The Orion Online

Issue date: 11/19/08 Section: Online Exclusives

Nov. 19, 2008

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See a video of the concert at the bottom of this page
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Ozomatli's "Headz Up Fall Tour" cruised through downtown Chico Nov. 12 at the Senator Theatre, reuniting the band with former Jurassic 5 rapper Chali 2na.

The band fully had its swagger back with 2na, busting out the Latin rhythm moves onstage.

Senior Rich Granillo, originally from Los Angeles, enjoys the band's diverse sound, including its collaboration of bilingual lyrics and rap music, he said.

"It's very diverse," Granillo said. "You got a mix of hip-hop, funk, jazz, rock and there's some Latin influence. It's awesome."

The music makes people want to dance, he said.

Granillo was originally surprised a group like Ozomatli would make a pit stop in Chico, but was pleased the group made an appearance all the way from Southern California, he said.

Ozomatli was originally formed 13 years ago to help raise funds for the Peace and Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, said band member Jiro Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi plays percussion for the band and remembers the early days when the original Ozomatli wasn't a band, but a loose collective of musicians, he said.

"From there it just snowballed," Yamaguchi said. "And now we are in Chico."

The diverse group is comprised of multi-talented musicians, many of whom play more than one instrument.

Ulises Bella used the saxophone, clarinet and keyboards Nov. 12 to help the band play what most people call "people" or "roots" music, he said.

Most people like to categorize the band as world music players, and the members try to steer away from that, Bella said. With an early start playing its fused music for numerous different causes, the band was recently invited to be a United States cultural ambassador.

"We always envisioned our music being treated as a tool to help political causes," Bella said. "I don't think we ever knew we'd be taken to different parts of the world."

The band accomplished its mission of playing good music for everyone to dance to and would like to think it reflects what's going on in the world, he said.

Ozomatli ended its set by jumping offstage into the crowd, leading to an autograph session in the lobby of the Senator Theatre. The band members answered questions and posed for photos with their fans, something rare among Grammy-winning artists.

"It's something I like to see," senior Granillo said. "I expect that out of a diverse group."

Natalia Ferruggia can be reached at
nferruggia@theorion.com


Video by Rodolfo Vazquez

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