Ozomatli
will be performing at NOT IN OUR
NAME: ARTSPEAKS AGAINST THE WAR,
May 12, 2002, Palace Theater, LA.
Congratulations
to Ozomatli for winning this years' Grammy in the 'Best Latin
Rock/Alternative' category
OZOMATLI
Ozomatli:
Music for the Revolution
Julie Acosta, WireTap (from Alternet.org) November
13, 2001
Go
to Alternet.org for this story http://www.alternet.org
You're
at your first Ozomatli show, and you don't know what to expect.
The place gets darker, and a spotlight splashes onto the stage.
It rests there for about five minutes, and still no band. The
first tinge of impatience bites at your psyche. Finally, you hear
a trumpet call, followed by the big sound of the bass drum. Your
eyes scan the stage. You hope to catch a glimpse of where the
music is coming from. Then you realize it's coming from the audience.
You turn around to see eight guys coming toward you, armed with
cowbells, drums, horns, and a whistle. Suddenly, your whole body
is smiling, and you join the line of fans following the band as
it snakes its way onto the stage.
Putting
on a great show is why Ozomatli is famous, but conscious lyrics
are what make them important. A band born out of political protest,
they continue to represent the underrepresented with powerful
words and a "latinoangeles" sound.
Ozomatli's
music is whatever you want it to be. For some, it's guerilla music,
joyfully battling the hand of oppression. For others, it is a
fierce samba line, and one of the greatest musical collaborations
to come along in years.
Ozomatli's
music is like mom's old salsa albums mixed with today's conscious
hip-hop. "Funk-salsa-hip-hop" is one common phrase used to describe
it, but many tend to agree that it transcends traditional genres.
Wil-Dog
Abers, founder of the group, wouldn't have it any other way. "It's
not like we're doing anything that hasn't ever been done." says
the modest bass player. "Who we are and how we mix it is what's
new."
Ozomatli
embraces the chaos of the machine without raging against it. Instead,
they rally the people through subtle statements straight from
the heart. And they offer a politically-charged live show that
doesn't include moshing or hostility. Their lyrics are food for
the conscience, wake-up calls for the children of these tumultuous
times.
When
they played at the Fillmore in San Francisco in November, Wil-Dog
dedicated song after song to Afghan refugees. "Ozomatli believes
all lives are sacred," he softly told the audience, "not just
those in this country."
All
the members of Ozomatli are extremely talented. Most play two
or three instruments. Wil-Dog, who used to play in Macy Gray's
band, plays electric bass, upright bass, and guitar.Raul Pacheco
plays electric, classical, tres and Iarana guitar. Ulises Bella
is the band's most multi-talented addition, on tenor and baritone
sax, piano, requinto harucho, guitar, bass, and (whew!) clarinet.
Other members include Asdru Sierra, the lead vocalist who plays
trumpet and writes songs; Jiro Yamaguchi percussionist; Justin
Poree, percussionist and moonlighting M.C.; and Andy Mendoza on
the drums. Rapper Chali 2na and D.J. Cut Chemist of the Jurassic
5 also play with the band.
Their
newest album, "Embrace the Chaos" features M.C.'s Common, Medusa,
and De La Soul. Steve Berlin of Chicano band Los Lobos, produced
four tracks on the album, which were all recorded live and executed
in one week, a feat the band is proud of.
Guerilleros
de la Musica
Six
years ago, Wil-Dog and his co-workers went on strike to get a
former L.A. Emergency Response Unit headquarters turned into a
community center. Then an employee with the Los Angeles Conservation
Corps, he and his co-workers protested poor working conditions
and the firing of a community leader. They staged a sit-in on
March 12, 1995, and friends were called in to form a protest band.
The protest was successful, and from it Ozomatli emerged. The
building is now The Peace and Justice Center.
The
band, named after the Aztec god of dance, began playing for free
in fundraisers for everything from the Zapatistas to the Battered
Women's Society. They continue to see their music as part of a
larger movement for social justice. Their official website is
filled with links to progressive organizations like Refuse and
Resist!, Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal, Women in Prison and United
Farm Workers.
Ozomatli
was thrown into the limelight on Aug 8, 2000, when the band played
an impromptu concert in protest of the Democratic Convention.
The band is part of the Artist's Network, the organization that
held the protest in front of the Staples Center in downtown Los
Angeles. Over 10,000 people attended the concert, which also included
Rage Against The Machine and Al Borde.
Band
member Raul Pacheco says he couldn't believe how controlled the
protest was. "We had to make a record of every piece of equipment
we had. Getting into the area was crazy, I've never seen so many
police."
"They said we had until 9:00, but at 8:00 they shut it down,"
he continued. "For the families with kids, all the barricades
made it hard to get out fast, and the riot police starting shooting
into the crowd. It's ironic that when Clinton was giving his speech
about the successes of the Democratic Party, the police were chasing
us all around downtown L.A."
The
title song on "Embrace the Chaos" opens up with soundbites from
the turbulent end of the Convention protest. The song, in which
Rapper Common Sense collaborates with the band, is also the most
introspective and timely track on the album. A soldier in the
conscious hip-hop movement, Common is notorious for telling it
like it is, and this song is no exception; "I say revolution,
but ego come/ Yes he came/ In a way/ That may seem strange/ Only
through chaos will we ever see change."
When
asked if the band is worried about the possible limitations on
freedom of speech due to the state of the nation and the recent
anti-terrorism bill, Wil-Dog says that he does find it frightening,
but stresses that the band has an obligation to represent their
audience.
"If
you have knowledge of something and you feel that it's right,"
he adds, "you have a responsibility to tell others about it.
"There's
one thing we in Ozomatli all agree on, and it's that the killing
of innocent lives is wrong, and that is why we are encouraging
people to attend anti-war demonstrations."
Jiro
Yamaguchi, percussionist for the band, says what worries him is
that legislation like the anti-terrorism bill moves through the
system so easily. He is concerned that young people are not all
aware of how they will be impacted by the shifts in privacy rules.
"Unless you're really reading the paper, you probably won't know
that these things are happening," says Jiro, "and people are left
with little or no recourse."
The
group feels it is essential that activists and organizers work
together right now, whether they are focusing on race issues,
workers rights, women's rights, or just basic human rights. They
continue to be the voice for the barrio, but more importantly,
a voice for the revolution.
So
does Ozomatli think the revolution is here? "It is if you lead
it," says Ulises.
"There
are a lot of different causes out there," says Raul, an articulate
speaker even with a mouthful of chips, "and in order to move forward
we all need to find points of connection." The important thing,
Ozomatli seems to stress is that social justice work doesn't have
to be all work and no play. Through their music, like their name
implies, they want people to not only stand up and start their
own revolutions, but to dance while they're doing it.
Julie
Acosta is student at San Francisco State and a contributor to
WireTap.
(excerpt
from Ozomatli's website):
Ozomatli represents LA's cultural diversity and political struggles,
and through their music, a global message of unity.
In
the Aztec language, Ozomatli translates as monkey. This monkey
personifies dance, passion, and is the orchestrator of the sounds
of the jungle. The Urban Jungle of our lives. Through this quest
for dance and passion, Ozomatli take music to a different level.
Undefinable
by current music categories, this eclectic hybrid of sound is
usually defined by it's members as 'The people's music'. Inclusion
not exclusion is the bands philosophy-breaking down the barriers
between audiences and performer. The unique blend of musical traditions
from around the world combined with the raw groove of the freshest
sounds has earned the band the devotion of countless fans and
the respect of many artists.
Since
the musical collective of Ozomatli formed five years ago, they
continue to play everything from grass roots benefit shows to
50,000 seat stadiums, from LA to Cuba, and Australia to Europe.
Overseas tours have been met with an overwhelmingly positive response,
accompanied by pleas to return, but OZO still have their roots
firmly planted in Southern California.
Contributing
to the community has always been a very important facet of Ozomatli's
philosophy...giving time and performances to inner city high schools
and colleges, and bringing the party to political benefits of
all kinds. This summer, OZO will be taking their vibe to the streets
of Europe, Japan and the U.S. before going to the studio to record
their second album. Fans who have been eagerly awaiting this release
can expect more OZO magic before the summer of 2001.
Ozomatli jamming with members of Dilated Peoples, and Boots from
The Coup
at Artspeaks! Concert in LA - January 2001
The fans say:
"Fire, everytime they hit the stage with fire. Those kids love
what they do!!!"
"I've
seen them in clubs and in stadiums and whether I'm high or not,
they take me to another world."
"It's
kinda funny because mom likes 'em. I've never been into a band
my mom likes."
"OZOMATLI???
They're the dope shit, the real shit, I'm down with those fools,
they bring us all together."
check out Ozomatli's website
