Ozomatli
Ozomatli was formed in Los Angeles in 1995. Ozomatli have gone from being … Read Full Bio ↴Ozomatli was formed in Los Angeles in 1995. Ozomatli have gone from being hometown heroes to being named U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors.
Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world.
Their music — a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian ragga— has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A.
Originally formed to play at a Los Angeles labor protest, Ozomatli spent some of their early days participating in everything from earthquake prep “hip hop ghetto plays” at inner-city elementary schools to community activist events, protests, and city fundraisers. Ever since, theyhave been synonymous with their city: their music has been taken up by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Clippers, they recorded the street-viewtravelogue “City of Angels” as a new urban anthem, and they were featured as part of the prominent L.A. figures imaging campaign “We Are 4 L.A.” on NBC, and have the distinction of headlining the Hollywood Bowl three times in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
In recognition of their efforts towards Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles has officially declared April 23rd in perpetuity as “Ozomatli Day”. Ozomatli were also recipients of the Local Heroes Award by Los Angeles PBS station KCET-TV, recognizing the band’s longstanding accomplishments and community service throughout Southern California. On the national stage, the band were recognized for their service not just to Los Angeles but as global activists, receiving the National Council of LA Raza's Humanitarian Award, and performing twice for Barak Obama.
“This band could not have happened anywhere else but L.A.,” saxophonist and clarinetist Ulises Bella has said. “Man, the tension of it, the multiculturalism of it. L.A. is like, we’re bonded by bridges.”
Ozo is also a product of the city’s grassroots political scene. Proudly born as a multi-racial crew in post-uprising 90s Los Angeles, the band has built a formidable reputation over five full-length studio albums and a relentless touring schedule for taking party rocking so seriously that it becomes new school musical activism.
“Just being who we are and just doing what we’re doing with music at this time is very political,” says bassist Wil-Dog Abers. “The youth see us up there and recognize themselves. So in a playful, party-type of way, I think it’s real easy for this band to get dangerous. We are starting to realize just how big of a voice we actually have as a band and how important it is for us to use it.”
The band had long been a favorite of international audiences-playing everywhere from Japan to North Africa and Australia-and their music had always been internationalist in its scope, seamlessly blending and transforming traditions from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East (what other band could record a song once described as “Arabic jarocho dancehall”?), but that year they entered the global arena in a different way.
They were invited by the U.S. State Department to serve as official Cultural Ambassadors on a series of government-sponsored international tours to Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, tours that linked Ozomatli to atradition of cultural diplomacy that also includes the esteemed likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong.
In places like Tunisia, India, Jordan, and Nepal, Ozo didn’t just play rousing free public concerts, but offered musical workshops and master classes and visited arts centers, summer camps, youth rehabilitation centers, and even a Palestinian refugee camp. They listened to performances by local musicians and often joined in for impromptu jam sessions with student bands and communitymusicians. Most shows ended up with kids dancing on stage and their new collaborators sitting in for a tabla solo or a run on the slide guitar.
In the case of Nepal, the band’s trip was part of a celebration of the country’s newly ratified peace accord and they arrived with a direct message: “different instruments but one rhythm, together we can make a prosperous Nepal.” Their concert, which drew over 14,000 people, was a historic one - Ozo were the first Western band to do a concert in Nepal and the event was the country’s first peaceful mass gathering that was not a protest or religious ceremony.
Ozomatli traveled to Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand performing free concerts and extending humanitarian outreach, including HIV and AIDS care clinics, visits to schools for the blind and deaf, orphanages, Methadone clinics, and outreach programs to refugees and disadvantaged youth.
Ozomatli also journeyed to the earthquake zone in Dujiangyan, China – an area still ravaged by the devastating 7.9 temblor of May 12, 2008 - killing at least 68,000 people and injuring countless more. Ozo’s outreach in this area focused on extending the value of music education to children in orphanages, schools for migrant workers families, and schools for the handicapped.
Ozomatli were honored to help celebrate the Boston Pops 125th Anniversary, accompanied by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Since that first orchestral collaboration, they have gone on to perform Ozo classics live with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, the Colorado Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and the New York Pops.
Ozomatli made an appearance at TEDxSF – the first musical talk ever given at any TED conference - mixing discussion and sound to explore the challenges and promises of musical identities in a global age.
In addition to their substantial history licensing their music for film, tv and video games, the band has also gone on to compose and score, recently contributing music to Happy Feet 2 and Elmo's Musical Monsterpiece for Warner Brothers Interactive, SIMS for EA Games, music for PBS Kids, the films A Better Life and Harlistas, and for the TV Show Standup Revolution on Comedy Central.
Ozomatli has worked diligently to spread its message of peace, communication and understanding through music, with a longstanding tradition of performing for children all over the world, from the schools of North St. Louis to the orphanages of Southeast Asia. The band has also created “Ozokidz”, a special family friendly set geared towards performing for children and adults alike.
Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world.
Their music — a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian ragga— has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A.
Originally formed to play at a Los Angeles labor protest, Ozomatli spent some of their early days participating in everything from earthquake prep “hip hop ghetto plays” at inner-city elementary schools to community activist events, protests, and city fundraisers. Ever since, theyhave been synonymous with their city: their music has been taken up by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Clippers, they recorded the street-viewtravelogue “City of Angels” as a new urban anthem, and they were featured as part of the prominent L.A. figures imaging campaign “We Are 4 L.A.” on NBC, and have the distinction of headlining the Hollywood Bowl three times in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
In recognition of their efforts towards Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles has officially declared April 23rd in perpetuity as “Ozomatli Day”. Ozomatli were also recipients of the Local Heroes Award by Los Angeles PBS station KCET-TV, recognizing the band’s longstanding accomplishments and community service throughout Southern California. On the national stage, the band were recognized for their service not just to Los Angeles but as global activists, receiving the National Council of LA Raza's Humanitarian Award, and performing twice for Barak Obama.
“This band could not have happened anywhere else but L.A.,” saxophonist and clarinetist Ulises Bella has said. “Man, the tension of it, the multiculturalism of it. L.A. is like, we’re bonded by bridges.”
Ozo is also a product of the city’s grassroots political scene. Proudly born as a multi-racial crew in post-uprising 90s Los Angeles, the band has built a formidable reputation over five full-length studio albums and a relentless touring schedule for taking party rocking so seriously that it becomes new school musical activism.
“Just being who we are and just doing what we’re doing with music at this time is very political,” says bassist Wil-Dog Abers. “The youth see us up there and recognize themselves. So in a playful, party-type of way, I think it’s real easy for this band to get dangerous. We are starting to realize just how big of a voice we actually have as a band and how important it is for us to use it.”
The band had long been a favorite of international audiences-playing everywhere from Japan to North Africa and Australia-and their music had always been internationalist in its scope, seamlessly blending and transforming traditions from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East (what other band could record a song once described as “Arabic jarocho dancehall”?), but that year they entered the global arena in a different way.
They were invited by the U.S. State Department to serve as official Cultural Ambassadors on a series of government-sponsored international tours to Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, tours that linked Ozomatli to atradition of cultural diplomacy that also includes the esteemed likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong.
In places like Tunisia, India, Jordan, and Nepal, Ozo didn’t just play rousing free public concerts, but offered musical workshops and master classes and visited arts centers, summer camps, youth rehabilitation centers, and even a Palestinian refugee camp. They listened to performances by local musicians and often joined in for impromptu jam sessions with student bands and communitymusicians. Most shows ended up with kids dancing on stage and their new collaborators sitting in for a tabla solo or a run on the slide guitar.
In the case of Nepal, the band’s trip was part of a celebration of the country’s newly ratified peace accord and they arrived with a direct message: “different instruments but one rhythm, together we can make a prosperous Nepal.” Their concert, which drew over 14,000 people, was a historic one - Ozo were the first Western band to do a concert in Nepal and the event was the country’s first peaceful mass gathering that was not a protest or religious ceremony.
Ozomatli traveled to Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand performing free concerts and extending humanitarian outreach, including HIV and AIDS care clinics, visits to schools for the blind and deaf, orphanages, Methadone clinics, and outreach programs to refugees and disadvantaged youth.
Ozomatli also journeyed to the earthquake zone in Dujiangyan, China – an area still ravaged by the devastating 7.9 temblor of May 12, 2008 - killing at least 68,000 people and injuring countless more. Ozo’s outreach in this area focused on extending the value of music education to children in orphanages, schools for migrant workers families, and schools for the handicapped.
Ozomatli were honored to help celebrate the Boston Pops 125th Anniversary, accompanied by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Since that first orchestral collaboration, they have gone on to perform Ozo classics live with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, the Colorado Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and the New York Pops.
Ozomatli made an appearance at TEDxSF – the first musical talk ever given at any TED conference - mixing discussion and sound to explore the challenges and promises of musical identities in a global age.
In addition to their substantial history licensing their music for film, tv and video games, the band has also gone on to compose and score, recently contributing music to Happy Feet 2 and Elmo's Musical Monsterpiece for Warner Brothers Interactive, SIMS for EA Games, music for PBS Kids, the films A Better Life and Harlistas, and for the TV Show Standup Revolution on Comedy Central.
Ozomatli has worked diligently to spread its message of peace, communication and understanding through music, with a longstanding tradition of performing for children all over the world, from the schools of North St. Louis to the orphanages of Southeast Asia. The band has also created “Ozokidz”, a special family friendly set geared towards performing for children and adults alike.
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Ozomatli Lyrics
"Cut Chemist Suite" Tuna the smoke-jumper Packin' my oral cannon Bustin' from …
01 Can't Stop (Bom, bom, bom, ba-ba-ba-va-yom bom-bom-ba-yoh...) So you f…
02 City of Angels (Let me tell you a little something about L.A) (I love…
06 Magnolia Soul Let the good times roll, Bad times gone The suns gonna shine…
08 La Temperatura Sube la temperatura ardiente Oye compartimos mas que dividi…
1 Every night I'm dreaming Of a new and better world But I…
1 2 3 4 One, two, three, four One, two, three, four Out the gate I…
11 When I Close My Eyes Every night I'm dreaming Of a new and better world But I…
12 La Segunda Mano La Segunda Mano El sendero que viajamos Sin luz no puedo v…
1234 One, two, three, four One, two, three, four Out the gate I…
3.CUMBIA DE LOS MUERTOS Aqui no existe la tristeza solo existe la alegriaes el baile…
After Party I wonder if we'll ever find a party that lasts…
America I heard her story from across the sea, There was never…
America? I heard her story from across the sea, There was never…
April 29th 1992 "Disbelief turned to anger" April 29th, 1992 Riot in LA …
Aqu# No Ser# Desde las malvinas hasta la Mision ambos medisanos en lucha …
Bad Moon Rising I see a bad moon rising. I see trouble on the…
Believe Cada-cada día yo veo la destrucción, Cada-cada día yo veo la…
Brighter Some say we're heading for Oblivion Falling backwards down t…
Can't Stop (Bom, bom, bom, ba-ba-ba-va-yom bom-bom-ba-yoh...) So you f…
Chang El otro dia yo vi un hombre un hombre feo, parece…
Changito El otro dia, yo vi a un hombre, un hombre…
Chango El otro dia yo vi un hombre un hombre feo, parece…
Chota CORO- Cuidado, ahi viene la placa, la jara, cuidado, ahi vi…
City Of Angels (Let me tell you a little something about L.A) (I love…
Coming Up Aqui no existe la tristeza solo existe la alegriaes el baile…
Coming War [Chorus: ] We see a coming war We see a coming war Now... C…
Como Ves Como ves, como ves la historia no es como crees Como ves,…
Creo Chorus: Hey Hey Creo, Creo Cuando Lo Veo (Repeat) Jabu: …
Cuando Canto Cuando canto mi cancion, quiero inspirar mi gente con una…
Cumbia Aqui no existe la tristeza solo existe la alegriaes el baile…
Cumbia De Los M Aqui no existe la tristeza solo existe la alegriaes el bai…
Cumbia De Los Muertos Aqui no existe la tristeza solo existe la alegriaes el baile…
Cut Chemist Suite Oh yeah, party people Here we go Party people, rocks the ho…
Dejame En Paz Cuando yo regreso a mi casa La gente me preguntan donde…
Don't Mess With The Dragon Don't mess with the dragon Don't mess with the dragon Don't …
donde se feron Donde se fueron, por donde se iran Donde se fueron, por…
Dos Cosas Ciertas En la vida hay dos cosas ciertas Son la muerte why…
El Jardinero Jardinero en esta vida Cada día sin alternativa Jornalero so…
Embrace The Chaos Embrace the chaos C'mon and embrace the chaos We like to emb…
Esa Morena Esa morena si te quiere, esa morena si te adora Su…
Eva Eva quita tus brazos, Eva quita tus manos Quiero decir que…
Guerrillero Turn this one up! [repeat 2X] Soy guerrillero Quiero regres…
Here We Go Here we go, here we go, here we go, go,…
La Gallina "Levantaté , levantaté Suelta la gallina y liberate Con Ozom…
La Misma Canci Mi madre why mi padre son de la tierra todos que…
La Misma Canci Mi madre why mi padre son de la tierra todos que…
La Segunda Mana La Segunda Mano El sendero que viajamos Sin luz no puedo ver…
La Segunda Mano La Segunda Mano El sendero que viajamos Sin luz no puedo v…
La Temperatura Sube la temperatura ardiente Oye compartimos mas que divi…
La Viene El Sol ozomatli ozomatli its time for revelution Mira ya vie…
Let Me Dream Woke up late today Turn on the TV I don't like what…
Lo Que Dice Ese habla como yo why habla muy lindo why no es cierto…
Love And Hope A child looks up into my eyes, nothing to say.…
Magnolia Soul Let the good times roll, Bad times gone The suns gonna shine…
Mi Alma Mi Alma, que piensas en tus suenos Mi Alma, que piensas…
Mi Gente Sufro, siento, río, lloro Callo, grito, con toda mi gente Su…
Moose On The Loose Yeehoo (yep, yep, yep) Alright (okay) Here we go Okay, pict…
Nadas Por Free So check my status aka Señor Bad Ass The heavyweight in…
Nadie Te Tira Siempre cuando yo te vello caminando por la calle Siempre di…
O Le Le I'm comin for ya I'm in the cut Creepin' up Now I'm on…
O Le Le feat. Chali 2na I'm comin for ya I'm in the cut Creepin' up Now I'm on…
oh le le I'm comin for ya I'm in the cut Creepin' up Now I'm on…
P?Lante Ay, ay No lloren mas, no dejen que les Envuelva la oscuridad…
Pa' Lante Ay, ay No lloren mas, No dejen que les envuelva la oscuridad…
Pensando En Mi Vida Siempre pensando de mi buen estar No sufro de las cosas…
Place In The Sun Find your place in the sun Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,…
Santiago Santiago de Aztlan Pienso que eres Superman En el sangre del…
Saturday Night [Chorus] Dip, dive, socialize Get ready for the Saturday nig…
Street Signs Oye! Chico! Tirate! Que Tirate! Oye! Chica! Tirate! Que Tir…
Sube la Temperatura Sube la temperatura ardiente Oye compartimos mas que divi…
Suenos En Realidad Todos que convierten suenos en realidad Su lucha triumfara S…
Super Bowl Sundae We be the untraditional, metaphorically medicinal Tunafishyp…
Super Bowl Sunday We be the untraditional, metaphorically medicinal Tunafishy…
Te Estoy Buscando Te estoy buscando Te estoy buscando, oh, oh, oh Te estoy bus…
Timido Sacala, que ya viene, esa nena, nena linda.. Sacala, que ya…
Violeta En un desierto lejos de ti, me confesé Que todo lo…
Vocal Artillery You punkasses you's a harlot Scarlet, Like Hester Prim my…
When I Close My Eyes Every night I'm dreaming Of a new and better world But I…
Who's To Blame Whoâ??s to blame? Whoâ??s the one who sparked the flame? Th…
Ya Viene El Sol ozomatli ozomatli its time for revelution Mira ya viene el…
Ya Viene Els Sol ozomatli ozomatli its time for revelution Mira ya vie…
¿Dónde Se Fueron Donde se fueron, por donde se iran Donde se fueron, por…
¿Donde Se Fueron? Donde se fueron , por donde se iran Donde se fueron…