Matisyahu cuts a striking figure.

[KiwiCoromandel]

You'd think he'd be used to it by now, but US Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu was taken aback by the reaction in Portugal recently.

Although afforded a near-messianic reception by fans at his shows, a 6' 5" Jewish singer-rapper in traditional Hasidic garb of black suit, white shirt, long beard and black hat - the same uniform he wears on stage each night - is still something of a novelty in Lisbon.

"We had a tremendous turnout at our concert for our first time there," he says, while between concerts in London, "but when I walked down the street, I got two reactions. People either recognised me, because there's no one else in Portugal who looks anything like me, or they think an alien just walked off the spaceship and is walking down the street. They kind of got freaked out. When I'm in Europe, England, Spain or Portugal, it's so in-your-face! You really begin to realise why Jews started cutting their beards and not wearing their yarmulkes. You stand out, and you know what it feels like to be a minority, because you get people looking at you and feeling that you're strange."

Described by Rolling Stone magazine as "the strangest thing to climb the Billboard charts this year", Matisyahu cuts a striking figure, and his unusual look has piqued the curiosity of many music fans.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/gig-reviews/mat...2988459530.html