Thursday, August 12, 2021

Taj Weekes "Pause" (New Album 2021)


Taj Weekes is a dreadlocked Rastafarian musician, bred in the Caribbean but shaped by intercontinental life experience. He is a creative, poetic singer-songwriter and former front man for the dynamic reggae band Adowa. 

Taj is an unwavering, energetic humanitarian whose dedication extends beyond his song lyrics into his social activism, culminating in his 2020 appointment by the Government of St. Lucia as Goodwill and Brand Ambassador with the official title, His Excellency Taj Weekes. This follows on his official role with the United Nations as "UNICEF Champion for Children" and his children's charity, They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO). 

Aside from brains, a heart, and a great smile, he has six acclaimed albums of musically adventurous reggae. A seventh album, “PAUSE”, will be his first solo project since separating from Adowa. It is set for official release on August 9, 2021. Although a formidable idealist, 

Taj nonetheless maintains an unblinking and sophisticated view of the world. This balance between seeing what is and what should be, clearly powers his social activism. It also imbues his songs with a pragmatic, non-judgmental optimism that is not merely unusual in reggae, but almost unique. So what makes Taj Weekes special can be summarized in three words: MUSICIAN. POET. HUMANITARIAN. What makes him astonishing is the easy and unforced harmony among all facets of his existence. 

In 2020, Covid-19 brought the music industry to its knees. Taj Weekes was not to be stifled by the loss of touring opportunities or the psychic demands of quarantine. His mind worked overtime, synthesizing a new reality, imposed by a humanitarian crisis unlike any other in our lifetime. In odd synchronicity, hundreds of thousands died from the raging virus, while black political activism in America was simultaneously ignited from the death of George Floyd. 

The resulting Black Lives Matter movement imposed hard decisions on many social activists to choose between live demonstrations in the streets or to stay home in the safety of isolation. Many forged ahead, some did not. It was a struggle for survival in the direst of circumstances. Taj poetically captured this stunning reality with a profound reflection of the times by writing deeply rooted emotional lyrics that comprise his new album, ‘PAUSE.’ Taj believes this could well be his most outstanding album to date. 

“This album was written during the most important year of my life. The year the music stopped and about everything else in between” ~ H.E. Taj Weekes


Download, Stream and Play the album
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Taj Weekes - Crisis [Official Video 2021]







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