Henry Saint-Claire Fredericks ( May 17, 1942 , Harlem , New York ), better known as the Taj Mahal ( English Taj Mahal ) - American musician , singer , multi-instrumentalist, self-taught, one of the most prominent (according Allmusic ) blues performers of the late XX century [1] . Taj Mahal, on the one hand, played a key role in the revival and preservation of traditional acoustic blues [2] , on the other hand, in its work expanded the stylistic boundaries of the genre, using the motives of Caribbean , African , Polynesian musical cultures. [3]
| Taj Mahal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| basic information | |
| Full name | Henry Saint Clair Fredericks |
| Date of Birth | May 17, 1942 (aged 77) |
| Place of Birth | Harlem , Manhattan , New York , USA |
| A country |  USA |
| Professions | singer , musician |
| Years of activity | - present time |
| Instruments | guitar , banjo , harmonica |
| Genres | blues world music |
| Aliases | Taj mahal |
| Collectives | The rising sons The phantom blues band The hula blues band The taj mahal trio |
| Labels | Columbia records Warner bros Records Gramramision records Hannibal records Private music |
| Official site | |
Despite the fact that in his study of blues as part of the global musical culture, the Taj Mahal never broke away from country-blues roots, many experts criticized his experiments, calling them unnecessarily “arrogant”, “purely academic” [1] . The bluesman experimenter received recognition only in the 1990s, when he had followers (Keb 'Mo', Guy Davis; sometimes they include Corey Harris and Alvin Youngblood Hart) [1] .
Taj Mahal was nominated for a Grammy 9 times and three times (in 1997 , 2000 and 2018) became the owner of this award. Each time he received it for winning the “Best Album of Modern Blues” category: first with Senor Blues , then with Shoutin 'in Key [4] .
Content
Biography
Born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, Jr. May 17, 1942, in Harlem, New York, but grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. His mother was a member of the gospel choir, and he grew up in a musical atmosphere. His family owned a shortwave radio station that broadcast world music, which influenced him at an early age. In his early years, he understood the difference between pop music and the music that sounds in his house.
Discography
Studio 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
- 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 (Soundtrack)
- 1977 - Evolution (The Most Recent)
- 1987 - Taj
- 1988 - Shake Sugaree
- 1991 - Mule Bone
- 1991 - Like Never Before
- 1993 - Dancing the Blues
- 1995 - Mumtaz Mahal
- 1996 - Phantom Blues
- 1997 - Senor Blues
- 1998 - Sacred Island
- 1999 - Kulanjan] '(with Toumani Diabate)
- 2003 - Hanapepe Dream
- 2005 - Mkutano Meets the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar
- 2008 - Maestro
Live Albums
- 1971 - The Real Thing
- 1972 - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff
- 1979 - Live & Direct
- 1990 - Live at Ronnie Scott’s
- 1996 - An Evening of Acoustic Music
- 2000 - Shoutin 'in Key
- 2004 - Live Catch
- 2015 - "Live in Kauai"
Compilation
- 1980 - Going Home
- 1981 - The Best of Taj Mahal - Columbia Records
- 1992 - Taj's Blues
- 1993 - World Music
- 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
Filmography
- 1972 - Sounder
- 1991 - Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
- 1998 - Six Days Seven Nights - singer at the hotel
- 1998 - Blues Brothers 2000
- 1998 - Scrapple
- 2000 - Songcatcher
- 2002 - Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Steve Huey. Taj Mahal biography . www.allmusic.com. Date of treatment January 7, 2010. Archived on April 22, 2012.
- ↑ Evans, David. The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Blues . - New York, New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 2005.
- ↑ Komara, Edward M. Encyclopedia of the Blues . - New York, New York: Routledge, 2006.
- ↑ Grammy Award Winners (The Grammy Awards)