When people listen to us, that's what they expect. There's been the development of this crazy stepchild of the music—run off of excess and rhythm driven—but it's not reggae. Reggae is organic, soul, message-driven music."

DUBATOMIC PARTICLES - WNCW 88.7

Interview by: Selector Timothy (Timothy Cross)

On Sunday, June 6th, DUBATOMIC PARTICLES, Taj Weekes joined Selector Timothy for a conversation about life, his charity They Often Cry Outreach and his last album Deidem .

(Interview with Taj Weekes starts in hour two of broadcast.)

By: Natasha Odlum

It’s very rare that in Life one takes a Leap of Faith and it turns out to surpass ones’ expectations. Very rare in life, that one can honestly say that one has smelled that faint perfume of perfection; not once but over and over again. That is the sensation that exudes the atmospheres of the charmed life lead by a truly astounding group of beings that call themselves Taj Weekes and Adowa.

INITIATIVE RADIO

By: Angela McKenzie

TAJ WEEKES is a singer-songwriter who performs his craft in the Reggae music genre. He is the founder of the not-for-profit organization They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO) which is dedicated to improving the lives of under-privileged, at-risk and orphaned children in the Caribbean through sport, enrichment, educational and wellness programs.

Just ahead of his latest tour Taj talks to Angela McKenzie about how his musical journey is helping to change the perception that great Reggae music can only be produced by Jamaicans. He also discuses TOCO's current initiatives and listeners get a short history, geography and cultural lesson about the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia - known as the Helen of the West Indies.

THE ADVOCATE & WBRZ NEWS 2 LOUISIANA

By: Robert R. Jones III

Taj Weekes performs Sunday at Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette. (Photo: Bryan Tuck)

As Festival International de Louisiane concluded Sunday in downtown, both festival attendees and musicians alike agreed that the festival was a special event no matter where you were from.

HOUSTON PRESS

Excerpt of article by: Brittanie Shey

Houston International Festival: iFest

One act we were most eager to see was Taj Weekes, who played two sets Saturday afternoon, first with his band, Adowa, and then a solo acoustic set on the minuscule HEB Cultural Stage. We caught the second set, where he was accompanied by bandmates Adoni Xavier on guitar and Radss Desiree on bass.

HOUSTON PRESS

Excerpt of Article by: Chris Gray

Ed. Note: Here are Houston International Festival Director of Peforming Arts Rick Mitchell's choices for can't-miss acts for the festival's second weekend, spread over five categories. Rick should know; he books all the artists.

CARIBBEAN

Taj Weekes and Adowa: From the island of St. Lucia, Weekes describes reggae music as "the poor man's cry, music you can sit and listen to." He has released two critically acclaimed albums notable for the poignant poetry of his lyrics and the tight riddims of his band, Adowa. But what is really striking about Weekes is his voice, a ghostly cry that seems to originate from somewhere back in the ancestral memory. (3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24, Bud Light World Stage; 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24, HEB Cultural Stage)