Ozomatli Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Although they won a Grammy for their previous studio album, 2004's Street Signs, the ten-piece multicultural music collective known as Ozomatli have always been first and foremost a live act, and experiencing the group's explosive, energetic stage show, which mixes salsa, punk, reggae, funk, hip-hop, and touches of jazz into a barrio gumbo block party with leftist leanings, is like watching a renegade Gypsy street circus come to life, complete with massive percussion and massed horns. At last, perhaps to honor their tenth anniversary, Ozomatli have released a ten-track live set recorded at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco in late 2004, along with an accompanying DVD of the concert that adds additional songs plus backstage footage and interviews. The CD features versions of the undeniably funky "Saturday Night," the lovely "Believe," and the poignant "(Who Discovered) America?," all from Street Signs, as well as earlier Ozomatli gems like the racing, jittery "Como Ves," but it is the visual representation of the show on the DVD that really shows the full force of this incredible group, which has built a new template for what an American band can be in the 21st century. Passionate, diverse, fiercely independent, and ardently political, Ozomatli have an ace in the hole: they're one of the best dance bands in recent memory. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Los Angeles-based Ozomatli are a new kind of American band, a band reflecting the multiracial and multicultural One World demographics of the 21st century. Drawing on musical sources as diverse as salsa, hip-hop, rock, jazz, funk, Tejano, and reggae, Ozomatli appear to be trying to be all things to all people, but amazingly, they pull it off more times than they don't, and even when their increasingly inclusive experiments fall short, they still manage to offer up new creative possibilities. With the release of Street Signs you can add Middle Eastern music to the mix, and once again, the sheer number of ingredients they manage to pack into their sound is impressive, beginning with "Believe," the album opener, which should be all over pop radio with its full, deep, and anthemic sound (that it isn't all over the radio says a lot more about the current state of radio than it does Ozomatli). "Te Estou Buscando" and "Saturday Night" are also impressive, but the real highlight here is the appearance of legendary jazz and salsa pianist Eddie Palmieri on two tracks, the brief and lovely "Dona Isabelle" and "Nadie Te Tira," a blast of horn-drenched salsa that underscores an obvious point about Ozomatli: aside from their considerable cultural, political, and musical import, this is one hell of a dance band. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Embrace the Chaos'
Release Date 9/11/2001
Tracks 11
Label Interscope
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Not many people heard Ozomatli's 1998 debut, but those who did loved its fearless blend of hip-hop, Latin rhythms, jazz, and rock. There was a long wait between that record and its 2001 successor, Embrace the Chaos, and while that prolonged gestation period may have not resulted in a radical new direction for the collective, it did give them time to grow. They're still working from the same basic template, but their results are richer and fuller than before, as their various influences come together seamlessly. In other words, they sound more themselves then ever, and while that still might bring them to a larger audience, those who do bother to seek this out -- especially those who find classic Latin jazz as intoxicating as alternative hip-hop -- will find this to be a thoroughly engaging, distinctive listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Like many late '90s outfits, the Los Angeles-based Ozomatli is an eclectic conglomeration, fusing a wild variety of music. At its core, the group is a dance band, blending funk, hip-hop, Latin rhythms, jazz, salsa, reggae, Tejano, and worldbeat into its sound. It's a busy, heady mix and occasionally there's simply too much going on in the mix for it to be easy to digest. Nevertheless, it's easy to admire a group that challenges the listeners, and Ozomatli certainly do that with their eponymous debut album. Not only is the music dense and exciting, but the lyrics are politically charged and daring, adding substance to the infectious music. The result is an album that is both entertaining and rewarding -- not a bad achievement for a debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
