Artists

Ozomatli

Biography

Ozomatli was born out of protest.

The band members found themselves attending many of the same rallies, and at these gatherings, they would entertain the crowd by performing live. Realizing they enjoyed playing music, Ozomatli became serious about being a band.

They received further encouragement when Carlos Santana gave them his thumbs up.

Named after the Aztec god of dance, Ozomatli has a kitchen-sink aesthetic which incorporates a plethora of divergent styles -- rock, funk, hip-hop, Latin music.

After releasing its self-titled debut album in 1998, the band trekked across the States numerous times, opening for Dave Matthews Band and playing a few dates with the Watcha Tour.

Ozomatli numbered themselves among the protesters at the Democratic National Convention in 2000, which also included Rage Against the Machine. The band held the distinction of being interrupted during their performance as police shut down the protest.

The following year, Ozomatli released its second album Embrace the Chaos and embarked on its own tour as headliners.

Members

Wil Dug Abers: bass
Asdru Sierra: trumpet, lead vocal
Raul Pacheco: guitar, vocal
Jiro Yamaguchi: percussion
Justin Puree: percussion
Ulises Bella: saxophone
Andy Mendoza: drums
Kanetic Source: rap vocal