Given the role that religion’s played in so much of our high culture, Michael Gove worries about the lack of it in popular culture:
[O]ver the past 150 years the relationship between religion and culture has become more fraught. The number of artists who either proclaim, or even acknowledge, a religious inspiration in their work has diminished. There are some musicians working in a classical tradition — such as John Tavener, Arvo Pärt and Henri Gorecki — who are explicitly religious and widely admired. But most contemporary artists either ignore the claims of faith or — in the case of artists such as Gilbert and George, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst — deliberately mock and parody religion.
Which is why I found myself warming to Matisyahu Miller. The world’s leading — and, so far as I know, only — Hasidic reggae and hip-hop artist, Matisyahu combines the style of Bob Marley with the content you would expect from a rabbinical teach-in. Matisyahu is currently riding high in the American music charts.
And given that the last pop record I can think of to combine an explicitly religious message with commercial success was Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine, I admired not only Matisyahu’s bravery in proudly proclaiming his faith, but also the passion that he brought to his performance.
Of course, there have been some commercially successful contemporary musicians who have alluded, either in their work or in interviews, to their faith. From the Proclaimers (in Sunshine on Leith) to the rapper Kanye West, there have been occasional references to belief from a variety of artists. But, Matisyahu aside, I cannot think of a significant contemporary music star — apart from, possibly , the soul singer Beverley Knight — whose faith is anywhere near as central to their work as Tavener’s, Pärt’s and Gorecki’s.
Perhaps readers can tell me if I am missing someone big. It certainly feels, looking back on centuries of religiously inspired art, as though our modern culture is missing something big.
Somehow it doesn’t strike me as a major problem: there’s nowt wrong with a bit of secular culture. Let’s mention Shakespeare just for starters. But of course religion has played a huge part in popular culture as well as high culture: black American music – which lies at the heart of current contemporary music – owes everything to gospel music.
And then there’s reggae. It didn’t seem so odd at the time, but it definitely does looking back: the way in the late 70s that rastas, punks, and all shades in between used to get down to the heavy religious imagery coming at you straight from Kingston Jamaica:
“King of Kings,
Lord of Lords,
Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah,
Elect of God, Everlivin’ God,
Earth’s rightful ruler….”
Strange times.
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