Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. (born May 17, 1942), better known by his stage name Taj Mahal, is an American blues musician. He plays the guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments,Evans, et al., xii. often incorporating elements of world music into his work. Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music over the course of his more than 50-year career by fusing it with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, India, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.Komara, 951.

Early life

Mahal was born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. on May 17, 1942, in Harlem, New York City. Growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was raised in a musical environment: his mother was a member of a local gospel choir and his father, Henry Saint Claire Fredericks Sr., was an Afro-Caribbean jazz arranger and piano player. His family owned a

shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 me ...

which received music broadcasts from around the world, exposing him at an early age to world music.DiCaire, 9 Early in childhood he recognized the stark differences between the popular music of his day and the music that was played in his home. He also became interested in jazz, enjoying the works of musicians such as

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

and Milt Jackson.Tipaldi, 179–185 His parents came of age during the Harlem Renaissance, instilling in their son a sense of pride in his Caribbean and African ancestry through their stories. Taj Mahal MQ2007-c

Because his father was a musician, his home frequently hosted other musicians from the Caribbean, Africa, and the US. His father was called "The Genius" by Ella Fitzgerald before starting his family.White, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Early on, Henry Jr. developed an interest in African music, which he studied assiduously as a young man. His parents encouraged him to pursue music, starting him out with

classical piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

lessons. He also studied the clarinet, trombone and harmonica.Madsen, 60–73 When Henry Jr. was eleven years old, his father was killed in an accident at his construction company, crushed by a tractor when it flipped over. It was an extremely traumatic experience for the boy. Mahal's mother later remarried. His stepfather owned a guitar which Henry Jr. began using at age 13 or 14, receiving his first lessons from a new neighbor from North Carolina of his own age who played acoustic blues guitar. His name was Lynwood Perry, the nephew of the famous bluesman Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. In high school Henry Jr. sang in a doo-wop group. For some time he thought of pursuing farming over music. His passion began on a dairy farm in Palmer, Massachusetts, not far from Springfield, at age 16. By 19, he had become farm foreman. "I milked anywhere between thirty-five and seventy cows a day. I clipped udders. I grew corn. I grew Tennessee redtop clover. Alfalfa."George-Warren, et al., 129 Mahal believes in growing one's own food, saying, "You have a whole generation of kids who think everything comes out of a box and a can, and they don't know you can grow most of your food." Because of his personal support of the family farm, Mahal regularly performs at

Farm Aid Farm Aid is an annual benefit concert held for American farmers. History On July 13, 1985, while performing at the Live Aid benefit concert for the 1983–1985 Ethiopian famine, Bob Dylan made comments about family farmers within the United Sta ...

concerts. Henry chose his stage name,

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

, from dreams he had about Mahatma Gandhi, India, and social tolerance. He started using the stage name in 1959Strong, 493–494 or 1961—around the same time he began attending the University of Massachusetts. Despite having attended a vocational agriculture school, becoming a member of the

National FFA Organization National FFA Organization is an American 501(c)(3) youth organization, specifically a career and technical student organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education. It was founded in 1925 at Vi ...

, and majoring in

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, startin ...

and minoring in veterinary science and

agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and s ...

, Mahal decided to pursue music instead of farming. In college he led a rhythm and blues band called Taj Mahal & The Elektras. Before heading for the U.S. West Coast, he was also part of a duo with Jessie Lee Kincaid.

Career

Mahal moved to Santa Monica, California, in 1964 and formed

Rising Sons Rising Sons was an American, Los Angeles, California-based blues rock and folk music band, which was founded in 1965. Their initial career was short-lived, but the group found retrospective fame for launching the careers of singer Taj Mahal and gu ...

with fellow

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes ...

musicians

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...

and Jessie Lee Kincaid, landing a record deal with Columbia Records soon after.

Jesse Ed Davis Jesse Edwin Davis III (September 21, 1944 – June 22, 1988) was a Native American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist and solo performer, was a member of Taj Mahal's backing band and played with musicians such as Eric Clapton, J ...

, a

Kiowa Kiowa () people are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe and an indigenous people of the Great Plains of the United States. They migrated southward from western Montana into the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in the 17th a ...

native from Oklahoma, joined Taj Mahal and played guitar and piano on Mahal's first four albums. The group was one of the first interracial bands of the period, which may have hampered their commercial viability. However, Rising Sons bassist Gary Marker later recalled the band's members had come to a creative impasse and were unable to reconcile their musical and personal differences even with the guidance of veteran producer Terry Melcher. They recorded enough songs for a full-length album, but released only a single and the band soon broke up.

Legacy Records In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...

did release ''The Rising Sons Featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder'' in 1992 with material from that period. During this time Mahal was also working with other musicians like

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...

, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Muddy Waters. Mahal stayed with Columbia for his solo career, releasing the self-titled ''Taj Mahal'' and ''The Natch'l Blues'' in 1968. His track "

Statesboro Blues "Statesboro Blues" is a Piedmont blues song written by Blind Willie McTell, who recorded it in 1928. The title refers to the town of Statesboro, Georgia. In 1968, Taj Mahal recorded a popular blues rock adaptation of the song with a prominent slid ...

" was featured on side 2 of the very successful Columbia/CBS sampler album, '' The Rock Machine Turns You On'', giving a huge early impetus to his career. ''Giant Step/De Old Folks at Home'' with session musician Jesse Ed Davis followed in 1969. During this time he and Cooder worked with the Rolling Stones, with whom he has performed at various times throughout his career.Vickers, album insert In 1968, he performed in the film ''

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus ''The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus'' was a concert show organised by the Rolling Stones on 11–12 December 1968. The show was filmed on a makeshift circus stage with Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and The Rolling S ...

''. He recorded a total of twelve albums for Columbia from the late 1960s into the 1970s. His work of the 1970s was especially important, in that his releases began incorporating West Indian and Caribbean music, jazz and reggae into the mix. In 1972, he acted in and wrote the film score for the movie '' Sounder'', which starred

Cicely Tyson Cicely Louise Tyson (December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. Tyson recei ...

. He reprised his role and returned as composer in the sequel, '' Part 2, Sounder''. In 1976 Mahal left Columbia and signed with Warner Bros. Records, recording three albums for them. One of these was another film score for 1977's ''

Brothers A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

''; the album shares the same name. After his time with Warner Bros., he struggled to find another record contract, this being the era of heavy metal and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pi ...

music.

Stalled in his career, he decided to move to

Kauai, Hawaii Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

in 1981 and soon formed the Hula Blues Band. Originally just a group of guys getting together for fishing and a good time, the band soon began performing regularly and touring. He maintained a low public profile in Hawaii throughout most of the 1980s before recording ''Taj'' in 1988 for

Gramavision Gramavision Records is an American record label founded in 1979. Since 1994 it has been a subsidiary of Rykodisc. The label's music is largely jazz, blues and folk oriented but has touched on many other styles and genres. In 1979, Jonathan F.P. ...

. This started a comeback of sorts for him, recording both for Gramavision and Hannibal Records during this time. In the 1990s Mahal became deeply involved in supporting the nonprofit Music Maker Relief Foundation. As of 2019, he was still on the Foundation's advisory board. In the 1990s he was on the

Private Music Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his former ba ...

label, releasing albums full of blues, pop, R&B and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

. He did collaborative works both with Eric Clapton and

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, she ...

. In 1995 he recorded a record fusing traditional American blues with Indian stringed instruments, ''

Mumtaz Mahal Mumtaz Mahal (/'/; ), born Arjumand Banu Begum (27 April 1593 – 17 June 1631) was the empress consort of the Mughal Empire from 19 January 1628 to 17 June 1631 as the chief consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, of ...

'', accompanied by

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, professionally known as V. M. Bhatt (born 27 July 1950), is an Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan veena (slide guitar). Personal life Bhatt lives in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, with his wife and ...

Mohan veena Mohan veena refers to either of two distinct plucked string instruments used in Indian classical music, especially Hindustani classical music which is associated with the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. The first of these was a mix of ...

and

N. Ravikiran Narasimhan Ravikiran (born 12 February 1967) is an Indian slide instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and orator, who created the concept of melharmony. He is the son of gottuvadhyam player Chitravina Narasimhan and the grandson of Narayan ...

chitravina The chitravina ( sa, चित्रवीणा) (also known as chitra veena, chitraveena, chitra vina, hanumad vina, or mahanataka vina) is a 20 or 21-string fretless lute-style veena in Carnatic music. Around the late 19th and early 20th ce ...

, a fretless

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can re ...

. In 1998, in collaboration with renowned songwriter David Forman, producer Rick Chertoff and musicians

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

, Willie Nile, Joan Osborne,

Rob Hyman Robert Andrew Hyman (born April 24, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard and accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters. Early life Hyman ...

, Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of the Band, and the Chieftains, he performed on the Americana album '' Largo'' based on the music of

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example ...

. In 1997 he won Best Contemporary Blues Album for '' Señor Blues'' at the Grammy Awards, followed by another Grammy for ''Shoutin' in Key'' in 2000.
/ref> He performed the theme song to the children's television show '' Peep and the Big Wide World'', which began broadcast in 2004. In 2002, Mahal appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album '' Red Hot and Riot'' in tribute to Nigerian

afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rh ...

musician

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pio ...

. The

Paul Heck Paul Heck (born July 23, 1967) is an American record and video producer. He produces music projects in a range of styles, as well as related concerts and videos. Early career Heck was raised in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. He was named HS Al ...

produced album was widely acclaimed, and all proceeds from the record were donated to AIDS charities. Taj Mahal contributed to Olmecha Supreme's 2006 album 'hedfoneresonance'. The

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

-based group led by Mahal's son Imon Starr ( Ahmen Mahal) also featured Deva Mahal on vocals. Mahal partnered up with Keb' Mo' to release a joint album '' TajMo'' on May 5, 2017. The album has some guest appearances by

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: James Gang, the James Gang, Eagles (band), Eagles, and Ri ...

Sheila E. Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving ...

, and

Lizz Wright Elizabeth LaCharla Wright (born January 22, 1980) is an American jazz and gospel singer. Life and career Wright was born in the small town of Hahira, Georgia, one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of t ...

, and has six original compositions and five covers, from artists and bands like John Mayer and The Who. In 2013, Mahal appeared in the documentary film on

Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole consi ...

founding member

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

, 'The Byrd Who Flew Alone', produced by Four Suns Productions. Clark and Mahal had been friends for many years. In June 2017, Mahal appeared in the award-winning documentary film '' The American Epic Sessions,'' directed by Bernard MacMahon, recording Charley Patton's "

High Water Everywhere "High Water Everywhere" is a Delta blues song recorded in 1929 by noted blues singer Charley Patton. The song is about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and how it affected residents of the Mississippi Delta, particularly the mistreatment of Afri ...

" on the first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s. Mahal appeared throughout the accompanying documentary series '' American Epic,'' commenting on the 1920s rural recording artists who had a profound influence on American music and on him personally.

Personal life

Mahal's first marriage was to Anna de Leon. He refers to Anna in the song "Texas Woman Blues" with the spoken words "Señorita de Leon, escucha mi canción." That marriage produced one daughter, the novelist and professor

Aya de Leon Aya de Leon (born 1967) is an American novelist and activist who teaches at the University of California Berkeley. She first came to national attention as a spoken-word artist in the underground poetry scene in the San Francisco Bay Area, and a ...

. Taj Mahal married Inshirah Geter on January 23, 1976 and together they have six children. His daughter

Deva Mahal Deva Mahal (pronounced 'diva') is a soul and R&B singer. Mahal is the daughter of US-American blues musician Taj Mahal. Deva joined father Taj Mahal in Michael Dorf's tribute to Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 6, 201 ...

appeared on one episode of Dating Around.

Musical style

Mahal leads with his thumb and middle finger when fingerpicking, rather than with his index finger as the majority of guitar players do. "I play with a flatpick," he says, "when I do a lot of blues leads." Early in his musical career Mahal studied the various styles of his favorite blues singers, including musicians like

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

, Son House,

Sleepy John Estes John Adam Estes (January 25, 1899 or 1900June 5, 1977),
known as Sleepy John Estes, was an Am ...

Big Mama Thornton Willie Mae Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), better known as Big Mama Thornton, was an American singer and songwriter of the blues and R&B genres. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's " Hound Dog", in 1952, which becam ...

, Howlin' Wolf, Mississippi John Hurt, and Sonny Terry. He describes his hanging out at clubs like Club 47 in Massachusetts and Ash Grove in Los Angeles as "basic building blocks in the development of his music." Considered to be a scholar of blues music, his studies of ethnomusicology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst would come to introduce him further to the folk music of the Caribbean and West Africa. Over time he incorporated more and more African roots music into his musical palette, embracing elements of reggae, calypso, jazz, zydeco, R&B, gospel music, and the

country blues Country blues (also folk blues, rural blues, backwoods blues, or downhome blues) is one of the earliest forms of blues music. The mainly solo vocal with acoustic fingerstyle guitar accompaniment developed in the rural Southern United States in t ...

—each of which having "served as the foundation of his unique sound." According to ''The Rough Guide to Rock'', "It has been said that Taj Mahal was one of the first major artists, if not the very first one, to pursue the possibilities of world music. Even the blues he was playing in the early 70s – ''

Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff ''Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff'' is the fifth American blues studio album by Taj Mahal. Tracks 1-7 were recorded live; tracks 8-11 are studio recordings. The album cover shows a photograph of Taj Majal and Mississippi John Hurt ta ...

'' (1972), '' Mo' Roots'' (1974) – showed an aptitude for spicing the mix with flavours that always kept him a yard or so distant from being an out-and-out blues performer."Buckley, et al., 1050 Concerning his voice, author David Evans writes that Mahal has "an extraordinary voice that ranges from gruff and gritty to smooth and sultry." Taj Mahal (Musiker)

Taj Mahal believes that his 1999 album ''Kulanjan'', which features him playing with the kora master of Mali's Griot tradition Toumani Diabaté, "embodies his musical and cultural spirit arriving full circle." To him it was an experience that allowed him to reconnect with his African heritage, striking him with a sense of coming home. He even changed his name to Dadi Kouyate, the first

jali A ''jali'' or jaali (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectural ...

name, to drive this point home. Speaking of the experience and demonstrating the breadth of his eclecticism, he has said: Taj Mahal has said he prefers to do outdoor performances, saying: "The music was designed for people to move, and it's a bit difficult after a while to have people sitting like they're watching television. That's why I like to play outdoor festivals-because people will just dance. Theatre audiences need to ask themselves: 'What the hell is going on? We're asking these musicians to come and perform and then we sit there and draw all the energy out of the air.' That's why after a while I need a rest. It's too much of a drain. Often I don't allow that. I just play to the goddess of music-and I know she's dancing." Mahal has been quoted as saying, "Eighty-one percent of the kids listening to rap were not black kids. Once there was a tremendous amount of money involved in it ... they totally moved it over to a material side. It just went off to a terrible direction. ...You can listen to my music from front to back, and you don't ever hear me moaning and crying about how bad you done treated me. I think that style of blues and that type of tone was something that happened as a result of many white people feeling very, very guilty about what went down."Tianen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Awards

Taj Mahal has received three Grammy Awards (ten nominations) over his career. *1997 (Grammy Award) Best Contemporary Blues Album for '' Señor Blues'' *2000 (Grammy Award) Best Contemporary Blues Album for ''Shoutin' in Key'' *2006 (

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, ...

s) Historical Album of the Year for ''The Essential Taj Mahal'' *2008 (Grammy Nomination) Best Contemporary Blues Album for '' Maestro'' *2018 (Grammy Award) Best Contemporary Blues Album for ''TajMo'' On February 8, 2006 Taj Mahal was designated the official Blues Artist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In March 2006, Taj Mahal, along with his sister, the late

Carole Fredericks Carole Denise Fredericks (June 5, 1952 – June 7, 2001) was an American singer best known for her work in French music. She was the younger sister of Taj Mahal. Between 1990 and 1996 she was in the trio Fredericks Goldman Jones alongside ...

, received the Foreign Language Advocacy Award from the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in recognition of their commitment to shine a spotlight on the vast potential of music to foster genuine intercultural communication. On May 22, 2011, Taj Mahal received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Wofford College in

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offic ...

. He also made brief remarks and performed three songs. A video of the performance can be found online. In 2014, Taj Mahal received the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement award.

Discography

Albums

* 1968 – ''

'' * 1968 – '' The Natch'l Blues'' * 1969 – '' Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home'' * 1971 – ''

Happy Just to Be Like I Am ''Happy Just to Be Like I Am'' is the fourth studio album by American blues artist Taj Mahal. Track listing All tracks composed by Taj Mahal; except where indicated # "Happy Just to Be Like I Am" (3:49) # "Stealin'" ( Gus Cannon) (6:58) # "Oh, S ...

'' * 1972 – ''

'' * 1972 – '' Sounder'' (original soundtrack) * 1973 – '' Oooh So Good 'n Blues'' * 1974 – '' Mo' Roots'' * 1975 – ''

Music Keeps Me Together ''Music Keeps Me Together'' is the eighth studio album by American blues artist Taj Mahal. The album was remixed at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia by Jay Mark and Carl Paruolo. Track listing All tracks composed by Taj Mahal; except where in ...

'' * 1976 – '' Satisfied 'n' Tickled Too'' * 1976 – ''

Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu) ''Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu)'' is an album by American blues artist Taj Mahal, which was released in 1977. Track listing All tracks composed and arranged by Taj Mahal; except where indicated # "You Got It" # "Freight Train" ( Elizabeth Cot ...

'' * 1977 – ''

Evolution (The Most Recent) ''Evolution (The Most Recent)'' is an album by American blues artist Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 163 ...

'' * 1987 – '' Taj'' * 1988 – ''

Shake Sugaree ''Shake Sugaree - Taj Mahal Sings and Plays for Children'' is a 1988 album by American blues artist Taj Mahal. The title comes from one of the tracks, and was itself the title track of a 1967 album by Elizabeth Cotten, recorded in February 1965 ...

- Taj Mahal Sings and Plays for Children'' * 1991 – ''

Mule Bone ''Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life'' is a 1930 play by American authors Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. The process of writing the play led Hughes and Hurston, who had been close friends, to sever their relationship. ''Mule Bone'' was no ...

'' * 1991 – '' Like Never Before'' * 1993 – ''

Dancing the Blues ''Dancing the Blues'' is an album by American blues artist Taj Mahal, released in 1993. Reception Allmusic gave a positive review of the album, calling the music "inclusive" and "eclectic", and praising a number of the individual tracks. Tra ...

'' * 1995 – ''

'' (with

V.M. Bhatt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, professionally known as V. M. Bhatt (born 27 July 1950), is an Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan veena (slide guitar). Personal life Bhatt lives in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, with his wife and t ...

and

) * 1996 – ''

Phantom Blues ''Phantom Blues'' is a studio album by American blues artist Taj Mahal. Track listing # "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes" (Taj Mahal) # "Cheatin' On You" (Jon Cleary) # "The Hustle Is On" (H.E. Owens) # "Here in the Dark" (Bernard Anders) # "Fanning t ...

'' * 1997 – '' Señor Blues'' * 1997 – '' Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues'' AKA ''

Sacred Island ''Sacred Island'' is an album by the American blues/world artist Taj Mahal and the Hawaiian music group the Hula Blues Band, released in 1998. The album peaked at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Blues Albums chart. Production "Coconut Man" is a rewr ...

'' (1998; with The Hula Blues Band) * 1999 – '' Kulanjan'' (with Toumani Diabaté) * 2001 – '' Hanapepe Dream'' (with The Hula Blues Band) * 2005 – '' Mkutano Meets the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar'' * 2008 – '' Maestro'' * 2012 – '' Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal'' CD1 unreleased 1969-1973 * 2014 – ''Talkin' Christmas'' (with The

Blind Boys of Alabama Blind may refer to: * The state of blindness, being unable to see * A window blind, a covering for a window Blind may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Blind'' (2007 film), a Dutch drama by Tamar van den Dop * ''Blind ...

) * 2016 – ''Labor of Love'' (recorded in 1998) * 2017 – '' TajMo'' (with Keb' Mo')

Live albums

* 1971 – '' The Real Thing'' * 1972 – ''

'' * 1972 – ''Big Sur Festival - One Hand Clapping'' * 1979 – '' Taj Mahal and The International Rhythm Band - Live & Direct'' * 1990 – '' Live at Ronnie Scott's'' AKA ''Big Blues'' * 1996 – '' An Evening of Acoustic Music'' * 2000 – ''Taj Mahal and The Phantom Blues Band Live -

Shoutin' in Key ''Shoutin' in Key'' is a live album by American blues artist Taj Mahal. Track listing # "Honky Tonk" ( Billy Butler, Bill Doggett, Clifford Scott, Shep Shepherd) – 6:19 # "EZ Rider" (Taj Mahal) – 3:20 # " Ain't That a Lot of Love" (Homer ...

'' * 2004 – ''Taj Mahal Trio - Live Catch'' * 2007 – ''World Blues'' (recorded in 1971; reissue with additional material on a 2019 LP) * 2012 – '' Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal'' CD2 Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1970 * 2015 – ''Taj Mahal & The Hula Blues Band: Live From Kauai'' * 2016 – ''Live In San Francisco 1966'' * 2020 - ''Taj Mahal Live - Live American Radio Broadcast'' AKA ''Johnny Too Bad - Live American Radio Broadcast'' AKA ''Taj Mahal - Ultrasonic Blues - The Full WLIR New York Broadcast 1974'' AKA ''Live at Ultrasonic Studios'' * 2020 - ''The Underground Pipeline - Gainesville, FL Broadcast 1978''

Compilation albums

* 1980 – '' Going Home'' * 1981 – '' The Best of Taj Mahal, Volume 1'' (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

) * 1992 – ''

Taj's Blues ''Taj's Blues'' is a compilation album by American blues artist Taj Mahal. Track listing # "Leaving Trunk" (Sleepy John Estes) - 4:48 - from ''Taj Mahal'' (1968) # "Statesboro Blues" (Blind Willie McTell) - 2:56 - from ''Taj Mahal'' (1968) # " ...

'' * 1993 – '' World Music'' * 1994 – ''Taj Mahal - The Rising Sun collection No. 3'' (reissued in 2004 as ''Sugar Mama Blues'') * 1998 – '' In Progress & In Motion: 1965-1998'' * 1999 – '' Blue Light Boogie'' * 2000 – ''

The Best of Taj Mahal ''The Best of Taj Mahal'' is an album by American blues artist Taj Mahal, released in 2000. AllMusic commented that the collection "... functions as a nice introduction to Mahal's music". Track listing # "Statesboro Blues "Statesboro Blues" ...

'' * 2000 – ''

The Best of the Private Years ''The Best of the Private Years'' is an album by American blues artist Taj Mahal, which was released in 2000. AllMusic's verdict on the collection was " Mahal has a rich history, and this collection is living proof that a good bluesman gets be ...

'' * 2001 – '' Sing a Happy Song: The Warner Bros. Recordings'' * 2003 – '' Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues – Taj Mahal'' * 2003 – '' Blues with a Feeling: The Very Best of Taj Mahal'' * 2005 – '' The Essential Taj Mahal'' * 2014 – ''Sweet Mama Red'' * 2019 – ''Taj Mahal - Ten songs for you''

Various artists featuring Taj Mahal

* 1968 – ''

'' * 1968 – '' The Rock Machine Turns You On'' * 1970 – ''Fill Your Head With Rock'' * 1985 – ''Conjure: Music for the Texts of Ishmael Reed'' * 1990 – ''

The Hot Spot ''The Hot Spot'' is a 1990 American neo-noir film directed by Dennis Hopper, based on the 1953 novel ''Hell Hath No Fury'' by Charles Williams, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It stars Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Connelly, and ...

'' – original soundtrack * 1991 – ''Vol Pour Sidney'' – one title only, other tracks by

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...

, Elvin Jones, Pepsi, The Lonely Bears, Lee Konitz and others. * 1992 – ''Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and

'' * 1992 – ''Smilin' Island of Song'' by Cedella Marley Booker and Taj Mahal. * 1993 – ''The Source'' by

Ali Farka Touré Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its deriv ...

(World Circuit WCD030; Hannibal 1375) * 1993 – ''Peace Is the World Smiling'' * 1997 – ''Follow the Drinking Gourd'' * 1997 – ''Shakin' a Tailfeather'' * 1998 – ''Scrapple'' – original soundtrack * 1998 – ''Largo'' * 1999 – ''Hippity Hop'' * 2001 – "Strut" – with Jimmy Smith on his album ''Dot Com Blues'' * 2002 – ''Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues'' ( Rhino) – contributing his version of "Outskirts of Town" * 2002 – ''Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III'' – Lead vocals on Fishin' Blues, and lead in and first verse of the title track, with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass- country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed wit ...

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Wa ...

* 2004 – ''Musicmakers with Taj Mahal'' ( Music Maker 49) * 2004 – '' Etta Baker with Taj Mahal'' ( Music Maker 50) * 2007 – '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' ( Vanguard) – contributing his version of " My Girl Josephine" * 2007 – ''

Le Cœur d'un homme ''Le Cœur d'un homme'' is an album by the French singer Johnny Hallyday. It was released on November 12, 2007, and achieved huge success in France and Belgium (Wallonia). It was led by the single "Always", a number 2 hit in France, and contains ...

'' by Johnny Hallyday – duet on "T'Aimer si mal", written by French best-selling novelist

Marc Levy Marc Levy (born 16 October 1961) is a French novelist. Career Levy was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, and studied management and computers at Paris Dauphine University. In the late 1990s, Levy wrote a story that his sister, th ...

* 2009 – ''American Horizon'' – with

Los Cenzontles Los Cenzontles (Nahuatl for The Mockingbirds) is a Mexican-American group, cultural arts academy, and media production studio, that promotes Mexican roots music through research, performance, education, musical recordings and videos. They are bas ...

, David Hidalgo * 2011 – ''Play The Blues Live From Lincoln Jazz Center'' – with Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton, playing on "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and "

Corrine, Corrina "Corrine, Corrina" (sometimes "Corrina, Corrina") is a 12-bar country blues song in the AAB form. "Corrine, Corrina" was first recorded by Bo Carter ( Brunswick 7080, December 1928). However, it was not copyrighted until 1932 by Armenter "Bo Cart ...

" * 2013 – "Poye 2" – with

Bassekou Kouyate Bassekou Kouyaté (born 1966) is a musician from Mali. His band is known as Ngoni ba. He was born into the Kouyate family in Garana, Barouéli Cercle, 60 kilometres from Ségou, in 1966.Frank Bessem's Musiques d'AfriqueBassekou Kouyate/ref> At ...

and Ngoni Ba on their album '' Jama Ko'' * 2013 – "Winding Down" – with Sammy Hagar, Dave Zirbel, John Cuniberti, Mona Gnader, Vic Johnson on the album '' Sammy Hagar & Friends'' * 2013 – Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War – with a version of " Down by the Riverside" * 2015 – "How Can a Poor Boy?" – with

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

on his album '' Re-working the Catalogue'' * 2017 – '' Music from The American Epic Sessions: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' – contributing his version of "

" * 2022 – ''Get On Board'' – with ''

Filmography

Live DVDs * 2002 – ''Live at Ronnie Scott's 1988'' * 2006 – ''Taj Mahal/Phantom Blues Band Live at St. Lucia'' * 2011 – ''Play The Blues Live From Lincoln Jazz Center'' – with Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton, playing on "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and "Corrine, Corrina" Movies * 1972 – '' Sounder'' as Ike Phillips * 1976 — '' Part 2, Sounder'' as Ike Phillips * 1977 — '' Scott Joplin'' as Poor Alfred * 1977 – ''

'' (composer) * 1987 — '' The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains'' as Bones * 1991 – ''

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' is a 1991 American science fiction comedy film, and the feature directorial debut of Pete Hewitt. It is the second film in the ''Bill & Ted'' franchise, and a sequel to ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989). ...

'' as Gatekeeper * 1992 — ''

Zebrahead Zebrahead is an American rap-punk band from La Habra, California. Formed in 1996, the band has released thirteen studio albums to date. History 1996–2001: Formation and early years Zebrahead was formed in La Habra, California in summe ...

'' (composer) * 1995 — '' Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored'' as Mr. Will * 1996 – ''

'' as Himself * 1998 – ''

Outside Ozona ''Outside Ozona'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by J. S. Cardone. The film follows a group of strangers who are all listening to the same radio station. Plot Despite the disapproval of his radio manager, a disc jockey ...

'' as Dix Mayal * 1998 – ''

Six Days, Seven Nights ''Six Days, Seven Nights'' is a 1998 American action-adventure comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The screenplay was written by Michael Browning. It was filmed on location in Kauai, and released on ...

'' as Entertainer * 2000 – ''

Songcatcher ''Songcatcher'' is a 2000 drama film directed by Maggie Greenwald. It is about a musicologist researching and collecting Appalachian folk music in the mountains of western North Carolina. Although ''Songcatcher'' is a fictional film, it is loosel ...

'' as Dexter Speaks * 2002 – ''

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood ''Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood'' is a 1996 novel written by Rebecca Wells. It follows the novel '' Little Altars Everywhere''. In 2005, Wells wrote ''Ya-Yas in Bloom'' and then ''The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder''. ''Divine Secret ...

'' as Swing Band Singer * 2004 — '' Killer Diller'' as J.R. Cox * 2017 – '' American Epic'' as Himself TV Shows * 1977 - '' Saturday Night Live'' - Episode 048 Performer: Musical Guest * 1985 - Theme song from '' Star Wars: Ewoks'' * 1992 – '' New WKRP in Cincinnati'' – ''Moss Dies'' as himself * 1995 - '' The Mask: Animated Series'' - Additional voices * 1996 - ''

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters ''Aaahh!!! Real Monsters'' is an American animated television series developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on three young monsters—Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm—who attend a school for monsters under a city dump and learn to ...

'' - ''Monster Blues'' as Ellis Robinson * 1999 – ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by ...

'' – ''Fillmore Street'' as himself * 2003 – ''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...

'' – ''Big Horns George'' as himself (voice) * 2004 – Theme song from '' Peep and the Big Wide World''

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
Taj Mahal's official website
*
Taj Mahal Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahal, Taj American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers American blues pianists American male pianists American blues harmonica players African-American guitarists 20th-century African-American male singers Contemporary blues musicians 1942 births Living people Grammy Award winners Slide guitarists Singers from New York City American people of Jamaican descent People from Harlem People from Topanga, California University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences alumni 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Private Music artists Guitarists from New York City 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers Ruf Records artists Gramavision Records artists African-American pianists 21st-century African-American male singers