Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter

Matisyahu

As the 49th Annual Grammy Awards approaches, The Sunday Gleaner will be featuring those nominated in the reggae category. They are Matisyahu, Buju Banton, Sly and Robbie, Ziggy Marley and UB 40. This week, we start with Matisyahu.

Matisyahu, 27, a member of the Lubavitch Hasidic (Jewish) community, was born Matthew Paul Miller, but later changed his name to 'Matisyahu', the Hebrew name for Matthew.

All his life he seemed destined to do music - starting in his school cafeteria sporting dreadlocks and beating congo drums and later embracing and fusing his Jewish and reggae-loving self on-stage in front of thousands. When his album Youth was released in March, it sold more than 119, 000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the United States Billboard charts; it is, therefore, no surprise that he was nominated for a Grammy.

Sunday Gleaner: What are your impressions of the other nominees in the Reggae Grammy category?

Matisyahu: "First of all, let me say there are certain people like Buju Banton who had a huge influence on me and someone I really respect. There is also Sly and Robbie who I got the benefit of recording one of my songs in the studio and that was really cool for me seeing how incredible they are and what they do. I would say those two artistes in particular are the artistes that I have a deep respect for. I'm not really familiar with Ziggy and UB40's work."

Which of them do you think poses the most threat to you winning?

"I don't know what they use to judge these things. I don't know if it's about the most albums sold or who has been around the longest. I don't know how they choose who's gonna win. As far as myself winning, you can never be too sure of winning, it's all in God's hands. The whole thing is not about competition ... Just the fact to be nominated is an honour. At the end of the day, it's not that important."

Have you listened to the music of any one of the artistes in the category? If so, what are your impressions?

"I haven't heard Buju's new album. I am not really familiar with his new album, but the last one I heard was Til Shiloh. I don't know, but at the time there were a couple of artistes that their music and their style connected with me and that was how Til Shiloh was with me. That album had a lot of meaning for me and I loved the way he flowed on it."

Did the nomination come as a surprise?

"Yeah. I didn't even know it was that time of the year and Grammys were going on now. Actually I can't believe that I got nominated ... I find it somewhat funny that I'm nominated in the reggae category, because I just never saw my music as reggae. I don't see my music as any one thing. I don't see it as rock music, I don't see it as reggae music, I don't see it as hip hop music. I just see it as music that has very strong influence in reggae music. I think the whole categorisation of the music is funny to me a little bit."

Who is you target fan base, older, or younger listeners?

"I don't think I have a target fan base. I think that the majority of my fans are definitely young and quite a few older people and Jews, non-Jews, people who like reggae, people who like rock and all different types of music. So I take a lot of pride in that so many different types of people listen to my music."

Trace your career starting from satellite radio. How important was that avenue to launching your career?

"I've never thought about that. I think it definitely helps. I don't think satellite radio was the thing that did it, I think it was the shows we were playing. We went out and we played and as that was happening we recorded a live record and that live record got a lot of attention and a lot of people got interested. The record company also worked really hard getting it on the radio; they had a lot of problems, a lot of people against them, but that one song turned into a hit song, so that was huge also. So it was a combination of a lot of stuff."

What are your plans for the upcoming year?

"I am working on something called No place to be, which is a remake of a couple of songs. Then I will be touring for the next year or so and going all over the world, to places we haven't been yet and to places we were already at. We just want to keep getting out there and spreading the music."

Reggae influences

Even though you had one of the highest selling reggae albums (and a Grammy nomination) this year, not many people, including other entertainers, from the 'land of reggae' know about you. Is this something you hope to change and if so, how? Do you think it is important to do so?

"Basically, I'm trying to come to Jamaica and there are a few places that I'm trying to get to. We've even been talking about recording the next album in Jamaica. Basically, I want to come and when I come I don't want to be on the beach somewhere but I want to be with the artistes and producers and getting a feel for the place. That's what I'm trying to work on - trying to find the right time, situation and place. The most important thing for me is to keep in mind that it's not about trying to prove myself, because then you get caught up in trying to be something that you're not. But to basically do what I do and make the music that I make and people will either feel it or they won't ... It feels good to me every time someone from the West Indies or some West Indian artistes show that they respect what I'm doing and that I'm doing a positive thing for reggae music. It does mean a lot to me, it actually means more to me than a lot of other things like winning people over."

Why did you choose to do roots music?

"The music chose me, I didn't choose the music. I get really into a certain artiste and a certain style of music and that's what happened when I was younger. As I was developing as a vocalist, I was into Sizzla, Buju and Capleton and that stuff and it had a real strong effect, almost a permanent effect on me at least for several years and now I think I'm listening to different kinds of things and I guess that's what I mean when I said the music chose me. I'm constantly listening to different kinds of music.