Source:
The Flor-Ala
When Matisyahu stepped on stage last Saturday, Oct. 1, Norton Auditorium turned into a dancehall. As soon as the music started, several hundred students fell into a groove that could be felt from outside and lasted the next two hours.
Source:
BeliefNet.com
I’ll be honest. I was determined to make Matisyahu smile. The Grammy award-nominated reggae rock star who sings boldly about his Jewish faith is generally reserved in interviews. However, on stage, he rules the crowds with his rapid-fire lyrics contrasted by his slow motion dance moves. As I stood backstage at the NorVa Theater in Norfolk, VA, where Matisyahu would perform later that night, I am curious what makes moves the Hasidic Jewish man.
Source:
al.com
Matisyahu, performing Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Soul Kitchen, is on a mission from God. The Hasidic reggae musician claims his faith is the continued source of his success and inspiration. The fusion of rap, reggae and Orthodox Judaism might seem like the makings of a novelty act, but Matisyahu has been earning serious respect since breaking out to national attention in 2004. He’s had a Top 40 hit (“King Without a Crown”), shown staying power and become popular on the festival circuit, appearing at major events such as Bonnaroo, Coachella and the Hangout Fest. But beneath his secular success is a deliberate separation from much of secular life.
Source:
St. Augustine
All musicians want us to believe that their particular brand of auditory art is unique. But you’d be hard pressed to find a more singular performer than New York’s Matisyahu, who mixes reggae, folk, jam band, Hebrew and hip-hop stylings into an exhilarating modern blend. Yes, you read right — Hebrew influences.
Source:
Boise Weekly
Matisyahu's 2010 album, Live at Stubb's Vol. II, opens with five minutes of spacey, ethereal noise beneath samples of a child reciting prayers in Hebrew. Later in the disc, he sings of "the glory of Hashem" (a Hebrew colloquialism for God), the "line of King David," and evokes no shortage of Old Testament metaphors. But his music isn't religious. At least not according to him.