Multi-instrumentalist and singer Henry Fredericks was born to a musical family. After graduating from college, Taj Mahal - the name came to him in a dream... - soon embraced a career in music. He got involved in a couple of groups before deciding to fly solo. His first eponymous LP was associated with the late sixties blues revival. The musician soon turned his attention to other genres, though, and took to blending reggae, funk and zydeco into his eclectic melting pot. After a dry spell which lasted throughout the 1980s, Taj Mahal bounced back with Phantom Blues (1996), recorded with a little help from Eric Clapton. More sonic experiments were to follow on the Indian-flavored Mumtaz Mahal (1998). For Kulujan (1999), the artist performed as a duo with kora player Toumani Diabaté. Maestro (1998) marked the master's 40th year in the business.