Blues Legend Taj Mahal and Gospel Soul Diva Mavis Staples in Tucson

Tucson (Arizona), USA – Blues legend Taj Mahal and Gospel Diva Mavis Staples play UApresents’
season finale on Sunday, April 30th at the Fox Theatre. Multi-instrumentalist,
composer, producer, ethnomusicologist, two-time Grammy-winner, world-class
musical collaborator and musicians’ advocate are just a few words to describe
the warmth, humor, and soulfulness of Taj Mahal. His music has been described as
Afro-Caribbean blues, folk-world-blues, hula blues, folk-funk, and a host of
other hyphenations — for more than 40 years. Caribbean, Hawaiian, African,
Latin, and Cuban sounds and rhythms mix with folk, jazz, zydeco, gospel, rock,
pop, soul, and R&B, all layered on top of a solid country blues foundation. A
self-taught musician, Taj plays more than 20 instruments, including ukulele, the
National Steel and Dobro guitars.Soul and gospel diva Mavis Staples possesses one of the most recognizable and
treasured voices in contemporary music. Rolling Stone called her, “the most
underrated diva of the century.” In the 1950s and 60s she sang lead vocals with
her groundbreaking family group, The Staple Singers, who sold 30 million records
and gained a whole lot of R-E-S-P-E-C-T from people such as Martin Luther King
Jr., Bob Dylan and Prince. It’s little wonder that the Staple Singers became
famous worldwide as ambassadors of message-oriented, faith-driven soul music.
She went solo in 1969, recording with the famed Stax label, and went on to win a
Grammy and a chair in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With her new CD, Have a
Little Faith, Mavis Staples is building on a family tradition of joining gospel
fervor with soul and R&B.

Blues Legend Taj Mahal with Gospel Soul Diva Mavis Staples
Sunday, April 30, 2006 @ 7:30 pm
Historic Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street
Full price: $50, $37, $27
Student/Child: $50, $37, $24 with Senior, Group and Military discounts available
Tickets by phone: (520) 621-3341; TTY: (520) 626-3980
At UApresents Box Office Locations:
Centennial Hall, Monday-Friday, 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday, 12 pm to 5 pm
On the web: www.uapresents.org