Poster Design | The Legendary Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal Poster Design

Published: April 10th, 2008
Author: Tim Follos
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Taj Mahal is one of several genre-defining rock and blues artists who Ron has helped to promote.

In 2008 the promotional management of Taj Mahal and His Hula Blues Band enlisted the creative services of Ron Bercume to design event posters for their Hawaii 4 Island concert series. Taj Mahal delivered a tour of the Hawaiian Islands as part of a series of shows for which major artists were brought to the islands including Gregg Allman and Friends, Leon Russell, Derek Trucks, Johnny Winter, James Cotton and others. Ron was responsible for the print design promotional material for the entire series. Ron created several designs for the Taj Mahal promotional poster to explore the multifaceted artist. The first poster Ron made shows Mahal in a suit, clean-shaven and holding an electric guitar. Here, Taj is the picture of a urban bluesman.

Since his musical debut in 1968, Taj has redefined the blues with over 40 albums.

Taj Mahal is a major figure in 20th century music, and Ron continues to be amazed that he had the chance to work for him. Taj Mahal is an internationally acclaimed artist with two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Shoutin’ in Key (2000) and Senor Blues (1997). In 2006 Taj Mahal won Historical Album of the Year for The Essential Taj Mahal at the Blues Music Awards. Taj’s most recent album, Maestro, was nominated the Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2008 and 2009. The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts celebrated Taj Mahal’s accomplishments by creating legislature celebrating his music. “An Act Designating Taj Mahal As The Official Blues Artist Of The Commonwealth” was signed into law on February 8, 2006.

Ron’s second poster shows Taj in a relaxed, sunny setting, holding an acoustic guitar and sporting a large beard and a straw hat, an island feel and for which is representational of the Hula Blues Band. Typographical elements, secondary graphic elements and the color scheme of his second poster shifts it’s emphasis from “blues legend” to “hula blues.”