Ozomatli (CA)
You can tell something about a band by how connected they are to where they come from. For Ozomatli, having originated in East Los Angeles, the city and its elements are firmly at the band’s core. East LA, likewise, shares a mutual admiration for the band, as evidenced by the band’s partnerships with the Los Angeles Dodgers and, perhaps more impressively, the Los Angeles City Council’s proclamation of every April 23rd as “Ozomatli Day.”
Reaching far beyond the city limits, though, the band has collaborated with the Boston and New York Pops Orchestras, and they were the first band to be asked to give a musical talk at the TED Conference in San Francisco.
When they were formed, bursting on the stage in 1998, Ozomatli symbolized an emerging, multicultural Los Angeles. Over the years they have become the ultimate jam band, pulling together the strands of creativity into a unique rhythmic machine.
The multi-genre, multi-talented Ozomatli comes full circle with the release of Place in the Sun, their new album that dropped on March 11, 2014. The album, which features collaborations with legendary rocker Dave Stewart (ex-Eurythmics) and Xandy Barry of WAX Ltd., Place in the Sun is Ozomatli’s testament to the struggles, determination, and joy one finds in searching – and ultimately finding – your true calling.
After nearly twenty years of working together, touring on every continent, performing before hundreds of thousands, earning international acclaim, and winning multiple Grammys along the way – Ozomatli have earned their right to shine. Both their new recording and their live shows are a strong and positive statement from a group of maturing musicians who have firmly placed their imprint onto an ever-changing music scene.