Taj Mahal

About

Taj Mahal isn’t just a musician; he’s a living archive of American roots music. Born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in 1942, his journey began in Springfield, Massachusetts, where his Caribbean heritage and a household filled with jazz, gospel, and classical records shaped his eclectic tastes. By the late 1960s, Taj Mahal had emerged as a pioneer, blending blues with West African rhythms, Caribbean flavors, and even hints of Hawaiian slack-key guitar. Albums like *The Natch’l Blues* and *Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home* redefined what blues could be, infusing it with a global sensibility that resonated far beyond traditional boundaries. Over the decades, Taj Mahal has collaborated with legends like Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Toumani Diabaté, but his true genius lies in his ability to make the old sound new. Whether he’s playing a resonator guitar or a banjo, his music feels both timeless and revolutionary. His 1997 album *Senor Blues* earned him a Grammy, but it’s his live performances—raw, soulful, and utterly magnetic—that have cemented his reputation as a master storyteller. Today, Taj Mahal continues to tour and record, his music a testament to the enduring power of cultural fusion. As he puts it, “I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel—I’m just trying to keep it rolling.”