MANHATTAN — Orthodox Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu has come under fire from some members of the Jewish press for apparently excluding Kosher acts at his annual Hanukkah concert.
Matisyahu, whose real name is Matthew Miller, has Festival of Light performances in New York City from Dec. 10 and until Dec. 20, with breaks only for the Sabbath.
But the singer — who has a different opening act for each of his eight nights of performances — did not get a fellow Jewish headliner for any of the Hanukkah-themed performances.
Instead, a host of DJs, rappers and reggae rockers of other faiths will share the stage with the singer/rapper who performs under his Hebrew name and sports Orthodox dress.
Jewcy, a blog about Jewish culture, took umbrage and asked, "Does Matisyahu dislike Jewish musicians?"
Matisyahu’s publicist responded to Jewcy by saying that there would be surprise Jewish performers.
Current performers include Rana, Kid Koala and Travis McCoy.
The concert is now in its fourth year, with performances at Webster Hall near Union Square and the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.
