Reggae singer and rapper Matisyahu will return to Israel for a one-time performance on January 17 at the Reading 3 club in Tel Aviv. Ticket prices for the show are set at 149 shekels, with proceeds going to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum.
Read more:
Since Hamas’ October 7 attack, the Jewish singer has performed at a rally in Washington DC for the return of the hostages and has held concerts at various campuses and Jewish centers across the United States.
Matisyahu, 44, whose real name is Matthew Paul Miller, burst onto the global scene in 2005 with hits like One Day, King Without a Crown and Jerusalem. Until 2011, he was known as a Hasidic reggae singer, blending elements of rap, reggae and Jewish music in his work.
In 2011, he posted a photo on his Instagram account without a beard and kippah, captioned ‘No more Hassidic reggae superstar,’ sparking controversy among his Jewish fans worldwide.
After abandoning his religious lifestyle, the singer's appearance and artistry have evolved. Throughout his career, he has performed several times in Israel, recorded an album there and shot music videos in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv.
Matisyahu spoke extensively about his connection to Israel in past interviews, highlighting the country’s place in his spiritual journey as a Jewish person and as a musician.
And it seems that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Matisyahu’s son Laivy Miller spoke to Ynet last month and discussed his decision to move to Israel, study at a yeshiva in Jerusalem and establish his own music career there.
Laivy shared that he grew up on his father's tour bus and was on stage from a young age. Matisyahu made sure to have a small drum set adjacent to the regular drum setup so that his five-year-old son could be on stage, behind the scenes where only his father could see him, "playing" along with him.
"Just having that knowledge of being able to be on stage and be confident helped me a lot. I think I was jealous of my dad on stage. You know, I thought if he gets to be in front of all these people, I want to be in front of all these people," Miller Jr. said.
However, he recounts that being the son of a celebrity isn't always a glamorous experience as he had to change schools often and feared were only being friendly to him because of his father.