INTERNATIONAL REGGAE ARTISTE Taj Weekes DONATES SPORTING EQUIPMENT TO TT COACHES

Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad – Jan 29, 2012

Taj Weekes along with Shirley Menard of (TOCO)  “They Often Cry Outreach” foundation collaborates with ASK Promotions to donate 100 full football kits, balls and training equipment to the children of Trinidad.

Taj Weekes is a reggae singer and is always striving to bring awareness to the issues he is passionate about; Weekes founded his charity, “They Often Cry Outreach” (TOCO), in 2007 to improve the lives of underprivileged children in the Caribbean through sports, enrichment, educational and wellness programs. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Weekes addresses issues such as global warming, casualties of war, domestic and youth violence, diabetes and health, poverty and the welfare of children through both his music and TOCO, his charity.
Over 100 children in the Carenage and Maloney areas were beneficiaries of this year’s donation (football uniforms, tugs, cones, balls, and other gear) by the TOCO foundation - under the tutelage of their coaches Angus Eve (Carenage) and Vaughn Joseph (Maloney).

ASK Promotions is involved in the business of artist management and record production. It was through their collaborative efforts that this distribution drive was spearheaded. This took place in the form of a friendly match between the two teams on Sunday 29 January 2012 at the Carenage Recreational Ground, Haig Street Carenage from 10 am. - Followed by a mini concert featuring Janique Charles, Llettesha Sylvester, Russell Leonce and TOCO founder Taj Weekes. This initiative will be an annual event as the TOCO foundation and ASK Promotions seek to bring hope for children in at-risk communities, through sport and music.
Special thanks go out to the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Community Development, NLCB, and Bare Fruit for making this event a very successful one.

Member of Parliament Alicia Hospedales from the Arouca/Maloney Constituency, Diego Martin West Councillor Enroy Slater and Ministry of Sports officials were on hand to endorse the event.

 During their stay in Trinidad Taj Weekes and Shirley Menard also met with Director of Sports Dave Bobb to discuss the potential awarding of 10 full football scholarships to young footballers in Trinidad and Tobago who meet academic criteria. This football showcasing is carded to take place in the summer. For more information on the football scholarships, coaches can contact ASK Promotions at 868.341.7896 or [E] info@askpromotionstt.comxxx

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By David Commeillas

English Translation:

Taj Weekes, the Rastafari from St-Lucia, releases a superb third album

"When you play reggae but are not born in Jamaica, people often dismiss you. It’s as if the international public demands that artists have 'Made in Jamaica' tattooed on their arm. Nasio Fontaine should have become an international star a long time ago, he should have been huge by now! But he’s not from Jamaica… There’s a lot of prejudice messing up the way our music should be appreciated. I sometimes think that’s why so few people know me in Europe though I’m releasing my third album."

His words may sound conceited but Taj Weekes is right: his lack of notoriety is absurd when you take the quality of his productions into account. Yet he still hopes that his songs will resonate in Europe this year. His new album, A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen, once again a self-produced effort on his Jatta Records label, overflows with harmonica, violin and cello. His hoarse, soulful, almost feminine voice delivers splendid melodies over comfortable roots rhythms.

Taj is also an authentic songwriter, not a rasta priest posing as a musician. Though he regards Selassie as the Black Messiah, he doesn’t constantly shout out his name. He dares resort to fiction in order to better reflect reality, a rare deed in reggae. On "Two Joints," he expresses sorrow as a forlorn lover. On "B4 The War," he is a soldier on his way home after fighting in Afghanistan.

"I try to sing about people's lives. To be universal, reggae can't just concentrate on the suffering of Africans. I simply think that Chinese and Europeans suffer as much as Africans. If it offends some brothers, so be it. Take for instance the sons of billionaires who lose themselves in drugs or become depressive. They're as much victims of the system, but on another level. I was lucky enough to travel all over the world and I can testify that unfortunately, suffering knows neither color nor social class."

Taj Weekes hits stages the world over with his band Adowa, but he always returns to St-Lucia, this small parcel of submerged land lying a few miles away from Martinique. There, he invests part of the profits yielded by his minor success in the States. TOCO, his charitable association, provides equipment to football clubs and finances health awareness films to prevent diabetes.

"The kids we’re helping are just like me when I was young. They don’t need much more to be happy. I grew up in a house without a fridge or a television, but I never suffered from it. My parents gave me a lot of love, taught me not to be dependent on material things to be happy because happiness comes from inside. My father was a plumber, my mother a cleaning lady and I’m the last child of a brood of ten. Every evening after dinner, we’d sit in a circle and sing. Then I sang in a choir at church and I sang in school. Music chose me before I chose it."



The Bridge

Taj Weekes & Adowa perform at The Bridge, the performance venue of the Columbia Academy of Music and part of the growing, buzzing North Village Arts District in Columbia, MO. Located in an historic building, once the home of the nightclub Lou’s Palace, the school and adjoining music venue are a joint venture between Casey Conway and Wes Wingate.

The initial idea that percolated in Wingate’s brain was to have a place to take a more "scholarly approach to rock" and have a facility where kids could see, "'Hey, this is what happens when you perform' — and bridge that gap, if you will," he said. In addition, "It's the experience of seeing your instructor perform or seeing someone from the community or region."

Venue: The Bridge
When: Saturday, July 16
Time: 8:00 pm
Where: 1020 East Walnut Columbia, Missouri 65201
Tel: 573-442-9645
Tickets: $7
Opener: Flotus



Columbia Daily Tribune

Upcoming Best Bets

Taj Weekes, Flotus

• When Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m.
• Where The Bridge, Columbia map
• Cost $7
• Categories Live Music



VOX from the Missourian

Serious and passionate, Taj Weekes's songwriting is closer to poetry than the reggae he performs. When not performing, Weekes serves as a Goodwill Ambassador.

Minimum age: None
Cost: $7
Location: The Bridge
Date: Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m.
Contact Information: 573-442-964



Reggae St. Louis

TAJ WEEKES of St. Lucia is not only a proficient and compelling artist, he runs a charitable foundation called THEY OFTEN CRY OUTREACH (TOCO), which is livicated to the upliftment of Caribbean children through sports, health and education initiatives.

What: 2720 Cherokee
When: Friday, July 15
Time: 9:30 pm
Where: 2720 Cherokee, St. Louis, MO 63118
Tel: 314-276-2700
Tickets: $10, 21+



2720 Cherokee

Friday, 7.15 – TWO LEVELS of MUSIC, TWO STAGES!

The Vondrukes + The Shakes + The Livers + Taj Weekes & Adowa

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On the 1st Level… Rock / Folk / Acid-Pop / Punk / Alternative

The Vondrukes + The Livers + The Takedown

Doors 8pm / Show 9pm / $7/ 21+

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On the 2nd Level… Roots / Reggae

Taj Weekes & Adowa

Doors 8:30pm / Show 9:30pm / $10 / 21+

Taj Weekes & Adowa unite a true social consciousness with an unforgettable reggae groove. Blending in elements of acoustic roots rock and afro-folk simplicity, the band’s vibrant sound defies genre and has garnered critical acclaim and a wide audience across the globe.



Taj Weekes & Adowa join the the celebration of world music representing St. Lucia, Africa, Cuba, England, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Trinidad, US, and more. The mission of the Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival is to provide cultural entertainment through world music whose artists spread the message of love, hope, and equality for all people worldwide.

A portion of the proceeds from the 6th Annual Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival are used to help the children of Jamaica, through the Jamaica Minnesota Organization, established to make a positive impact on social and economic conditions in Jamaica.  

This year the festival has added the Kako Foundation as a worthy cause. It is dedicated to bringing music education to the underprivileged children and youth of Haiti and the United States to provide an outlet for their creativity, enabling them to achieve their full potential.

Tickets are now on sale at www.vendini.com. You have the option to make a donation at the time of ticket purchase when prompted during the ticketing process.



Peg Egan Performing Arts Center

Hwy 42 then East on Harbor School Rd. to Church St. , Egg Harbor WI 542 

Sunday, July 10, 2011 7 PM