Multi-Grammy blues legend Taj Mahal streams live with Bayou Theater

November 11, 2020 | UHCL Staff

The Bayou Theater at University of Houston-Clear Lake continues to provide access to Grammy Award-level music despite closures created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Multi-Grammy winning blues artist Taj Mahal will be streaming live from the University of California Theatre stage in Berkeley Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. CST.

Taj Mahal is a legendary multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer whose music includes elements of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, blues, folk, hula, funk and other influences. After discovering the guitar as a teen, he made friends with a young man who introduced him to the music of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed, inspiring Taj to begin studying the guitar in earnest.

In the 1960s, Taj — born Henry Saint Clair Fredricks — was studying agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. After joining a party band named The Elektras, he found his true calling. He left Massachusetts for the blues-heavy Los Angeles club scene, where he ultimately performed with Muddy Waters, Otis Redding, The Temptations and Martha and the Vandellas, among many others.

Taj Mahal has received three Grammy Awards: Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1997, 2000 and 2018, and 10 nominations over his career.

"We are proud to partner with Taj Mahal to bring you access to his first-ever livestream performance, which originates at the University of California Theatre in Berkeley," said Director of Cultural Arts Eric Despard. "We plan to have more of these events. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Bayou Theater for future programming."

Tickets are $20 and grant the holder 48-hour access to the stream. Ticket sales end when the live performance begins. For an additional fee, register for a virtual meet-and-greet with Taj Mahal.

To purchase tickets, go online.