Jewish-American reggae vocalist Matisyahu will perform at UC San Diego Thursday in a special concert to promote Muslim-Jewish understanding through music.
“There’s a lot of history, and if we dwell in that, to continually say who is right and who is wrong, it goes in circles,” said Matisyahu, “But to come together to make music, to interact as human beings — it supersedes that.”
Matisyahu, who was born Matthew Paul Miller in a Philadelphia suburb, is known for blending Orthodox Jewish themes with reggae, rock and hip-hop. His 2005 single “King Without a Crown” was a Top 40 hit in the United States.
The concert, sponsored by UC San Diego Hillel and a variety of campus partners, is free to anyone with a valid UCSD ID. Tickets are available to the general public through ucsdhillel.org.
A special venue will be built on the campus’ Sun God Lawn for the concert, which begins at 8 p.m.
Matisyahu will be joined by special guest Nadim Azzam, who brings a unique blend of acoustic hip-hop to the stage. Azzam was born to an Egyptian-Palestinian father and an American Jewish mother, and raised with a keen sense of social justice.
Hillel, a national non profit with centers on many campuses, encourages students of all backgrounds to form deep, personal connections to Jewish life, learning and Israel.
