An American Jewish musician, who was controversially barred from a reggae festival in Spain before being invited back to play, performed to catcalls from some pro-Palestinian protesters yesterday, though the concert passed off peacefully after a tense build-up.
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Some in the audience expressed disapproval when the artist took the stage, including chanting “out, out”, but many others among the thousands of people applauded the singer.
He added that the “incredible outpouring of worldwide support from fans and organizations who rose up as one to protest the intrusion of politics into a borderless celebration of music has been humbling”.
Matisyahu’s decision to play came after a week-long controversy following the decision of the reggae festival’s organizers to cancel his appearance under pressure from the local branch of the BDS [Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions against Israel] movement, which wanted the musician to publicly outline his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Tonight was hard but special”, he later posted on Facebook.
The organisers of the Rototom Sunsplash festival were forced into a U-turn after the Spanish government and Jewish organisations condemned their decision last weekend to bar Matisyahu from playing. “Every chance to make music is a blessing”.
In a lengthy apology posted on Facebook last week, festival organizers wrote, “Rototom Sunsplash rejects anti-Semitism and any form of discrimination towards the Jewish community”.
The festival orgenazers discion criticized by Jewish groups, by the US and Israeli embassies in Spain and by the Spanish government.
Matisyahu, who had initially denounced the cancellation as “appalling” on Facebook, accepted the new invitation, a statement from the organizers said Friday.
“Rototom SunSplash admits that it made a mistake, due to… the campaign of pressure, coercion and threats employed by the BDS Pais Valencia which made it think that the normal functioning of the festival could be threatened”.
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