Ozomatli and Lobo Lara

The band Ozomatli met while attempting to create a worker's union in Los Angeles, the union failed to attract recognition however gave them an abandoned building to use for a month. The building was transformed into a cultural arts centre through which Ozomatli came into fruition. The name Ozomatli is derived after the Nahuatl word for the Aztec astrological symbol of the monkey, the god of dance, fire and music.

After initial line-up changes Ozomatli eventually consisted of Raúl “El Bully” Pacheco, Ulises Bella, Jiro Yamaguchi, Cut Chemist, Chali 2na, Wil-Dog Abers, Mairo Calire, Rene “Spinobi” Dominguez, Justin “Niño” Porée, Asdrubal Sierra, and Jabu. Following a host of performances in the local club scene and an appearance on the late night talk show “Vibe!”, Ozomatli released their eponymously-titled debut album to mainstream success. Released June 16, 1998 the album reached No. 7 on the Billboard Latin Albums chart, stayed in the chart for 71 weeks and led to the band being invited on tour with guitarist Carlos Santana in 1999.

In 2001 Ozomatli released their sophomore album “Embrace the Chaos” which shot straight to No. 1 in the Billboard Latin Album chart and the Billboard Latin Pop Album chart. The band won a Grammy for the Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album and became noted for their commitment to social justice and the rising anti-war movement. In 2003 came a 6-track EP titled “Coming Up” which featured the rap vocals of Kanetic Source on the single “Cumbia De Los Muertos”.

Ozomatli won two Grammys for their 2004 album “Street Signs” one for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album and one for Best Alternative Music Album and well as receiving significant critical acclaim. Its follow-up the 2006 “Don’t Mess With the Dragon” featured the singles “After Party”, “When I Close My Eyes” and “La Segunda Mano”. The released marked significant line-up changes for the band with DJ Spinobi and MC Jabu departing on amicable terms.

The group then served as Cultural Ambassadors to the U.S. and embarked on a number of government-sponsored tours, they created a song for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, and performed with a host of orchestras across the States. Ozomatli has subsequently released the albums “Fire Away” in 2010, the child friendly “Ozomatli Presents Ozokidz” in 2012 and “Place in the Sun” in 2014.