For the first time in history, Matisyahu, an artist that you should never forget when thinking about the reggae music scene, just performed live in Manila for his Undercurrent Tour! Proving that he is not your average singer, this multitalented man gave his fans a unique concert to remember him by, as he stayed true to what he is known for—being a seemingly unorthodox artist, who is big on improvisations and extremely candid on stage. He got the crowd going with his spontaneity, his talents, and his wit.
WATCH: Couple’s Acapella Cover of Matisyahu’s One Day Will Give You Good Vibes All Over
One thing that everyone should know about Matisyahu, is that you can never just put him in a box. Although he is known for being a prominent figure in reggae music, this singer, beatboxer and rapper always has an interesting mix of genres and styles in most, if not all, of his songs. He is not just about reggae. If you listen to every single one of his albums, you’ll also find them to be so different from one another. This is something that makes him unique and sets him apart from other artists. A quality that he made sure to showcase during his concert.
He provided surprises for the people to enjoy throughout the duration of his show. One of these were throwing his hat out to the audience, for whoever could catch it, to keep. Another was that nearing the end of the concert, Matisyahu invited Bugoy Drilon to sing with him on stage. Together, they sang their hit song “One Day”, and everyone loved it! The energy, the message of the beautiful song, being able to sing it with a whole bunch of people, truly made it the highlight of the concert. This song was what so many people were looking forward to hearing and it did not disappoint.
Apart from singing his well-loved songs, he also gave a big amount of time to highlight what his band could do. Something that is not so common in most concerts. Usually, when people go to shows, they are hyped to sing along, and while everyone was given much time to do just that, the setlist also included long instrumentals, just for everyone to appreciate the sounds. We’re not talking just about one, three or even five minutes of pure instrumentals. It went way beyond that. So much talent!
Overall, the concert was fun and very casual. This may be his first visit to the country, but let’s hope it’s not his last.
A unique artist who is not afraid of being different. Matisyahu, live in Manila.
