MATISYAHU: Part 1/2

Tuesday, July 11^th Reggae Artist Matisyahu will be performing at the WOW Hall in Eugene, OR.

Matisyahu is Hebrew for “Gift of God” and is the stage name for Matthew Miller, born in West Chester, Pennsylvania but origins more truly from White Plains, NY. Matisyahu’s music reflects his religious journey as many of his lyrics and musical themes are from teachings of Judaism. His relationship with the religion has evolved and changed over the years. His story is one of the most honest musical and personal evolutions I have experienced as an avid listener.

Matisyahu first signed with JDub records, and thus his first album was released in 2004, Shake Off the Dust…Arise. Since then, Matisyahu has released numerous albums and has toured all through-out the United States and Europe.

Matisyahu’s music can be described as contemporary reggae beats, with lyrics rapped over, which adds a flavor of hip-hop. Matisyahu has a talent for beatboxing and his vocals have abilities comparable to jazz’s scat. Though his music best fits the genre of ‘reggae’, Matisyahu stated this about his album Light in 2009, “I think it’s not so much about genres or styles of music as it is expressing the emotion or the idea…whatever allows you to do that…as long as it’s authentic.” This is one of the many reasons why I love this artist, his music is all his own in that he doesn’t worry about what the fans will think or what the industry will have to say- the only thing that matters is that he speaks his own voice and conveys the emotions of his inner being. ­­

His 2017 album release is titled Undercurrent and you can find the full album on Spotify and Apple Music. If you’re a fan of reggae, or simply a fan of musicians who write from their own life journey, then I’d recommend this artist for you.

Be sure to check into The Cassette later this week, for my follow-up with the Eugene concert at the WOW Hall and pictures of the one and only MATISYAHU.

Happy Listening,

Olivia Langley

Music Director 

KBVR 88.7