OZOMATLI | 11.16 | MONTREAL

Ozomatli, the name of the Aztec monkey-god of dance, has always been a positive outlet for political concerns. In 1995, Bassist Wil-Dog Abers was working for the Los Angeles Conservation Corp protesting poor worker conditions when he began to write protest music. During a sit-in in March, Wil-Dog met singer/guitarist Raul Pacheco, who had just moved back to LA after abandoning a political consulting career. Ozomatli played their first gig a month later.

"We want to make a change in our neighborhoods, show people a positive way to live." says Wil-Dog. "I knew we had something special the first day we played. I'd never been in a band that just wanted to party, to have fun and still be about something," he adds.

As the forming of the band progressed, it was evident this would not be a usual gathering. The duo quickly picked up tenor saxophone and clarinet player Ulises Bella who at the time was involved in other projects such as the Blues Experiment and the original Yeska. Then, Wil-Dog called up high school friend and trumpet player Asdru Sierra. Sierra, a classically trained musician, played with Tito Puente when he was only 19 years old, but was hooked on the old style funk of Ozomatli. Sierra brought in fellow CalArts friend Andy Mendoza to play drums. Tablas player Jiro Yamaguchi sat in on a session and brought his knowledge of North Indian classical music to the table.

The band also hails two Jurassic 5 alums, Chali 2na, the brilliantly sonorous MC, and Cut Chemist, one of the "most able-ist solo turntablist" on the globe. Chali asked friend and solo hip-hop artist Kanetic Source to join Ozomatli’s ranks. "I used to sit in at the Opium Den back before they became Ozo," says Kanetic. "Before that I was a solo hip hop artist, and when J5 blew up Chali asked me to keep bringin' the hip hop vibe to Ozomatli."

A couple months after its inception, percussion player Justin "Nino" Poree met Wil-Dog at a party and sat in on a rehearsal. "I started to understand his vision and started feeling the vibe more and more. And I was heavily diggin' Jiro's tabla playing. The rest is history," says Poree.

"We put together a band where we don’t want any boundaries," says Wil-Dog. "We wanted to be able to play where everyone in the band had its own voice. If you wanted to play a certain style, you brought it in, attempt it, and hopefully get it after months of trying." Even before releasing their debut album in 1998, Ozomatli was already beginning to form a diverse following on the streets of LA.

The pictures from the liner notes of Ozomatli’s new album Embrace the Chaos looks remarkably like the director Spike Jonze’s mod squad-esque Beastie Boys’ video "Sabotage." But then again, you might find yourself comparing Ozomatli to many different bands. Rage Against the Machine has definitely been associated with Ozomatli, not for their en"rage"ing musical style, but for their political consciousness and awareness. Ozomatli shared the stage with Rage at the Democratic National Convention counter-concert put on by The Artist Network of Refuse and Resist (ArtistNetork.org) and the umbrella group D2K. The concert that went horribly wrong was a crucial period for many band members.

Bassist Wil-Dog remembers, "Well that was a concert that was put together by Artist’s Network in Los Angeles. It was in the protest area of the DNC. It went through months of preparation. We got Rage Against the Machine to play; It was basically a peaceful protest all day. It was really unique in the fact that it was 10,000 people, there were kids from all over, LA and all over the country. There were Central Americans, Mejicano kids there mixing with the pseudo-political types mixing with the real hard cores, the anarchists mixing with regular union workers and what not."

But as Ozomatli took the stage less than an hour after Rage finished their set, the scene looked ominous. Wil-dog continues, "We played about two songs and basically the chief of police came on and cut the power off, cut the lights, declared it an unlawful protest/ assembly, ordered everybody to disperse within ten minutes. Three-and-a-half sides of the area were enclosed; half of one side was designated to come in and out. So to disperse was utterly impossible. About 8 minutes after they gave the announcement. The police came in with their Calvary because people weren’t leaving fast enough. We saw this happening with tear gas and we took our drums into the crowd to try to help everybody out, to try to guide everybody out with drums. Before we could get down there, they started billy-clubbing people."

"I think a lot of us knew it was going to go nuts, at the same time I think it was really important that we went into it with the people and marched out with the people," says Will Dog. "What was so inspiring is that when we were marching around and they started shooting rubber bullets, a gang of people came around us when we were marching and playing drums and tried to protect us. I don’t think we were scared, it was just unbelievable that it was all going down the way it was."

For Wil-dog, the show was a culmination of their promises and goals. "It was our darkest time as a band and the show was a wake up call for a commitment to still be there, to still be the people's band," says Wil-Dog. "We were like, 'this is really important that we are a group and that we stay together for more than just making a living.'" Out of this turmoil came Ozomatli’s new album Embrace the Chaos, a work that just happened to be released on September 11th. "It was really just a crazy coincidence," says Wil-dog.

"I think Embrace the Chaos was a phrase that we all used amongst ourselves, about the band and all the changes that we have gone through in our individual lives," says Wil-dog. "But in a lot of ways, that phrase applies to the world," he adds.

Mixing music with a healthy political consciousness has always been important to Ozomatli. "There are certain things that we as individuals are into, like the Zappatistas, to getting Mumia Abu Jamaal a fair trial in Philadelphia, and now the most important issue is (pause) stopping the war." Says Wil-Dog. "For me it’s definitely important. As artists, we’re doing an interview right now. All you see in all the other media is a certain way of thinking. In the United States, its gung ho, its Jingoism, it’s very pro-war. For us, just to be out here and doing interviews is important; it’s important to give the alternative."

Ozomati’s show at Cafe Campus, Friday November 16, was what the alternative Montreal natives have been waiting for. With a strong Hip-Hop and Latin-influenced beat, Ozomatli got the audience moving as much as they got them thinking. A microcosm of the set happened towards the middle, as the Samba melody "Timido" with its Afro-Cuban shout chorus had everyone jumping. Immediately afterwards, Pacheco asked the crowd to "kick it up a notch" and counted right into the hip-hop favorite "1,2,3,4." Kanetic’s lyric mastery was impeccable, even while he was hoggin’ a joint passed up from a fan in the front.

It is hard not to feel the vibe when there are ten people in front of you with so much energy. "Its like ten guys just going off on stage, it’s a circus," explains saxophone player Ulyses Bella. They truly make you want to be part of the band, and in the end, you are part of the band.

After finishing the medley that included Twisted Sisters "We’re Not Gonna Take It," the show ended with the band entering the audience armed with drums, percussion instruments and horns. They formed a small circle in the middle of the audience while they played drum cadences reminiscent of my middle school pep rallies, and that’s a good thing. Not only was the band right in front of you, but also more interestingly, so was your fellow audience member. It’s not common that you face the audience in a concert. The concept of forming a circle at a concert and allowing you to see the expressions on the faces of your fellow audience members creates more of an authentic environment. Whether or not this was the intent of the band or not, Ozomatli succeeded in creating an environment that was truly communal.

Seattle, Quebec City, and The DNC, saw many movements gain serious momentum. There was also a lot of free debate about the policies of the country. Remember "That’s My Bush?" But Politically Incorrect’s Bill Maher will be the first to tell you that since "America’s New War" started, having a debate about the policies of the country are more than frowned upon. Ozomatli is simply giving the message to not forget about who you were before this all happened. To remember that it’s your duty, perhaps your Democratic duty, to question what you are being told to accept. You might just change your mind.

Full Set list:

Chango, Dos Cosas Ciertas, O Le Le, Mi Alma, Lo Que Dice, Donde se Fueron, Rachmonà Eva, Los Ozos, Timido, 1,2,3,4, Cumbia de los Muertos, Geuriclero, Como Ves, Ranch.

Adam Rosenbloom
JamBase | Canada
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