ERIC KRASNO & FRIENDS - CIMAFUNK - MATISYAHU

Like only the most gifted storytellers, Matisyahu spins the rare kind of stories that simultaneously enlighten and enthrall and expand the audience’s sense of possibility. On his eponymous new album, the Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter/rapper shares his most autobiographical work to date, merging that personal revelation with a shapeshifting collision of reggae and hip-hop and boldly inventive pop. Produced by Salt Cathedral (a Brooklyn-based duo comprised of Colombian musicians Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada), the result is an undeniably transformative album, one that invites both intense introspection and unbridled celebration. “Throughout my life so much of my music has come from struggling with a sort of existential loneliness, even though a lot of the music is very joyful,” says Matisyahu. “I ended up in a place where I’ve found the person who’s my soulmate and made a beautiful life with her, and that’s the place where this record was born.” The seventh studio album from the New York artist, Matisyahu arrives as the latest achievement in an extraordinary career that’s included landing a #1 hit on alternative rock radio (with his Billboard Hot 100-charting breakthrough single “King Without a Crown”), collaborating with the likes of reggae legends Sly and Robbie, and amassing a global following largely on the strength of his transcendent live show. In bringing the album to life, Ronderos and Losada joined Matisyahu at his former home on the Hudson River in Nyack, where the three musicians soon immersed themselves in an unfettered and improvisation-fueled creative process. “Working with Juli was the first time I’ve ever had a female producer, and it influenced the record in an amazing way,” says Matisyahu, who first collaborated with Salt Cathedral on his 2016 EP Release the Bound. “I felt free to bring more sensitivity or sensuality to my vocals, and really explore the subtleties of my voice.” Rooted in a lushly detailed yet minimalist sound, Matisyahu sheds light on the shadowy complexities of his psyche while endlessly radiating a euphoric energy. On the album’s dancehall-infused lead single “Chameleon,” for instance, he presents a potent piece of self-reflection spiked with equal parts idiosyncratic wordplay and warmly expressed wisdom (“Turn an evil eye inverted to let the light in/Illuminate the evil till dem heart get sizzlin’”). “There are some people who are like a rock, who never change, but I’ve always been able to shed my skin to fit with whatever I wanted to be part of,” says Matisyahu of the song’s origins. In a perfect counterpart to its kaleidoscopic rhythms and otherworldly textures, “Chameleon” also features a spellbinding guest verse from Ronderos, who adds her own rapturous perspective.

Cimafunk is a Grammy-nominated, Afro-Cuban Rockstar. His name refers to his heritage as a “cimarrón,” Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to the essence of his music that aims to subvert classical Cuban rhythms with innovative mixes of funk, afrobeat and hip hop. Cimafunk has received overwhelming praise touring the U.S. and Europe, making a name for himself as one of today’s great showman, performing an electric live show with La Tribu, his 9-person band from Havana. His live show is a celebration of groove and an unforgettable sonic and bodily experience. Cimafunk is redefining contemporary Cuban music as well as Afro-Latin identity and the fusion of black cultures. His latest album, El Alimento, was nominated at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.

Soulive and Lettuce co-founder, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning songwriter-produce Eric Krasno continues to evolve with each record, project, and performance. Something of a musical journeyman, his extensive catalog comprises three solo albums, four Lettuce albums, twelve Soulive albums, and production and/or songwriting for Norah Jones, Robert Randolph, Pretty Lights, Talib Kweli, 50 Cent, Aaron Neville, and Allen Stone. As a dynamic performer, he’s shared stages with Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, and The Roots. Out of seven nominations, he picked up two GRAMMY® Awards for his role as a songwriter and guitarist on Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Revelator and guitarist on Derek Trucks Band’ Already Free. In 2019, he served up Telescope under the KRAZ moniker. The cinematic concept album earned widespread acclaim from the likes of Relix and Salon who hailed it as “a timely New York story.” On his 2021 fourth full-length solo offering Always, he defines himself as not only an artist, but also as a husband, father, and man across these ten tracks with inimitable instrumentation, eloquent songcraft, and raw honesty.