12/10 - w/The Glitch Mob 12/12 - w/John Brown's Body / Dynasty 12/13 - w/Dub Trio 12/14 - w/Brothers Past
In the crowded New York reggae scene, Matisyahu literally stands out like no other. Beyond his versatile voice which ranges from sweet and fluid, to rough and rugged, he's a very unexpected face; standing over six feet tall, wearing the traditional garb of a Hasidic male. With his long beard and black hat, this 24-yr-old lyricist, MC, and beatboxer is a singular performer, whose power, poetry, and skills combine the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original. SHAKE OFF THE DUST...ARISE, Matisyahu’s new album out Oct. 12 on JDub Records, presents this remarkable performer as a a new cultural fusion, integrating the power of reggae music into his life in Crown Heights as he lives and studies Jewish texts among Brooklyn's Lubavitch community.
Matisyahu did not grow up an observant Jew; he spent his youth as a seeker, and jumped from one experience to another. After much struggle and determination, he found Hasidic Judaism, and put it all into his music. He transformed himself from a lost teenager searching for meaning to a young man immersed in Jewish study. And while it might sound like kitsch, Matisyahu is 100% real, conscious dancehall reggae.
PRESS QUOTES “It's not overstating the case to say that Matisyahu is an original. The visual package is startling: Picture a young man in traditional payos (side curls), black hat, and long beard grabbing the mike and going off in front of a crowd at New York's hip Mercury Lounge, or the Knitting Factory, or Southpaw -- all rooms that Matisyahu has sold out. He is a man on a mission. And a man with a message.” - Jewish MC rocks the mike and keeps it kosher by Joan Anderman, Boston Globe, June 20, 2004
“He turns cynics into believers at every show.” Hasid Trip: Reggae Singer Has Unorthodox Roots by Lisa Keys, NY Post, May 7, 2004
“Matisyahu’s debut album, ‘Shake off the Dust…Arise,’ on JDub Records, promises to impress both Jews and Gentiles alike with its uplifting lyrics spit in Matis’ rugged dancehall style.” – Leah Weiss, XXL
“Matisyahu is a 24-year-old reggae phenom.” One Love: Meet Matisyahu by DJ Waletzky, Heeb, Feb. 2004
“This guy drops some serious lyrics in both English and Hebrew. I don’t understand a word of Hebrew, but I could understand the language just from this man’s presence… This Hasidic man was going off in front of a room jammed full of teens and adults, all booming to the reggae vibe.” - Frank 151
“When Matisyahu sings into the mic to the heavy-bass back up, guitars, and a drum kit, he’s as much reggae dancehall, as Talmud study hall… Matisyahu is the new face of cultural fusion.” - The Jewish Week
YOUR COMMENTS COULD BE HERE
Please Register to post a review. We want to know what you think.
As a registered member you could also receive substantial Discounts on concert tickets sold exclusively through METPO.com
(0.0) By: 0 users 
EVENT URL
TELL A FRIEND
REMIND ME
PRINT
BOOKMARK
