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Israeli Rapper Takes U.S.
Subliminal kicks off tour, kicks up controversy
(Rolling Stone)

Israeli Hip Hop Takes US
Hadag Nahash overcome tragedy and captivate America
(Rolling Stone)

Where Activists Go For Worldly Flavors
Founded after the 1991 Gulf War, the "Peace Cafe" specializes in mouth-watering Nuevo Latino cuisine but also serves as a gathering place for local activists.
(Boston Globe)

GOOD TASTE - Glida Mastik
Iraqi ice cream brings traditional flavor to Ramat Gan
(The Jerusalem Report)

Creating Artopia
Business owners, artists paint new future for area around Ashby BART
(San Francisco Chronicle)

Berkeley Free Spirits Harmonize:
Playing old-time rag in the tradition of hoboes
(San Francisco Chronicle)

The Sick Preaches Spiritual Recovery -- the Punk Rock Way
Local band gives recovery a soundtrack
(San Francisco Chronicle)

Music group brings Israeli multiculturalism to Bay Area
An Israeli musical ensemble, the Idan Raichel Project, is touring the United States to celebrate Black History Month.
(San Francisco Chronicle)

Guitarist blends rock, jazz, blues -- and mix of band mates
Shelley Doty plays rock with a jazz attitude, defying the cookie-cutter music industry.
(San Francisco Chronicle)

Berkeley: Creative Energy Finds a Home in the 'Hood
(San Francisco Chronicle)

Progressive Poetry, in the Form of Hebrew Hip Hop
Hadag Nahash brings progressive Israeli hip hop to the Bay Area
(San Francisco Chronicle)

Matisyahu Keeps the Faith
Rising reggae star stays true to his Hasidic roots
(Rolling Stone)

Live at Stubb's, released today, sounds like the work of a Jamaican reggae star, so listeners may be surprised to discover that its creator is from Brooklyn . . . and that he's a Hasidic Jew -- replete with the signature black coat and hat and beard.

Matisyahu (born Matthew Miller) became a fervent reggae fan as a rebellious teen. "I would meditate on the concepts that Bob Marley would sing about," he recalls. "He was a person who was going against the stream. I would listen to his lyrics and relate them to my own life, my own searching."

He was particularly inspired by Marley's "Rastaman Live Up," which features the couplet "Grow your dreadlocks/Don't be afraid of the wolf pack/Keep your culture/Don't be afraid of the vulture." "At first I thought that meant that culture is dreadlocks, culture is black -- that's what's right and cool. But then I realized he was really saying, 'Figure out your roots, and be true to them.'" (full article)

 

First published in Rolling Stone, April 19, 2005. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be used without the author's permission.

 

Anthology
The Flying Camel
Seal Press, 2003

Seventeen first-person stories bridge divisions between Arab and Jew, East and West, and navigate through tensions between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

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order your copy here

 

Adventure
Consequence
Pearl In A Million Press, 2001

True story pushes the boundaries of response to street harassment, offering a breathtaking ride over the edges of female socialization.

more about Consequence