Ozomatli

"Add to Amigos." That was the first button on Ozomatli's Myspace page that caught my eye. I didn't even hesitate to translate, "Add to Friends." Strange how the union of two completely separate languages in one sentence barely made me look twice for clarification.

For those readers who have not yet buckled under peer pressure to join one of the fastest growing social networks the Internet has ever seen, the "Add to Friends" button allows users to broaden their contact list within the network.

I guess the tip I got from the KAMP student radio marketing director Yael Farah was indeed a promising one for Border Rock, I thought as I skimmed the page.

"You should check out Ozomatli," said Farah, throwing her small voice over the usual KAMP studio noise. "I went to The Jazz Bowl in Hollywood five years ago and they performed there."

Worth a shot...and so there I was, poring over a sunburst orange Myspace page with buttons like "Add to Amigos." As my eyes scanned the site, "City of Angeles" poured out into the chaotic studio, vying for attention over the 1:00pm Monday show. The west coast, L.A. rockers are an intoxicating fusion of "cumbia, dub, and Middle Eastern funk," according to their Myspace description. A bold statement, I thought to myself. That's an extremely varied and seemingly contradictory influence base. I haven't seen salsa and hip hop mesh well since Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina." I listened on.

"They had a ton of energy they played their instruments walking throughout the crowd. It was good entertainment and at the same time really good quality music."


Ozomatli at Indie 103.1FM performing "City of Angels"



Alright, I thought. I'll keep trying to focus. Suddenly, it hit me...this was kinda catchy. Oddly enough, the rap-infused ska riff reminded me of early Jay-Z crashing into a Broadway musical. The back-up vocal chorus sounded like something ripped right out of "Rent," except there was no mention of AIDS. Sounds like an odd pairing I'm sure. I thought I was crazy when the description first tap danced off my keyboard and into this blog.

Frustrated and slightly confused, I asked Farah one last thing: "How the heck would you categorize these guys?"

"There's not one category that they can go into," she said as she turned back to her computer and finished out an email.

And that was that. I sorely wish I could describe this band to you. As cheesy as it sounds and as much as I hate saying it, you have to check it out yourself. The lyrics to the song I first heard when tuning in to this unconventional sound are listed below to allow your creative musical minds the opportunity to tell me what you think. Send me an email at PinkBulletsButterfly@cox.net with your comments.

"City of Angels" - Ozomotli.

What you know about my city that's tic tac?
Hustle to get stacks
Fail get laughed at
Even from here I hear the chit chat
Grew up Miracle Mile
Fairfax to tar traps, Hamilton High alumni
What you know Ham and cheese supreme
JB to Carthay cat LA it be the base and the catalyst
Walk Crescent Heights worldwide back to strangle us
Land of the saint and the land of the wicked
Hollywood to Bell
The manichean kick it
What a duality, arid reality
Devon Brown Shot
Minor technicality
Brad Pits cheatin' front page reality
Stanley Miller Beatin'
DA don't want to touch it
But I love my city
Soft yet rugged
Rep LA I know the Angels will love it

City of angels!

I let the beat talk
Then I just fill in the words
Its Jabulani that you're dealing with
My hood is tough like its clubber lang
So in the bucket I bump behind mac in the gutter lane
I write raps when I feel the pain or even sorrow
But you heard it before the sun will come out tomorrow,or so they say
But see we're living in L.A. and what you thought was the sun, was just a flash from the k
You stashing your weed in the passenger seat of the regal with the gold feet
Watch your back, lil' homie got a loaded mac on Figueroa
Just got a new girl
His rep he's finna show her
But slow down baby gangsta, you aint prepared for the truth
You got him and its gonna happen to you, aint gotta live how your homie do
Just work the angles
The city I'm from is Los Angels
Come on!


Also, check out the official site for photos, videos, and concert dates.