Yesterday, August 25, marked two major events for Matisyahu - the release of his third studio album Light and the launch of his "One Day for Change" campaign.
NEW ALBUM, LIGHT
On Light, fans will find a much broader sound than what Matisyahu has offered in the past. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime) and Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown), Light is Matisyahu's most diverse album to date. Billboard marveled at its ability to "Push musical boundaries... dipping into everything from guitar driven rockers to stripped down acoustic tunes."
It finds the musician from Crown Heights, Brooklyn displaying his one-of-a-kind voice in a variety of diverse genres, moving through his familiar reggae-soul stylings to dancehall, ska-influenced new wave, pop-rock and acoustic folk.
Links: Purchase Light on iTunes, Purchase Light (deluxe edition) on iTunes, Purchase Light on Amazon
MATISYAHU LAUNCHES "ONE DAY FOR CHANGE" CAMPAIGN
Always looking to inspire and positively motivate fans - the socially conscious artist has partnered with Kenneth Cole to create an online movement via Twitter and YouTube encouraging people to share ideas to positively change their communities in one day.
One Day for Change asks fans, as well as celebrities, websites, and musicians, to tweet their "ideas for change" using the #ondaychange.net hash tag. Matisyahu will re-tweet his favorites on his own Twitter (which now has over 720,000 followers) and award a signed copy of Light to one tweeter each day. Participants are also encouraged to upload videos expressing their ideas for change to the "One Day for Change" YouTube page between August 25th and September 18th.
On September 25th, a grand prize winner from the video uploads will be announced on OneDayChange.net. The site, built by Republic Project, features all of the video submissions, tweets, and exclusive content for the initiative and can be visited to view the latest entries. The winner will receive a Matisyahu branded camera provided by Flip Cam, and Matisyahu and Kenneth Cole will donate $5,000 towards the charity of the winning entrant's choice. Other participants who upload videos will have a chance to win 1 of 4 Matisyahu branded cameras provided by Flip Cam.
"Consciousness and positivity spread like a wave." Matisyahu explains, "It starts with one person doing one good thing and links like a chain, going from one positive thing to the next."
RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...
Hasidic star Matisyahu saving reggae with new disc - "Even though the new album is called 'Light,' Matisyahu taps into darker subjects, like death and suffering. 'You get to a certain point where you realize it's not eternal, you're not going to be around forever,' he said. 'You start to deal with that concept and what it means. For me, what it's meant, in terms of putting a positive spin on this, is just an appreciation of life.'" (reuters.com)
Mind and Meaning - "Daniel Levitin runs McGill University's Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition and Expertise. He's also a musician, record producer and author, most recently of 'The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature.' He talks with Jim Fleming about music's pivotal role in human evolution." (publicbroadcasting.net)
Collin Raye: Making the move from Country to Christian music - "By the mid-90s, though, when Raye wanted to do an album of contemporary Christian music, things had changed. His label initially gave the go ahead, but at the last minute balked, citing concerns over radio's willingness to play blatantly Christian songs. They didn't want him to get labeled as part of something they called the God Squad.' 'I’m like, What's wrong with that?' Raye laughs now." (examiner.com)
Acoustic-reggae rocker Trevor Hall's new self-titled album (Trevor Hall, Vanguard Records) features guest performances by Colbie Caillat, Krishna Das and Matisyahu. Over its 12 fantastic tracks, he explores themes of spiritual lightheartedness ("Internal Heights"), death and surrender ("Who You Gonna Turn To?"), unity between faiths ("Unity"), the story of Krishna ("Volume"), his accepting of all spiritual paths as one truth ("Many Roads") and more.
RockOm met up with Trevor at his CD release party in his hometown of Hilton Head Island, SC to discuss his spiritual practice, a chance encounter in India and themes from the new album.
RockOm: How does it feel to be in the Vanguard Records family now?
Trevor Hall: Vanguard is great. They’ve really been amazing. They’re much smaller than my previous label but it makes it more of a family vibe. They’ve been very helpful with promotion and hooking me up with some nice people and have been wonderful to work with. I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of what they do with the record.
RO: One of your classic songs, “Lime Tree”, made it’s way back onto your new album. What was the decision to include that again?
TH: That’s such a popular song and it’s only on one EP from a long time ago so we wanted to formally release it and redo it – I’ve grown a lot since then. We had my friend Colbie Callait come in and sing on it which was great and it just fits the record I think. We only redid that one and “31 Flavors” but the rest of the album is all new material.
RockOm: Let’s get into some of those songs. In “Who You Gonna Turn To” you repeat “Surrender to the Most High; surrender, I say surrender.” For people who are not sure how to do that, what would you say to them? What does surrender look like or mean to you?
TH: Well, I’m trying to do that myself! [laughs] But before we jump into the songs it’s important to understand that a lot of the songs aren’t where I’m at presently. They’re all speaking to me too, you know? I’m singing what I’m hearing so they’re all lessons for me too – speaking to me, teaching me. I’m trying to surrender, too, so I don’t know what I could say to other people. But from what I’ve heard from people above me is that surrender is a very powerful thing. Especially in music - music automatically demands a state of surrender when you listen to it. Or if you’re in a live setting, you can’t dance or let yourself go unless you surrender to the sounds. Music is a very powerful instrument in helping with the process of surrendering, I think.
“Who You Gonna Turn To” is a song that is obviously about dying but it’s maybe not bodily death. Maybe it’s more of an ego death or something. Who you gonna turn to at the end of your life when all this is gone? Are you going to turn to your money or your friends? You come alone, you go alone. It’s a song about death but I think it’s a very positive song because it’s saying “I know who I’m going to turn to.” “My mama’s on her lion and papa's home in Zion” – the eternal Mother and Father, that’s who I’m going to turn to.
RO: On your previous albums, images of the divine seemed to be mostly (though not entirely) feminine - such as Durga and Shakti - but it seems like in this album there are some references to a father/masculine divine who often is referenced alongside Zion. I was curious if that's been a new development in your spiritual journey and/or if your friendship with Matisyahu had some influence in that.
TH: I don’t know, I just think that’s what was coming through. Where the Mother is, the Father is too. Where the Father is, the Mother is too. I don’t know if it was another aspect of my inner life but that was just my meditation at the time. I think I had been meditating on the “divine Family” rather than one parent. I don’t know if there’s anything “secret” there or not – I hope so! [laughs]
RO: In the song “House” you sing “far beyond what you call God.” Do you think we limit ourselves sometimes by holding an image in our head of a personification of God when in reality there could be so much broader of an understanding?
TH: I think it can. But there’s so many different ways to love God. They’re all the same goal to me. I don’t know what other people think, but to me it’s one goal. Some people worship God with form, some people worship God without form. Some people say that worshiping God with form is limiting God, but in my experience I think that all ways eventually lead there. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you love God. That’s what I think. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or not married, it only matters how much you love God. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the city or town or temple, it just matters how much you love God.
I was watching this movie the other day about one of my favorite singers and they interviewed this fruit vendor in India. She sang this devotional song and it just blew my mind. And she’s a fruit vendor – do you know what I mean? She doesn’t have a garb on; she isn’t a nun. Wherever you are, that’s it. I just think that love of God is the highest thing, so whatever helps with that and keeps you open minded is all right in my book.
RO: On “My Baba” - your tribute to Neem Karoli Baba – you have chant master Krishna Das singing on the chorus. I'm sure that was a joy and pleasure to have him agree to back you up on that song. Tell us what having him on the record means to you as well as how that came to be.
TH: That was big time! [laughs] I was very happy. I had only met Krishna Das one time and the way I had met him was kind of funny. I had talked to him on the internet and we have a mutual friend. He was going to India the same time I was and he sent me an email that said, let me know where you’re going and your dates because maybe while we’re there we can link up. I said I would let him know but I never did just because I was so busy and couldn’t remember. It was my first trip to India so I was a little antsy and so I never got around to emailing him. So one night we’re in Rishikesh, which is a little town in the Himalayas right by the Ganga, that is absolutely gorgeous. We went into this little café to eat dinner and my friend said, “Hey, there’s Krishna Das.” [laughs] I turn and over at the next table was Krishna Das and all these people were around him asking to get pictures. He looked kind of bummed out, like he wanted to get away. So I waited until everyone left and I went up to him and said, “Excuse me, Krishna Das?” and he groaned, “Yes?” I said, “I don’t mean to bother you, but my name is Trevor.” And he was like, “Trevor! Why didn’t you email me?!” [laughs] We talked for a little and found out we were going different directions but we saw each other and it was kind of like Baba’s play. It’s just so funny. It’s the only time I’ve seen him physically.
But with the album I had this song called “My Baba.” I really wanted to do a song for [Neem Karoli] Baba because he’s my biggest inspiration. As the song was coming the chorus happened to be “Hari, Hari, Mahadev.” As we were going into the studio I thought, man it would be cool to get Krishna Das to sing on that. So my manager contacted him and they talked for a while. When he heard the song he thought it was great and said “Let’s do it.” He didn’t come to LA because he was busy but we sent the track to him and he recorded it and sent it back. He’s so awesome; he didn’t ask for anything, he’s such a great guy. It was a big thing for me because I love Krishna Das and he’s part of the Neem Karoli Baba family. That’s probably one of my favorite songs on the whole record.
RO: In "Many Roads," one of the lines that resonated with me most is "Are you made from magic? Are you made from wishful thinking?" As people of faith, those questions still come up, don't they? As much of our life and lifestyle are dedicated to serving and loving God, there's still those moments that we have to ask whether it's all a figment of our imagination. What do you do when the doubt comes?
TH: It seems to come often, doesn’t it? [laughs] You just have to have faith. Baba said that many things go into one's spiritual practice but the three main ingredients are faith, devotion and patience. For me it’s hard to remember it’s not an overnight process. You have to plant the seed, you have to water the seed, you have to cultivate the land and cultivate your mind. You get impatient but that’s where you’re growing. You know, there are yogis in India who have been doing this for thousands of lives. They’re up in the caves chanting God’s name 24 hours a day and here we are – you do a mala in the morning and you’re like, “Hey, where is it [enlightenment]?” It’s just you have to be patient. Baba also says that we may forget, but God never forgets about his devotees. God never forgets about us even if we’re doubting so you just have to believe. I mean, where can you go [away from God]?
RO: In the song “Volume” you talk about the silence that can be found. How would you best tell someone to begin finding some silence amidst all of life’s noise?
TH: Oh God, you’re asking the wrong person. [laughs] My mind is like a freakin’ jukebox and I don’t even know what CDs are inside it.
RO: But you find it onstage at times?
TH: Yes, well everybody has a way of finding silence - whether you meditate, whether you sit by yourself and listen to your breath or listen to music. But for me music is very powerful and there’s a place where the sound is coming through and you’re just listening to the sound. When you’re singing you’re listening and you don’t feel like you’re doing anything. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, whew, it’s heavy. Sometimes outside it’s so loud but inside it’s just so silent. Like, I feel that in a lot of places in America, outside it’s silent but inside we’re not very relaxed. But in India it was very different for me – outside there was noise and all of this stuff but inside people have a little bit of silence. So it’s kind of a trick - Mother’s trick, an illusion. You have to be careful, she can trick you. [laughs]
But with “Volume” the chorus is “Close your eyes and hold me and no harm will befall you.” Krishna said that to the gopas, his friends in the field. “That’s what is spoken to me when I turn down the volume.” You can’t hear it until you quiet down.
RO: You’re going to have a lot of young people here at the concert tonight. Some of that is going to bleed over. They’re going to look at you and go, “This cat’s got his act together” – little do they know… [laughs]
TH: Little do they know the TV I watch [laughs] and the things I do in my off time.
RO: But if they listen to the words to that song, it gives them lots to relate to.
TH: The whole song really is about Krishna. “Rain comes down but he holds the mountain; Blue like sky, can you tell me why?” Krishna’s skin is blue and then my favorite story about Krishna is where he holds up the mountain. When he was a young cowherd boy in the fields, his village would pray to Indra, god of rain, to give them rain for their crops. One day Krishna said, “Does Indra accept your offering? Does he come down and eat it with his own mouth? There’s no need to do this. Just believe in me and everything will be fine.” So Indra has a little bit of ego and gets very mad that this little boy is taking away his worship. So he holds the rains and then one day he just lets it flood. All the people in the village are very worried. They think they’re going to drown and that Indra is going to kill them. So they go to Krishna and say, “You have to help us. Save us!” So in Vrindavan there’s a place called Govardhana Hill and you can go there today. And Krishna lifted up the mountain with his pinkie and held it above his head. There are many famous pictures of this. All the villagers come under the mountain and they have a big festival for seven days where they eat and drink and be merry. It really humbled Indra.
So that’s the opening line, but all of the references in “Volume” are about Krishna’s life.
RO: The album’s opening song is “Internal Heights.” What does it mean for you to "maintain internal heights"?
TH: That’s just it right there. That is the goal of my life. Where does your strength come from? The eternal Giver. Maintain internal heights. “To see the transcendent Being, got to keep your hands clean.” Maintain internal heights. Internal heights, always, everywhere you go. It’s hard but this song is a remembering. This is the first song and sets the theme for the whole record.
RO: In last year’s RockOm interview you said, “Everything is meditation.” Is everything still meditation for you?
TH: Yes! [laughs] Sometimes you don’t remember it’s meditation but then it gets you and you’re like. Oh! There it is again – that lesson! Too many lessons!
"We are all notes in this eternal song; God plays his flute, we all dance along." So sings Trevor Hall on his latest album - a self-titled release, available today (7/28/09). Trevor is a longtime friend of RockOm, having been featured several times on the site and it's no wonder why. His outstanding music is a blend of the sacred and secular - melding funky, acoustic-reggae jams with deep, spiritually significant lyrics.
Released by the legendary Vanguard Records, Trevor's new album features guest performances by Colbie Caillat, Krishna Das and Matisyahu. Over its 12 fantastic tracks, he explores themes of spiritual lightheartedness ("Internal Heights"), death and surrender ("Who You Gonna Turn To?"), unity between faiths ("Unity"), the story of Krishna ("Volume"), his accepting of all spiritual paths as one truth ("Many Roads") and more.
Despite these heavy themes, however, Trevor's music never comes off as preachy, but rather as humble, gentle and exploratory. The music gently jumps from hard rock to reggae to contemplative ballads and back again. Bathing in these songs of divine love and devotion, the listener is transported both to the transcendent beyond as well as to what lies within.
Fans of spiritually-significant lyrics and up-beat acoustic rock owe it to themselves to pick up a copy of this album. And even if those labels don't fit you exactly, it's nearly impossible to not be moved by this landmark musical accomplishment. Purchase your copy of Trevor Hall today at iTunes, Amazon.com or other retailers.
In addition, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive interview with Trevor Hall, right here at RockOm.net in a few short weeks.
Rocker-T and Joan Baez Perform Live Duet at Northern California's 31st Annual Harmony Festival
Rocker-T, the internationally-renowned, ground-breaking, and award-winning Reggae and World Music recording artist, delivered an unexpected and exhilarating live acoustic performance of his new single, "The Way Life Should Be..." to the capacity crowd at Northern California’s 31st Annual Harmony Festival accompanied by singer and human rights activist Joan Baez with Gabriel Harris, Joan's son, on percussion. And for those that don’t believe “lighting strikes twice,” the duo delivered a surprise and equally rousing second live performance of the song later the same evening. "The Way Life Should Be..." is from the new Epiphyte Records EP release, featuring five mixes of the duet single "Luv is the Foundation" written and performed by Rocker-T with Joan Baez.
The first early afternoon mainstage set featured Rocker-T, backed by a 50 voice Choir, performing “Rise Up and Stand” to the audience of approximately 3,000. In the first of the two impromptu guest performances, Joan then joined Rocker-T on stage to perform her legendary "Gracias" before the two segued into "The Way Life Should Be..." The set ended with a powerful version of "Amazing Grace" which, backed by the Choir, was the high point of their first performance together.
Rocker-T opened his second evening set with his longtime classic, "Tru Ganjaman" and then another rousing performance of “Rise Up and Stand.” Rocker-T then introduced Joan who performed Steve Earle’s "God is God" and "Gracias" before the two joined in the duet of "The Way Life Should Be..." to close out their set.
At the day’s end, Rocker-T said, “The on-stage chemistry between Joan and I, fed by the audience’s energy, has left us all with a deep and gratifying feeling of elation. I hope that this will be the first of many more live collaborations between Joan and I.” A beaming Joan Baez stated, “I had a wonderful day.”
Other artists featured on this year’s event included: Michael Franti, India.Arie, Matisyahu, Cake, K’Naan, Kitaro, Steve Kimock, Dead Kennedys, and the Bad Brains.
Rocker-T and the More Luv Band will perform at Temple in San Francisco on August 13, 2009, as part of an Epiphyte Records label showcase/release party for “Luv is the Foundation.”
The Annual Harmony Festival, described as a hybrid between Burning Man and Bioneers – and the longest running festival on the West Coast - is a celebration of new ideas, community activism, eco-awareness, uplifting music, and more, in a green, family-friendly environment.
For more info, to request a review copy of “Luv is the Foundation”, or arrange an interview with Rocker-T, please contact Christopher Buttner, at chris@prthatrocks.com.
CDs of this EP release are available in fine retail stores everywhere or directly from Epiphyte Records website. Digital downloads of the EP are also available now on I-tunes and other digital music stores worldwide.
Matisyahu, born Matthew Paul Miller, is well known as a genre-busting Hasidic reggae artist who performs in tzitzit. But with his new EP, Shattered, and current tour, he shows a new, bold eclecticism that demonstrates a simultaneous evolution in his music and religious attitudes. He’s taken true steps — away from Chabad in his religious observance, and away from more conventional reggae in his musical development — and has opted instead to define his own new path.
Matisyahu’s identity as a practicing Jew evolved gradually over the years, with its origins far from the place where he now finds himself. Raised Reconstructionist, he went on the Alexander Muss High School in Israel study program as a teenager. This was less out of a love for learning, he says, than out of a desire to get out of high school for a few months.
“Like a lot of American kids, I was not really interested in Judaism and was around that age of starting to make self-discovery. A few things kind of came together for me,” he recalled. “I started listening to Bob Marley, and that informed some of my identity in terms of music and spirituality, and seeing a lot of Jewish references within reggae music was kind of a pull for me towards piquing my interest in Judaism.”
His time in Israel was marked less by spiritual epiphany than by being implicated in another student’s drinking exploits (he quickly defends himself as having been found guilty by association rather than action). As a result, he was restricted to staying on the campus for his first month in Israel. “Muss was cool in the style of the learning — the seminar classrooms and the teachers were cool,” Matisyahu said. “I was not studious, and never was really turned on intellectually until much later. By no means did I become religious. But I became more interested in Judaism, and identified more as a Jew.”
After he finished Muss, he returned to New York, where he subsequently dropped out of high school after the first day of his senior year and traveled around the country. A stint in a rehabilitation center in upstate New York followed, and he then went to Oregon on a wilderness expedition trip for teenagers. “It was not necessarily for drug rehabilitation, but that was part of the reason I was out there,” he explained.
In Oregon, he identified himself as “Matt, the Jewish rapper kid from New York.” “That became my identity,” he said. “I’d come in wearing an Israeli flag draped around my back, singing prayers I remembered from synagogue in the middle of a show. It was way before I was religious. I felt some strong Jewish spirituality, though I would never go to shul and didn’t keep any of the laws. It made no sense to me.” Unlike New York, in Oregon, he said, “I was suddenly the token Jew. This was now my search for my own identity, and part of Judaism feeling more important and relevant to me.”
He moved back to New York and, as he says, “started feeling a little depressed and stuck in my life.” At that point, he started developing his reggae, spending hours in his room, writing and practicing his style to the accompaniment of hip-hop tapes, whether underground or popular. “I’d buy instrumental tapes on Canal Street, then just practice along with them, singing and rapping.
“What I was doing, it wasn’t like you could go to school for it. I never learned how to play an instrument. At that point, I was not interested or aware of the benefits of vocal training, which is something that I now take extremely seriously. At the time, I just thought of it as a stylistic kind of thing. I was doing it totally on my own, and that’s what my life was spiritually, too. I was very much on my own with that, as well. It was my solitary journey. Once I became religious, it became more about community and searching out answers through other people.”
Around that same time, he says, he started to become more interested in Judaism, taking classes on Jewish spirituality at The New School. Matisyahu approached Eli Cohen, a rabbi at New York University, about learning.
“He mentioned that there was a boy in the hospital, a Russian boy who wanted to put on tefillin, and asked me if would I go do it,” he recalled. “I think he was referring to just one time, but I thought he meant regularly. So every week, I went from the West Village to put tefillin on this boy. I’d get a kosher bagel lunch, started saying the blessing. So my experience was kind of organic in that sense. “I’d talk to teachers and ask them, where do I go? What rabbi can I talk to, and what shul can I see?”
He recounts that at the same time, he started praying, getting himself a siddur and tallit. “I started going up on the roof of school at sunset and praying in Hebrew, even though I didn’t understand it,” he said. “That was how I started going from spirituality into some aspect of religion.”
He learned of the Carlebach Shul, located on the Upper West Side, and started going there every Sabbath, as well as wearing a yarmulke and tzitzit. It was then that he met NYU’s Chabad rabbi, Dov Yonah Korn, someone to whom he could relate.
“When I came in contact with Rabbi Korn, I felt this strong connection to him,” not least of which was because of music, Matisyahu recalled. “He had been on the Dead tour, the Phish tour, came from a similar background as me, done hallucinogenics. He was dancing on Shemini Atzeres with the Torah in Washington Square Park with all these other people.
“They were all not from religious backgrounds, and they’d all come from the counterculture — grown up in the suburbs, upper-middle class, gone out and left home, had their experiences on the road, and then ended up becoming religious. I looked at those guys and thought, this could be me also. I could make this transition.”
He found himself at a Simchat Torah farbrengn, or get-together, in Brooklyn at 770 Eastern Parkway, the home base of Chabad, and felt as though a light had been turned on. “They sing all of the songs from the different rebbe’im,” he recalled. “Those songs are very powerful. I felt like this sort of sadness, or yearning, or calling that I had been struggling with. That music kind of embodied that struggle I was having, and I felt that it was calling me or pulling me into it, sucking me in.
“I had felt very alone in this religious process; I didn’t have any friends doing it, and it was a very heavy decision to become religious.” When Matisyahu’s family was having a hard time dealing with his newfound faith, he moved in with Korn, sleeping on his couch in his two-bedroom apartment with the rabbi, his wife and their children.
“I really admired that lifestyle — being married, having kids, being religious,” he said “It was zany, weird and fun. We’d do things like stay up all night saying tehilim (psalms), walk to the mikveh, drink half a bottle of vodka, sit around and eat cholent and salami. I thought, this is a fun way to be religious.”
By November 2001, Matisyahu was officially calling himself a Lubavitcher, a member of the Lubavitch movement. Korn’s mentorship had a tremendous influence on Matisyahu. “I was wearing a jacket and hat before I knew it,” he recalled. “And before I knew it, I was in [Brooklyn’s] Crown Heights and completely indoctrinated into the Chabad way of life.” He took up residence in Crown Heights in spring of 2002.
Korn was also one of the first people for whom Matisyahu performed. The rabbi encouraged him, allowing him to perform at the Union Square menorah lighting as well as at NYU’s Chabad House. When Matisyahu moved to Crown Heights, he stopped listening to popular music. “I was starting to learn Hasidus [the teaching of the Hasidim], and was living with the rabbi in the apartment with his kids,” he said. “At that point, I stopped and pulled myself out of popular culture, going to movies, talking to girls, watching TV.”
In 2004, after signing with JDub Records, he released his first album. He recorded a live album in 2005, as well as a second studio album, and became famous, performing to larger groups around the world. At the same time, his religious identity was changing.
“I’ve been through all these different phases in Chabad. Chabad has been a bit of a roller coaster for me. It was very pure in the sense that I totally divested myself from all of the confusion that I was living in. I wasn’t getting high, I wasn’t with women — I was waking up every morning and learning Torah all day. And so, in certain senses it was a pure process,” Matisyahu said.
“But there was a lot of alcoholism going on, in my experience, and a lot of borderline —” He interrupted himself. “I definitely lost myself, as well, in the process, in the sense that I somehow stopped thinking for myself. I became completely dependent on other people for my sense of what was right and wrong. I felt incapable of making my own decisions. I was borderline completely losing my mind.” And then, he said, he pulled himself out of Chabad.
It was during this period that he began working with the now Jerusalem-based therapist Ephraim Rosenstein, whom he now considers his personal friend and religious mentor.
“[Rosenstein] was able to help me come to some realizations that were really ground-breaking, and kept me from where I think I would have lost my mind in the state of being I was in at that time,” Matisyahu said. “After that happened, once my therapy came to a certain place, and I’d gotten pretty healthy, I wanted to continue with my spirituality. I guess the therapy to me was sort of getting to know myself as a valid means of spiritual growth. I wanted to take it from a personal to an intellectual kind of thing, so we started learning together. Instead of therapy, I was paying him to discuss ideas, basically.
“I’ve stopped identifying with any group of Judaism. I would now call myself an Orthodox Jew. I try to keep the tenets of halachic Judaism as strongly as possible, but I don’t identify with any one movement.”
He noted that he has not severed ties with the movement completely: “My kids go to a Lubavitch yeshiva and are named after rebbes. I have Lubavitch friends, and we stay with shlichim [emissaries] around the world. I feel I have some in-depth knowledge of Hasidus and Chabad philosophy, and close ties with Lubavitch. But I don’t feel the need to be any one thing.
“In Chabad, there was always the tendency to deify everything, whether it was the rebbes or the learning,” Matisyahu said. “[There was] this sense that you couldn’t ask questions about any of it, that if you didn’t accept it, you weren’t accepting the Torah. It was as if you weren’t religious, and that this was the one path and the true path and that anything outside of it, even if it was a different kind of Hasidim, was certainly looked down upon.” With Rosenstein, he said, Matisyahu relished a different mode of studying, which focused on placing teachings into historical and social contexts and then comparing them with other Hasidus and philosophies of Judaism.
Shattered, which comprises four songs, reflects this newly acquired intellectual and musical diversity. On the one hand, the tracks divert from his reggae stylings into new areas of electronica and rap; one of the tracks is with the electronic music duo The Crystal Method, famed for working with Fatboy Slim and with The Chemical Brothers. The EP’s first track, “Smash Lies,” dares listeners to challenge their musical assumptions about Matisyahu from the get-go, with banjo, synthesizers, rap and electronically modulated vocals. On the other hand, all the tracks reveal an attempt to convey messages of Jewish spirituality more deeply and subtly. Many of the lyrics were co-written by Rosenstein.
“I took classic Jewish works and stories and things that are really universal. I found them within Judaism, but any spirituality or religion around the world would identify with the themes,” Matisyahu said. “I tried to take in certain situations, like current events that I felt fall in line with those themes. The lyrics are an outgrowth of the philosophy, but manifest themselves in a more current format.”
One song, “So Hi So Lo,” stems from a famous story of Nachman of Bratslav. “This was his most famous story about two kids who get lost in the wilderness and have to make it through,” he said. “That became the theme, in a lot of ways, for the record and especially for this one song, that theme of being children in the forest.
“It’s central to Judaism — the exile, galut, is compared to being lost in darkness, dream, forest, wilderness. There’s a sense that the people are still traveling through that in their own ways, in terms of spirituality.” The story took on another dimension on another track, as he became more aware of refugee camps in Sudan and Ghana and of child soldiers in Africa. “I had heard a story about some child soldiers that had escaped from a group and traveled 1,000 miles across the desert to safety,” he said. The song connects the story to another legend of Nachman of Bratslav.
Matisyahu’s music and religious attitudes reflect a new openness to the external world. The performer now listens to Icelandic band Sigur Rós, as well as to reggae star Sizzla. Yet his relationship to popular music now is different from what it was prior to his Crown Heights musical hiatus.
“Before I came into religion, I completely depended on music to be the glue that would bring my experiences together,” he said. “Walking down the street and not listening to music, everything felt disjointed and chaotic. When I was listening to music, it all came together. That was what music was for me. It’s what gave me my inner sense of hope and of unification of my own dreams, of what I wanted to do with my life and of overcoming the whole world.
“After I became religious, I didn’t feel the need for that anymore, the need for music to make that happen,” he said. “If things were chaotic and disjointed, I wanted to feel that, not to use music as a false glue. It was almost like getting high. It felt like I was cheating the reality, conning myself into this place. So I never again returned to listening to music in that same way.”
He struggles, he says, with balancing the secular and religious worlds, trying not to notice, for example, women at his shows who are dressed immodestly, yet not being able to wholly connect to his audience as a result.
“I find it somewhat strange how American society completely physicalizes and sexualizes women, and then the women are the ones who take that on, and those women are supposedly part of the feminist revolution and want to be seen as something beyond sexual objects,” Matisyahu said. “But the reality is that sexuality is a very powerful thing. Men or women, whatever, you see someone who’s sexy.”
He is quick to note that he doesn’t condemn people who take a different approach to modesty: “I’m not like, ‘how dare they come to my show like that!’ People are who they are. I put myself out there; they can come dressed how they want and do whatever they want while they’re there. But for myself, it’s kind of funny. I feel some sort of block. Sometimes I want to be totally open, want to take everybody in, make that connection with the audience. If I see a pretty girl, dressed sexy, I’m almost afraid to look at them. I feel like they’re going to think I’m looking at them in a sexual way.
“I wasn’t raised religious — I’m from the whole American culture. When I started putting on a yarmulke, I said, I represent much more. I represent these things, and I cannot be a hypocrite. Normally if you’re religious, you don’t look at women. But in my situation, I’m supposed to be open and loving. And so it stays in the forefront of what I’m dealing with, and how to balance it all.”
In response to my question of what “much more” meant, he said: “I think what I represent to a lot of people is sort of like someone who is a regular guy, a normal guy. A lot of people — young, Jewish, non-Jewish, whatever — are going though similar experiences of trying to figure things out. I think a lot of people see themselves in me, either in a certain genuineness or humility maybe. I don’t see myself as this big star; I see myself as a kid who is still trying to figure it all out and put it together.”
Exemplifying one of his many supreme balancing acts, one of our conversations transpired over cell phone as Matisyahu was driving an RV through the Toronto night, answering my questions with grace over the yells of a hysterical toddler while simultaneously trying to follow the GPS directions to his wife’s grandmother’s house.
Before we hung up, I asked if the GPS was working. “I guess I’m not as far away as I thought I was,” he responded.
RockOm alumni and singer/songwriter Trevor Hall has self-released a new album entitled This is Blue and is currently on tour with Matisyahu and K'naan (see full tour schedule here). To provide some insight into This is Blue, Trevor shared with RockOm some thoughts about the album, including the history and inspiration behind each of its 14 new tracks.
Giri's Song
Giri was a friend of mine who passed fighting cancer. I recently stayed in his home because I was in between places and one night I sat there with his picture and said, “Alright Giri, why don't you write me a song?” So I sat down, looked at his picture and it just kind of came through. I like to call it “Giri's Song” because I feel like he wrote it.
Mirror of the Sky
“Mirror of the Sky” is actually the title of a baul song from the Bauls of Bengal who are wandering minstrels who sing these love songs to God. It's a song about looking for that inspiration. It's a remembering song, trying to find your home again.
House of Cards
“House of Cards” was the song that I wrote after I found out that I got dropped from the label (Geffen). I thought, that's not going to stop me. I'm not going to give in; I'm going to keep on moving. It's a song about keeping your strength and continuing on the road.
The Love Song
“The Love Song” was actually a super old song from my senior year in high school, inspired by the relationship I was in. We had a nice relationship but went our separate ways. We still talk a lot, though I don't think she even knows the song's about her. I don't want to tell her, I don't want to weird her out or anything! (laughs)
Times Like These
“Times Like These” is another song about when you're at the bottom of the well and it just seems like everything is going wrong. It is a song about time as a healer. Whatever happens, everything's going to be alright.
The World Keeps Turning
That's one of my favorites on the album. Neem Karoli Baba said, “You can go a thousand miles in the blink of an eye.” I thought about everything going on in the world and the journey of life and the world turning, and was really inspired by that line.
Well I Say
“Well I Say” is about being a little fed up, I think. The first part is a little dark - this illusion of the world that's going on and things are going wrong - but the second half is about overcoming darker forces and standing up for righteousness.
Lady Love
“Lady Love” can go two ways. It could be that you're really in love with somebody and they've got you hypnotized. But I was writing it from the standpoint of a divine mother - that motherly love, lady love - while trying to disguise it in a way that was approachable. “Lady Love” is a song about being so in love that you can't see straight.
My Beating Heart
There's a saint named Ma Jaya Bhagavati, she's a Western saint, I'm looking at her picture right now. She is a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba and the divine mother Kali. She has a beautiful ashram in Florida, is an amazing poet and wrote this one little book titled She Who Rides the Lion Rides My Beating Heart. When I heard that line, I was like “Oh my goodness!” That song is about fierce grace - “My mama is a great dark cloud coming to rain down.” No fear, she's just going to cut through all the mess and rain down.
The Lion's Mane
I had an experience in India in the Himalayas, coming back from the temple. I had some food in my hand and there was a beggar on the side of the road. I offered my food to the beggar and when he didn't take it, I got a little annoyed with him like, “Why isn't he taking my food?” When I was so fed up that I was just about to throw the banana into his hand, one of the members of my party said, “Oh, he's blind.” And I just lost it – it was a really intense teaching. “The Lion's Mane” was inspired by that day and that scenario.
As far as the dream imagery in this song, the deeper you go into the Himalayas, the more it just feels like a dream. In a dream, you're not really aware of time and during this day, time just wasn't there anymore. It just felt so magical. We're all kind of asleep to that divine energy, whatever you want to call it that's in all of us. We're just sleeping and I think that state of full awareness - being fully awake - is just waiting inside of us. It's that place where you're there and you're consciousness, you're divinity, you're atman, you're God - it's within every heart, but you can't see it. I feel like I'm asleep to this divinity, and a lot of yogis say that the dream is even more real than your waking state. There's a verse in the Bhagavad Gita that says, “What is day to all living beings is night for the yogi. And what is night to all living beings is day to the yogi.” And what that means is that what we think is day and lightness and pleasure is not. It's actually night and so I don't really know where I'm going with this, but sometimes you feel when you touch that place within yourself, you feel that similarity of being in a dream - there's no time, you're not really aware of your little self, you're kind of in the Supreme Self. I don't know what that feels like so I can't really talk about it, cause I haven't gone anywhere near there. But I feel that sometimes if you think about it enough or sing about it enough, talk about it enough, then slowly it will make its impression on you. Really, if you want to know the truth of it all, these songs just really come through. I feel like I don't really write them, I feel like they just come through. I'm learning from the songs too. I'm a listener too. If people saw my private life with the TV shows I watch, I'm not that special, I'm just a normal guy. But I think that something that's coming through me, I think that's a little special. This thing that's coming through I feel is coming through everyone, just in different ways.
Jago Ma
Jago means “Wake Up” and there's a song, a bhajan, a kirtan song that goes: “JAGADO DHARINI MATA DURGA, JAGO JAGO MA, JAGO JAGO MA.” It means “Come alive, Ma! Come alive! Wake up in my heart!” It was a song saying, “Wake me from this dream. I want to see you, I want to feel you.”
Stinky's Song
When we were in the studio, [percussionist] Chris Steele was like, “Hey man, what would you think of just doing a drum track?” I was like “Ya, let's do it, do a drum track.” We had a lot of fun with it, as you can hear - just being funny in the studio. But we didn't really know what to name it until a friend of mine text messaged me and said, “Hey, I ran into Stinky at this rehearsal space.” I had never heard that nickname for him before, so it just stuck. We just called the song “Stinky's Song.” I don't think Chris wanted to name the song “Stinky's Song,” but he had no choice.
Om Shakti Om
Shakti is the divine mother, the power, the creative energy of the divine. This was inspired by a woman here who founded a temple that I am affiliated with. She has a very funky personality – very full of Shakti. She said she wanted to write a song about Lord Shiva, so she came up with the line “My mama rides a lion, my dad wears ash and snakes. My mama is a warrior...” We kind of wrote that song together and it's just a fun song about Lord Shiva.
Once in a While
I don't know what the song is about really. Sometimes you have songs that just come out and you don't really understand them until later on in your life. I like the song a lot; it's very mysterious to me. It's also kind of relaxing. But I really don't remember how it came about or when I wrote that song.
Trevor is on tour with Matisyahu and K'naan currently. For a full tour schedule, ordering information and more samples of This is Blue, see www.trevorhallmusic.com.
Musician Trevor Hall's credits include 2006's John Alagia-produced, four-song EP, The Rascals Have Returned, on Geffen Records, a six-track live EP, Trevor Hall Live, recorded at the Mint and Hotel Café in Los Angeles, and his 2004 indie debut, Lace Up Your Shoes, also produced by Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jason Mraz).
Trevor's songs have appeared in numerous feature films and television shows. Most recently his song "Other Ways" appeared on the Shrek the Third soundtrack. He also covered the Band's "Life is a Carnival" for the recent star-studded tribute album Endless Highway: The Music of the Band.
Trevor has toured extensively with Steel Pulse, Rusted Root, Keb' Mo', Ziggy Marley, Stevie Nicks, Matisyahu, and Colbie Caillat to name a few, and has also opened for Jason Mraz, Donovan Frankenreiter and Ben Harper. RockOm's Tom Crenshaw met up with Trevor at Erskine College in South Carolina, where he was performing with percussionist and close friend Chris Steele.
__________________________________
RockOm: I asked Abigail Washburn a couple of weeks back a long convoluted question and she let me know that what I really should have asked her was summed up in the simple question, "Why do you sing?" and so I'm going to ask you: "Why do you sing?"
T: Why do I sing? I like the feeling of singing. Melodies, they just make me feel good. Singing is a good way of expressing yourself and a good way of talking to other people through song. That's a good question; I never really thought about it. I think it's just a natural thing. I've always sang and keep on singing.
Tom: Tell our readers about your new acoustic CD coming out soon, titled This is Blue.
Trevor Hall: This is Blue is a CD that I just recently recorded with my friend, percussionist Chris Steele. The CD was inspired by a number of things. While recording this record, I was meditating on the simplicity of life and bringing things back to their roots. I have always wanted to record a "stripped down" CD. Over the years, I have written numerous acoustic/folk songs that I have kept locked in my "vault," so to speak, and have never had the chance to play them anywhere. I recorded some of those as well as many new tracks just recently written.
RO: What inspired this CD?
Trevor: Most of the songs are in the theme of rising above and keeping strength. While things may not always go the way you thought they would, I try to remember that everything is the Grace of the Almighty and to keep my strength in the Higher Presence alone. . . the Source of all things seen and unseen.
RO: What's it like collaborating with percussionist Chris Steele- how did you two hook up?
Trevor: Chris Steele is my main brethren. We must have linked up and created some wacky music in another life because we get along too well. I don't think we've ever fought with each other, and that is a lot to say when being with that person 24/7 while touring and playing around the country. We met at an audition a couple of years ago. I was looking for a percussion player to start playing acoustic shows. He was the first guy I saw. After hearing him play, I didn't need to see anybody else. He's been playing with me ever since. It's that simple.
RO: What should listeners expect from This is Blue?
Trevor: I don't know what people should expect. Because no label or producer was involved in recording this record, we had a lot of freedom and really just tried to be true and pure and most importantly... have a great time. Things are more stripped down musically on this record, but not stripped of content. I really poured my heart into these songs and tried to share my thoughts on strength, positivity, life, and the Almighty. I am just happy that I am able to share some new music with everyone. It's been such a long time. It looks like the album will be out late summer or early fall...God willing. Until then...only love.
Exclusive Sneak Peek at This Is Blue
Giri's Song
RO: You also have your debut LP with Geffen out later this year, called The Elephant's Door. It's produced by Abe and Matteo Laboriel; Abe is Paul McCartney's drummer. How did that happen?
T: I met them through Ron Fair, who is the president of Geffen. He introduced me to Abe and his brother and I was asked to collaborate with them for a bit and to see if it vibed and it went really, really well. We did a couple songs and we showed Ron, who said, "Why don't you do a whole album?" We stuck it out and did a record together.
RO: What was the process like working with Abe and Matteo versus what you've done in the past? These are some pretty heavy hitters.
T: These guys were heavy hitters but they came off as teddy bears. When you see them you're like, "Oh, man!" because they're big guys. Abe's got a shaved head and big earrings and you're like, "Wow, these guys are intense," but they're the nicest guys in the world. They have the biggest hearts. This was a lot different because it was more intimate, it was just us three. We had nobody coming in and out of the studio, nobody checking in on us, which sometimes can be a little bit of a distraction. It was really focused. We didn't have many plans, we were like "Whatever comes up today, let's record this song." It wasn't like, "Okay, we're going to record THIS group of songs." It was very free and very: "Lets just see what happens."
RO: It sounds like Geffen is being really good to you, giving you the opportunity to expand and search and find what you want to do. It's kind of opposite of what a lot of labels do now, telling folks what to do, how to do it, how fast they're going to do it, how much they're going to make. What do you feel is different with you and Geffen?
T: I don't know; we definitely have our hiccups. It's not all [perfect]. You just work through it and figure it out.
RO: You no doubt have a very deep spirituality which you communicate through your music and songwriting. You reference one of my heroes, Neem Karoli Baba, and there's a reference to Shiva in a couple of your songs. What's been your spiritual journey? How did you get started down this particular path of spirituatlity?
T: It's all grace, really. I didn't ask for any of it, it just struck a chord. In boarding school, one of my good friends had a picture of Neem Karoli Baba on his wall and his father was with Neem Karoli Baba in the body. I saw the picture and I was really attracted to the photograph and said, "Who is that?" We stayed up all night and he was telling me stories of Neem Karoli Baba. That's how I started and from there it gets deeper and deeper with every blink of an eye. Before I knew it, here I am. I didn't ask to be in this path but when you feel love, you want to give it back.
RO: You've toured with some different acts, a lot of diverse groups, but one thing that struck me as interesting is your touring with Matisyahu. You guys are from totally different faith traditions. Where did you find your connection spiritually?
T: 'Matis' is a devotee and I am a devotee. He is Jewish and I am not Jewish, but we both love God. We love divinity, we love singing for the Almighty. I think that connection right off the bat was what brought us together. He's been kind of like my big brother throughout the game, giving me advice and taking me under his wing. He showed me some stuff that just inspired me because it's really quite something that he's doing. We talk about our beliefs all the time, but it's never an argument. It's always a comparison, how things are similar. It's never been an issue of "I'm right and you're wrong." 'Matis' is a very open guy, he's open minded not only in his beliefs, but in his music and new ideas so that's what makes him so much fun to be around. It's not his way or the highway, it's just, "Let's get together and see what happens."
RO: Is it risky being as transparent as you are, as Matisyahu is, in regard to spirituality? Is it risky to do it as blatantly as you guys do with your music?
T: Well I think he's a little more out there (laughs). I'm not, like, going on stage with a sheet around me or anything. But I don't think it's risky at all. At his concerts, not everybody's Jewish, but people feel the love. It starts a core and everybody wants to feel it. He's not up there singing, "My way is the only way," he's singing about love, or his love for his ideal. And I'm doing the same thing, we're all in it together, we're all in it to figure things out.
RO: I've had an opportunity to see how audiences react to what you sing and there's no doubt that what you're doing emanates from the heart and really communicates. Who gives you inspiration musically? Who do you look to that you get that from?
T: I'd say the biggest influence is Bob Marley, not just from a musical standpoint but from the way he lived his life. I've read countless books and biographies and everytime I hear his voice and think about him, he's really a strong presence, even now. His body is gone but I think he's still hanging around. It's really inspiring because every time you hear a Bob Marley song, it's joy, it's happiness. It's so positive, no matter who you are. And he was doing the same thing, he wasn't saying "my way is the only way." He's a big influence and Matisyahu is a big influence, but musically I listen to a wide range of music.
RO: You traveled to India twice recently. What's that like?
T: (laughs) It's the best place on earth. India is a golden bird. She is a golden bird. Everything there is gold. Everywhere you look is just shining, even the poverty. It's just so vibrant. Every minute you are getting cut up - your ego's getting cut up, your attachments, you are getting sliced up left and right. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's fierce grace, but it's just a magical place.
RO: You did some charity over there...
T: My teacher's ashram, my teacher's temple, is called the Yoga Vedanta Kutir. It's where they take these young orphan boys and they teach them yoga and religion and send them to school; they're poor boys. I really love kids in general and while we were there, for ten days, I just fell in love with these magic boys. They're divine children. When I got back and thought we should do something so I did a little benefit concert and accepted donations on their behalf. We set up an account for them at a bank over there and we put money in there every couple months, so it's a very low key kind of thing, but it's a great gift.
RO: What do you do right now for practice spiritually? Do you meditate? Do you sit and meditate, do you walk and meditate? Is being on stage meditation for you?
T: Everything is meditation. Everything is the guru's words. Every situation is the guru's situation. When I first started being on the road, I was getting really frustrated because nothing is on time, nothing is where it's supposed to be, what it's supposed to be. At first I got really frustrated and tight and then over time, it's a total practice. Everything is a practice. For me, I've accepted, "Okay, this is my practice." I really had to surrender to everything, where you are, the people. You can't have any attachments on the road because nothing's going to last. Same thing in life, too. Neem Karoli Baba said, " A yogi who's always on the move is like flowing water, no impurities can stick to him." When you're on the road, you meet people but that's it. That night, that's it. Next night, that's it. You can't get attached to anything so it's a good lesson. On the road, I sit. I always sit every morning, no matter if I got four hours sleep, if it's for five minutes, I sit. You gotta sit. Baba said that everybody's highest duty no matter what is to sit. A set offering every day, no matter if you sit for five minutes, say one prayer, or whatever. I have to follow my teacher's teaching.
RO: Do you feel like you're here to accomplish anything in particular?
T: I am an instrument myself. I don't know what there is to accomplish. I have my own goals within myself and in my spiritual life, but as far as musically, this is where I am and this is how I'm being played on the chessboard. I don't really have any goals. I have things I want to do, obviously, maybe some charities once I get more cash flow and set up some things I can do. But it's enough for me to get off stage and someone says a comment, even if it's one person. Some things people tell me are such nice things, but again I have to remember that it's not me, that it's something that's working through me. Because if I take credit for it, I get my head chopped off. You have to stay humble.
RO: How do you see the dance that's moving through you playing out over the next five to ten years?
T: Man, like I said about the road - you always think you know how it's going to go, but you don't. It's truly in some other thing's hands - whether you want to call it God or Jesus or Ram, Sita, Krishna, Shiva, Allah, Love, whatever - something else is going on. For me, until I accepted that fact that there was something else, my life was just miserable. I would get so frustrated. But you have to have faith and devotion that everything will change and everything's alright. That everywhere you are, that's where the action is. That's where the temple is. That's some of the greatest advice that anyone's ever given me. Because when I went on the road at first, I always wanted to be in the temple, I didn't want to be on the road. But a great friend of mine, a great role model of mine, said to me, "No, you have it all wrong. Wherever you are, that's where the temple is. That's where the action is. Wherever you are, that's where you worship." I haven't figured it out yet, but I try to remember that as much as I can. Wherever you are, that's where the action is.
On Light, fans will find a much broader sound than what Matisyahu has offered in the past. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime) and Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown), Light is Matisyahu's most diverse album to date. Billboard marveled at its ability to "Push musical boundaries... dipping into everything from guitar driven rockers to stripped down acoustic tunes."
Rocker-T and the More Luv Band will perform at 
By Jordana Horn
T: I'd say the biggest influence is Bob Marley, not just from a musical standpoint but from the way he lived his life. I've read countless books and biographies and everytime I hear his voice and think about him, he's really a strong presence, even now. His body is gone but I think he's still hanging around. It's really inspiring because every time you hear a Bob Marley song, it's joy, it's happiness. It's so positive, no matter who you are. And he was doing the same thing, he wasn't saying "my way is the only way." He's a big influence and Matisyahu is a big influence, but musically I listen to a wide range of music.
Email Us!
RockOm RSS Feed
RockOm Facebook
RockOm MySpace
RockOm Twitter
RockOm YouTube
RockOm Viddler
