Ozomatli
NewMusicforOldFolks says …
I have a friend who asks to hear more of Ozomatli by requesting "some more of that crazy Mexican rap music." The singing is mostly, but not exclusively, in Spanish and the rapping is in English, but it's the music vibe and political message makes this band special. A multi-racial group from East Los Angeles, Ozomatli defies categorization. The first three full albums and the EP Coming Up are spectacular and the live CD/DVD combination captures the energy of an Ozomatli performance. Things change a little after that becoming more pop oriented. I'd start at the beginning.
Artist's info
Website: ozomatli.com
See them live: Tour dates
Record company: Vangard Records
Genre: All of them and none of them
If you like this, look into: There really is nothing else like Ozomatli
Bio (From the artist's website)
Bursting onto the L.A. stage with their first eponymously titled album in June 1998, Ozomatli capitalized on being the talk of the live music scene, particularly their show-stopping gigs at venues such as Dragonfly, Opium Den and The Viper Room. By 1999, they were touring with Carlos Santana and soon won the Grammy for "Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album" for 2001’s Embrace The Chaos. They repeated history in 2004 by winning again in the same category for their album Street Signs, which also picked up the Latin Grammy for "Mejor Album de Musica Alternativa" in 2005. Ozomatli also recently became the first band to be asked to speak at the TED Conference, sharing their ideas about music and identities in the global age. In the band's nearly twenty years together, they have toured internationally, collaborated with the Boston and New York Pops orchestras, and served as Cultural Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department.
Spotify Sampler
Recordings
Most Recent
PLACE IN THE SUN (2014): For Ozomatli's sixth studio album, 2014's Place in the Sun (seventh if you count their giddy 2012 children's pop album, Ozokidz), the Los Angeles rock, rap, reggae, and Latin ensemble decided to work exclusively with longtime engineer and producer Robert Carranza. Carranza, who began his career in the '90s (just around the time Ozomatli were getting together), had worked with the band on and off since 2001's Embrace the Chaos. Still a virtual unknown during their first collaboration, Carranza developed over the years into an in-demand studio guide, garnering credits with such diverse acts as Jack Johnson, Los Lobos, Supergrass, and others.
OTHERS
Ozomatli (1998)
Embrace the Chaos (2001)
Coming Up (2003)
Street Signs (2004)
Live at the Fillmore (2005)
Don't Mess with the Dragon (2007)
Fire Away (2010)
Ozomatli Presents Ozokidz (2012)
