Taj Mahal (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taj Mahal
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Mahal in 2005
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Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.
May 17, 1942 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1964–present |
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Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. (born May 17, 1942), known as Taj Mahal, is an American blues musician. He plays many instruments, like the guitar, piano, banjo, and harmonica. He often mixes sounds from different parts of the world into his music. For over 50 years, Taj Mahal has changed what blues music can be. He blends it with sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, India, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.
Contents
Growing Up with Music
Taj Mahal was born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. in New York City on May 17, 1942. He grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. His family loved music. His mother sang in a gospel choir. His father, Henry Saint Claire Fredericks Sr., was a jazz piano player and arranger from the Caribbean.
Their family had a special radio that could pick up music from all over the world. This showed him different kinds of world music when he was very young. He noticed that the music played at home was very different from the popular music of the time. He also liked jazz artists like Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk. His parents taught him to be proud of his Caribbean and African roots.
Since his father was a musician, other musicians from the Caribbean, Africa, and the US often visited their home. Even Ella Fitzgerald called his father "The Genius." Henry Jr. became very interested in African music early on. His parents encouraged him to play music. He started with classical piano lessons. He also learned to play the clarinet, trombone, and harmonica.
When Henry Jr. was eleven, his father died in an accident at his construction company. This was a very sad time for him. His mother later remarried. His stepfather owned a guitar, which Henry Jr. started playing around age 13 or 14. His first guitar lessons came from a new neighbor, Lynwood Perry, who was his age and played acoustic blues guitar. Lynwood was the nephew of the famous bluesman Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. In high school, Henry Jr. sang in a doo-wop group.
For a while, Henry thought about becoming a farmer instead of a musician. He loved farming since he was 16, working on a dairy farm in Palmer, Massachusetts. By age 19, he was the farm foreman. He believes in growing your own food. He often plays at Farm Aid concerts to support family farms.
Henry chose his stage name, Taj Mahal, from dreams he had about Mahatma Gandhi, India, and being kind to everyone. He started using this name around 1959 or 1961. This was about the same time he started college at the University of Massachusetts. Even though he studied farming and animal care, he decided to follow his passion for music. In college, he led a rhythm and blues band called Taj Mahal & The Elektras.
Music Career
Taj Mahal moved to Santa Monica, California, in 1964. He formed a band called Rising Sons with Ry Cooder and Jessie Lee Kincaid. They soon got a record deal with Columbia Records. After the band broke up, Jesse Ed Davis joined Taj Mahal. He played guitar and piano on Mahal's first four albums. The Rising Sons were one of the first bands with both Black and white members. This might have made it harder for them to become famous. However, the band members also had different ideas about music. They recorded many songs, but only released one single. Later, in 1992, an album of their old songs was released. During this time, Mahal also worked with other blues legends like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters.
Taj Mahal continued his solo career with Columbia Records. He released his first two albums, Taj Mahal and The Natch'l Blues, in 1968. His song "Statesboro Blues" was on a popular Columbia/CBS album, which helped his career a lot. In 1969, he released Giant Step/De Old Folks at Home. He also worked with the Rolling Stones and performed with them many times. In 1968, he was in their film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.
Taj Mahal made twelve albums for Columbia from the late 1960s to the 1970s. His music in the 1970s was very important. He started adding sounds from the West Indies, Caribbean, jazz, and reggae to his blues. In 1972, he acted in the movie Sounder and wrote its music. He also returned for the sequel, Part 2, Sounder.
In 1976, Mahal left Columbia and signed with Warner Bros. Records. He made three albums with them, including the music for the 1977 movie Brothers. After Warner Bros., it was hard for him to find another record deal. This was a time when heavy metal and disco music were very popular.
His career slowed down, so he moved to Kauai, Hawaii in 1981. There, he formed the Hula Blues Band. At first, they were just friends playing music for fun. But soon, they started performing regularly and touring. He kept a low profile in Hawaii during the 1980s. Then, in 1988, he recorded Taj for Gramavision. This helped him make a comeback. He recorded for Gramavision and Hannibal Records during this time.
In the 1990s, Taj Mahal strongly supported the Music Maker Relief Foundation. He was still on their advisory board in 2019. He also released albums with Private Music that mixed blues, pop, R&B, and rock. He worked with famous artists like Eric Clapton and Etta James.
In 1995, he made an album called Mumtaz Mahal. It blended traditional American blues with Indian string instruments. He played with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and N. Ravikiran. In 1998, he worked on the album Largo, which was based on music by Antonín Dvořák. He performed with artists like Cyndi Lauper and the Chieftains.
He won his first Grammy Award in 1997 for Señor Blues. He won another Grammy in 2000 for Shoutin' in Key. He also sang the theme song for the children's TV show Peep and the Big Wide World, which started in 2004.
In 2017, Taj Mahal released a joint album called TajMo with Keb' Mo'. It featured guest artists like Bonnie Raitt and Joe Walsh. In 2017, he also appeared in the documentary film The American Epic Sessions. He recorded a song using an old 1920s recording system. He also talked about how early blues artists influenced him in the documentary series American Epic.
Family Life
Taj Mahal's first marriage was to Anna de Leon. They had one daughter, Aya de Leon, who is a novelist and professor. Taj Mahal married Inshirah Geter on January 23, 1976. They have six children together. His daughter Deva Mahal is also a musician.
Music Style
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Taj Mahal plays guitar using his thumb and middle finger, which is different from most guitarists. He uses a flatpick for many blues leads. When he was young, he studied the styles of his favorite blues singers. These included musicians like Jimmy Reed, Son House, and Big Mama Thornton. He learned a lot by spending time at music clubs. He also studied ethnomusicology in college. This helped him learn about folk music from the Caribbean and West Africa.
Over time, he added more and more African roots music to his sound. He blended in elements of reggae, calypso, jazz, zydeco, R&B, gospel music, and country blues. All these styles helped create his unique sound. Many people say Taj Mahal was one of the first major artists to explore world music. His voice can be rough and strong, or smooth and gentle.
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Taj Mahal feels that his 1999 album Kulanjan was very special. On this album, he played with Toumani Diabaté, a kora master from Mali. He felt like this album helped him reconnect with his African heritage. He even changed his name to Dadi Kouyate, an old jali name, to show this connection. He said that recording with these African musicians felt like coming home.
Taj Mahal likes to perform outdoors. He says that his music is meant for people to dance. He feels that sitting still in a theater can take away the energy from the music. He prefers playing at outdoor festivals where people can freely dance.
Awards and Honors
Taj Mahal has won four Grammy Awards and has been nominated ten times.
- 1997: Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Señor Blues
- 2000: Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Shoutin' in Key
- 2006: Blues Music Award for Historical Album of the Year for The Essential Taj Mahal
- 2018: Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for TajMo
- 2022: Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album for Get on Board
On February 8, 2006, Taj Mahal was named the official Blues Artist of Massachusetts. In March 2006, he and his sister, Carole Fredericks, received an award for promoting foreign languages. This was for showing how music can help people from different cultures connect.
In 2011, Taj Mahal received an honorary degree from Wofford College. In 2014, he received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Americana Music Association. The Recording Academy also announced that Taj Mahal will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. This award celebrates his amazing contributions to music.
Albums
- 1968 – Taj Mahal
- 1968 – The Natch'l Blues
- 1969 – Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home
- 1971 – Happy Just to Be Like I Am
- 1972 – Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff
- 1972 – Sounder (original soundtrack)
- 1973 – Oooh So Good 'n Blues
- 1974 – Mo' Roots
- 1975 – Music Keeps Me Together
- 1976 – Satisfied 'n' Tickled Too
- 1976 – Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu)
- 1977 – Brothers
- 1977 – Evolution (The Most Recent)
- 1987 – Taj
- 1988 – Shake Sugaree – Taj Mahal Sings and Plays for Children
- 1991 – Mule Bone
- 1991 – Like Never Before
- 1993 – Dancing the Blues
- 1995 – Mumtaz Mahal (with V.M. Bhatt and N. Ravikiran)
- 1996 – Phantom Blues
- 1997 – Señor Blues
- 1997 – Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues AKA Sacred Island (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)
- 2016 – Labor of Love (recorded in 1998)
- 2017 – TajMo (with Keb' Mo')
- 2023 – Savoy
Live Albums
- 1971 – The Real Thing
- 1972 – Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff
- 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
- 1994 – An Evening of Acoustic Music
- 2000 – Taj Mahal and The Phantom Blues Band Live – Shoutin' in Key
- 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
- 2024 – Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa
Compilation Albums
- 1980 – Going Home
- 1981 – The Best of Taj Mahal, Volume 1 (Columbia)
- 1992 – Taj's Blues
- 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
- 2000 – The Best of the Private Years
- 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
Collaborations and Appearances
- 1968 – The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
- 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 – original soundtrack
- 1991 – Vol Pour Sidney – one title only, other tracks by Charlie Watts, Elvin Jones, Pepsi, The Lonely Bears, Lee Konitz and others.
- 1992 – Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder
- 1992 – Smilin' Island of Song by Cedella Marley Booker and Taj Mahal.
- 1993 – The Source by Ali Farka Touré (World Circuit WCD030; Hannibal 1375)
- 1993 – Peace Is the World Smiling
- 1997 – Follow the Drinking Gourd
- 1997 – Shakin' a Tailfeather
- 1997 – Right Now! by Howard Johnson
- 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, Doc Watson
- 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 by Johnny Hallyday – duet on "T'Aimer si mal", written by French best-selling novelist Marc Levy
- 2009 – American Horizon – with Los Cenzontles, 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"
- 2013 – "Poye 2" – with Bassekou Kouyate 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 on his album Re-working the Catalogue
- 2017 – Music from The American Epic Sessions: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – contributing his version of "High Water Everywhere"
- 2022 – Get on Board – with Ry Cooder
Film and TV Appearances
- 1967 - Festival (1967 film) as himself
- 1972 – Sounder as Ike Phillips
- 1976 – Part 2, Sounder as Ike Phillips
- 1977 – Scott Joplin as Poor Alfred
- 1977 – Brothers (composer)
- 1987 – The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains as Bones
- 1991 – Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey as Gatekeeper
- 1992 – Zebrahead (composer)
- 1995 – Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored as Mr. Will
- 1996 – The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus as himself
- 1998 – Outside Ozona as Dix Mayal
- 1998 – Six Days, Seven Nights as Entertainer
- 2000 – Songcatcher as Dexter Speaks
- 2002 – Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood as Swing Band Singer
- 2004 – Killer Diller as J.R. Cox
- 2017 – American Epic as himself
- 1977 – Saturday Night Live – 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 – Monster Blues as Ellis Robinson
- 1999 – Party of Five – Fillmore Street as himself
- 2003 – Arthur – Big Horns George as himself (voice)
- 2004 – Theme song from Peep and the Big Wide World
Images for kids
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Taj Mahal on banjo at the Jazz-Fest, Wien, Austria in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Taj Mahal (músico) para niños
