Spanish Reggae Fest Invites Matisyahu Back After Gov't Condemnation

Source: RollingStone

Spain's foreign ministry has criticized Benicàssim's Rototom Sunsplash after the reggae festival kicked Matisyahu off their bill for refusing to declare his support for Palestine. "Imposing a public declaration [from Matisyahu] puts into question the principles of non-discrimination on which all plural and diverse societies are based," Spanish foreign ministry officials said in a statement Tuesday, adding that Rototom's actions on behalf of the BDS movement were "anti-Semitic."

However, on Wednesday, Rototom organizers issued a statement admitting that they had made a "mistake" and offered Matisyahu his August 22nd slot back. "Rototom Sunsplash rejects anti-Semitism and any form of discrimination towards the Jewish community; we respect both their culture as religious beliefs and we sincerely apologize for what has occurred," the statement read. "Rototom Sunsplash would like to publicly apologize to Matisyahu for having canceled his concert and invite him to perform at the festival next Saturday 22 August, as was initially programmed in the lineup."

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Following pressure from the pro-Palestine BDS movement, Rototom organizers attempted to "coerce" the Jewish-American singer into making statements in support of "the right of the Palestinian people to have their own state." When Matisyahu refused, he was removed from the festival's lineup and had his August 22nd performance canceled for failure to speak "on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to pacify the BDS people," the fest said.

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"I support peace and compassion for all people," Matisyahu told Rolling Stone after the singer was removed from the Rototom lineup. "My music speaks for itself, and I do not insert politics into my music. Music has the power to transcend the intellect, ideas and politics, and it can unite people in the process. The festival kept insisting that I clarify my personal views, which felt like clear pressure to agree with the BDS political agenda. Honestly it was appalling and offensive, that as the one publicly Jewish-American artist scheduled for the festival, they were trying to coerce me into political statements."







Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/spanish-reggae-fest-invites-matisyahu-back-after-govt-condemnation-20150819