Matisyahu: Appalling and offensive that festival tried to coerce me into political statements
Jewish American performer responds after he was dropped from festival lineup.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: AUGUST 19, 2015 09:36Matisyahu attends Sonos Studio Listening Party at Sonos Studio on May 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (photo credit: JEROD HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONOS/AFP)
Rapper and reggae star Matisyahu, who was axed over the weekend from a festival line up near Valencia, Spain, because he would not sign a statement saying he supported a Palestinian state, made a statement on Monday saying that he was offended and appalled that the organizers were trying to coerce him into political statements."The festival organizers contacted me because they were getting pressure from the BDS movement. They wanted me to write a letter, or make a video, stating my positions on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to pacify the BDS people," Spain branch of BDS to Jpost : Matisyahu justified Israeli crimesMatisyahu wrote on Facebook."The festival kept insisting that I clarify my personal views; which felt like clear pressure to agree with the BDS political agenda," he wrote. "Honestly it was appalling and offensive, that as the one publicly Jewish-American artist scheduled for the festival they were trying to coerce me into political statements," he added. "Were any of the other artists scheduled to perform asked to make political statements in order to perform," he asked. Matisyahu wrote that his music "speaks for itself, and I do not insert politics into my music. Music has the power to transcend the intellect, ideas, and politics, and it can unite people in the process." Valencia has developed a strong BDS campaign and organizers have accused the Jewish artist of being a "Zionist" who supports the practice of "apartheid and ethnic cleansing.""No artist deserves to be put in such a situation simply to perform his or her art. Regardless of race, creed, country, cultural background, etc, my goal is to play music for all people. As musicians that is what we seek" Matisyahu wrote in his Facebook post.
The annual reggae music festival Rototom Sunsplash takes place in Benicassim, north of Valencia.Born Matthew Miller, Matisyahu has been the most visibly Jewish artist in the hip-hop world since his debut album "Shake Off the Dust... Arise" was produced by JDub Records in 2004. While he first affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, Matisyahu later distanced himself from the movement and moved on from JDub, which closed its doors this year. He shaved his signature beard and side locks and issued a statement saying "no more hassidic reggae superstar."The reggae and alternative rock star's appearance in Spain is just one of a number of stops during his tour of Europe this summer, which also includes Poland, Belgium, Germany, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, before his return for a whirlwind tour of the US.