Taj Mahal
Biography
Taj Mahal is an American blues musician who has spent more than half a century blending the blues with sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, India, Hawaii and the South Pacific. Born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. in Harlem and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, he took classical piano lessons and later led the rhythm and blues group Taj Mahal & The Elektras at the University of Massachusetts. After moving to Santa Monica in 1964, he formed Rising Sons with Ry Cooder and signed to Columbia, which released his solo debut Taj Mahal, followed by The Natch'l Blues in 1968. He recorded twelve albums for Columbia, and in 1972 he wrote the score for and acted in Sounder, later returning for its sequel. Other work includes the Indian-blues project Mumtaz Mahal in 1995 and the 2017 collaboration TajMo with Keb' Mo'. He has won five Grammy Awards from seventeen nominations, among them Best Contemporary Blues Album for Señor Blues in 1997.
84years old
Turns 85 on May 17in 186 days
- Born New York City
- Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20
- Also credited as Henry Saint Clair Fredericks
Movie Career
- Films
- 7
- Career span
- 47 years1972 to 2019
Genres
- Drama43%, 3 films
- Documentary29%, 2 films
- Music29%, 2 films
- Adventure14%, 1 film
- Biography14%, 1 film
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About the name
Taj Mahal took his stage name from dreams involving Mahatma Gandhi, India and social tolerance. He started using it in 1959 or 1961, around when he began attending the University of Massachusetts.
A change of course
Before committing to music, Taj Mahal studied animal husbandry with minors in veterinary science and agronomy at the University of Massachusetts, after attending a vocational agriculture school and joining the National FFA Organization.
Big break
The Rock Machine Turns You On, a Columbia/CBS sampler album, included Taj Mahal's "Statesboro Blues" on side 2 and gave his career a huge early impetus.
About the name
Taj Mahal's 1999 album Kulanjan features him playing with Toumani Diabaté, the kora master of Mali's Griot tradition. He even took the name Dadi Kouyate, the first jali name, to reconnect with his African heritage.
Taj Mahal movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Three actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Martin Scorsese's page
Eric Clapton's page
Robbie Robertson's page
Awards
Three awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2014 | Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance | Won | |
| Blues Music Award | Won | ||
| Maple Blues Awards | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.