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Ozomatli

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Ozomatli

Ozomatli is a multiethnic nine piece band, playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their extremely vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, and others.

History

Ozomatli take their name from the Nahuatl word for the Aztec astrological symbol of the monkey, which is also a god of dance, fire, the new harvest, and music.

Ozomatli, Ozomatli, 1998.

The members of the band met through their affiliation with the Peace and Justice Center of Los Angeles, and their first performance was for picketers during a strike. They began their career in the Los Angeles and San Diego/Mexico border-area club scene. Following an appearance in Vibe magazine, the group broke into the mainstream, releasing Ozomatli, their self-titled debut album, in June 1998 under the Almo Sounds label.

Ozomatli's second album, Embrace the Chaos, was released on the inauspicious date of September 11 2001. Although many American bands cancelled their concerts, Ozomatli gained some recognition for continuing to play their concerts,[citation needed] all the while continuing their commitment to social justice and progressive politics, in addition to the rising anti-war movement. Afterwards, the band made a further commitment to a new direction in music, embracing North African and Arab musical styles in addition to their own.

The musical styles of many cultures are blended on 2004's Street Signs, with vocals mentioning the Yakuza crossing paths with gnawa trance; or Moroccan sintir virtuoso Hassan Hakmoun, joining the band along with Les Yeux Noirs and the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Also accompanying are David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Mario Calire of The Wallflowers. The salsa pioneer Eddie Palmieri, who is on the Concord Jazz label, is a featured performer on Street Signs. In 2005, Street Signs won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.

In late 2006 DJ Spinobi left the band to pursue personal projects, and to date has not been replaced.

April 3, 2007 saw the release of their 4th studio album Don't Mess With The Dragon which was co-produced by KC Porter.

In a 2007 NPR interview, band members Jiro Yamaguchi and Ulises Bella describe Ozomatli:

You drive down Sunset Boulevard and turn off your stereo and roll down your windows and all the music that comes out of each and every different car, whether it's salsa, cumbia, merengue, or hip hop, funk or whatever, it's that crazy blend that's going on between that cacophony of sound is Ozomatli, y'know?[1]

Notable performances

Carlos Santana offered the band one of their early breaks as his opening act during his 1998 tour to promote Supernatural.

During the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, Ozomatli played a live concert before thousands of protestors across the street from the Staples Center. Also performing at the protest was Rage Against the Machine.

The group also received the 2002 Grammy Award for 'Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album'. After playing at Coachella, Ozomatli were featured in Newsweek and on the Univision program Despierta America in June 2004.

Ozomatli has performed three times at the Austin, Texas mega music festival South by Southwest, most recently in 2007. In 2004 the group was confronted while performing outside of a club where they would later have a concert. Two members of the band, as well as the manager, were arrested, and the charges were eventually dropped.

Austin City Limits featured the band on the November 13th, 2004 episode preceded by The Polyphonic Spree. [1]

In January 2005, Ozomatli was the opening band of Jamcruise 3. The band made several other scheduled - and impromptu - performances during the four-day cruise.

In March 2005, Ozomatli played at WOMAdelaide, a world music festival in Adelaide, South Australia. After refusing to leave the stage 15 minutes late during one of their two night sets, they leaped into the crowd for a 45 minute encore.

The 2006-09-25 episode of the Showtime comedy/drama Weeds featured the show’s opening theme music—Little Boxes, written by Malvina Reynolds—performed by Ozomatli. The second season of Weeds has featured a different performer and musical genre each week for its theme song.

On June 14, 2007 Ozomatli performed at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, CA for the Apple WWDC Bash.

Members

Ozomatli's lineup as of the release of Don't Mess With The Dragon:

Past members

Discography

Collaborations

References

  1. ^ Ozomatli's Diverse Music Gets Personal, Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR. May 19, 2007.


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