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
TAJ WEEKES ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Musician, Singer/Songwriter, Poet, Freedom Fighter, Humanitarian. This is Taj Weekes through the eyes of those who have been fortunate enough to experience his music and receive his message of love, peace, truth, triumph and hope. Many write of his deft skills as a songwriter, the uniqueness of his hauntingly beautiful falsetto, and the vibrant diversity of his musical arrangements, however when speaking with the man behind the music, one will find a simple man, dedicated to presenting pure, honest music with a simple message that transcends race, class, genre, age, and nationality. The seeds of his values and sense of his place in the world were all sown on a quiet island many years ago.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Taj Weekes’ musical journey parallels his personal one. For St. Lucia’s native son, the youngest of ten children, music was a family affair. He states: “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, The Weekes Brothers, playing in local talent shows, town hall or parish canters around the island. Throughout his teenage years, Weekes honed his musical talents and song writing skills listening to a wide variety of music. He states: “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.” Years later, he left home to fulfill his musical ambitions in North America. There, he formed his band, Taj Weekes & Adowa and founded Jatta, LLC, his entertainment company that houses his record label, film and music publishing company, and merchandising division.
THE MAN, THE MUSIC, THE MESSAGE – WE ARE ALL ONE
His music is a product of his exposure to a wide spectrum of musical genres on St. Lucian radio. His message grew out of the innocent beauty of his island, but it was the plight of those less fortunate that awakened his social consciousness. His international travels expanded his world view, eventually coming to the realization that we are all one, as reflected in the title of his second album, DEIDEM (All of Us).