With fall quarter all but wrapped up and winter break on the horizon, UCSD is (debatably) ready for a party. Enter Ozomatli, whose multicultural block-party blend of salsa and hip-hop will hit the Price Center Dec. 6 with the A.S. Council’s first free “”Thank Goodness It’s Over”” concert of the year.
Smooth, jazzy and always danceable, Ozomatli’s music is as eclectic as its musicians. Despite several lineup changes since the band’s debut (including the departure of Jurassic 5’s Cut Chemist and Chali 2na), Ozomatli remains a diverse conglomerate with roots in many musical genres. Jiro Yamaguchi (percussion), Wil-Dog Abers (bass), Justin Poree (percussion), Asdru Sierra (trumpet and lead vocals), Raul Pacheco (guitar and lead vocals), Ulises Bella (tenor sax and clarinet), Kanetic Source (MC), Andy Mendoza (drums) and DJ Spinobi (turntablist) round out the free-form group.
Ozomatli came together in Los Angeles in the mid-’90s and released their self-titled debut on Universal’s Almo Sounds label in 1998. On it, the band established a distinctive sound apt to flow between several musical styles in the course of one song. The album earned Ozomatli both critical acclaim and popular renown, allowing the band to tour and play around the world with the likes of Santana and Los Lobos.
Ozomatli’s latest release, “”Embrace the Chaos,”” similarly highlights the band’s dedication to musical amalgamation, combining pachanga, samba and other worldbeat forms with salsa and hip-hop. While Kanetic Source and DJ Spinobi fill the void left by Chali 2na and Cut Chemist well, guest appearances by Medusa and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, Pos and TruGoy of De La Soul, and Common help fill out the hip-hop elements of the album.
Ozomatli’s music is undeniably party-based; however, it is not without a purpose. The band prides itself on its connection to urban America and other dispossessed peoples throughout the world, and as such, activism is an important dynamic of their music. Ozomatli regularly plays benefit shows and last year participated in the protest of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, performing one song before being shut down by police. The experience inspired the title track of “”Embrace the Chaos,”” which opens with a demonstrator’s pleas to the police to stop firing rubber bullets, recorded during the breakup of the protest.
Friday’s concert is the first of three A.S. Council-sponsored TGIO shows planned near the end of each quarter. Ozomatli will be joined by San Diego locals the B-Side Players and trip-hop group Peak Show. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free to students with a valid UCSD ID.
TGIO: Thank Goodness It’s Over
Ozomatlli, B Side Players, Peak Show
Price Center: 7:30 p.m.
Free to students with valid ID
