OK OK, so when people hear the term "hip-hop", more often than not, pictures
of mainstream rap artists such as 50 Cent and Nelly come to mind; quicker
than, say- Mos Def or Common. Likewise, when people hear the term "Latin
music", more often than not, pictures of Ricky Martin and J-Lo shaking their
bon-bons terrorize the average listener. It's a shame really,
because personally, I find there is a treasure trove of good music hiding
right below most superficial mainstream representations. For instance,
while I cannot say that I am a huge
Creed fan, I do not think that every
rock band sounds like them (although radio might try to convince you
otherwise).
So,
Ozomatli is such a band to combine
not only the immediacy and flow of
hip-hop with the pulsating soul of Latin music while sounding nothing like
the TRL derivatives of the respective idioms. The band combines the
seemingly requisite guitar-bass-drums combo with percussionists, horn
players, a couple rappers, and DJ Spinobi (with a name like that, it has to
be good) on turntables. This latest release chronicles their live
performance at the Fillmore in San Francisco to an especially receptive
crowd. The concert opens with the adrenalin-pumping "Dos Cosas Ciertas",
and be forewarned: This most likely will make you get up and dance. If you
do not have the proper instincts or training to dance, you might embarrass
yourself and loved ones playing this song in public. When the rap verse
begins,
"Don't push me; I'm close to the edge; got me tripping like running
track on two left legs", the transition is effortless that you have no time
to decide whether or not you like the rap. Then, when you have them pegged
as being able to switch between just hip-hop and Latin, the next song
"Believe" (no, not that Cher song!) opens with Indian-laced tonality
(phrygian dominant for all the band geeks). It then builds to incorporate
horns, wah'ed guitar, and turntables. The most beautiful part: none of it
sounds forced or gimmicky.
The wonderful part is that at an Ozomatli concert, divisions between
different people (be it by race, gender, social class, dance ability) seem
to evaporate, and everyone locks into that élan vital that is the soundtrack
to perhaps the best dance party that ever existed. OK, I'll admit; I
haven't been to an Abba or Aaron Carter concert, so perhaps my pronouncement
is a little premature. Also, the divisions between music genres likewise
disappear, so all you are left with is, simply, good music.
Since albums are generally more layered than live performances, there are
some nuances that aren't captured quite the same way when performed for an
audience. For instance, the opening of the song "Eva" on their first studio
release features castanets that provide a nice flavor to the track in
general, whereas live, they substituted tambourines and handclaps. Yes, I
realize that this is perhaps going too far into the minutiae of the
arrangements, and if I saw them live, I probably wouldn't catch it on first
listen. On the other hand, "Chango" from the same album sounds infinitely
cooler to me live with its frenetic pace finding a good home in the
Fillmore, as well as having a wonderful reggae/dancehall breakdown towards
the end.
The scene police might pull this band over for not being hood enough or not
being authentic Latin enough, but if you are simply interested in good music
and have an open mind, then you will get a lot out of Ozomatli, both on disc
and in concert. Just make sure you're not driving when you decide to
"interpret" Darren's Dance Grooves when you pop this into the CD player.
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