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The infamous worldbeat urban-funk outfit Ozomatli return with their latest effort, STREET SIGNS. On this album the LA-based band is in full party mode, mixing the hottest elements of hip hop, funk, Latin rock and beyond. Featuring guest appearances by: Eddie Palmieri, Cut Chemist, David Hidalgo, Hassan Hacmoun among others.Reviews:
Ozomatli started out as the house band for a working-class community center in the barrio of L.A.; within a year they were local headers with enough clout to land a major label deal, despite their refusal to soften their multi-cultural (omni-cultural?) sound. Ozo's last album, Embrace the Chaos, dropped on possibly the worst date in the last 20 years for an album launch: September 11, 2001. Soon after, they left the majors for Concord, where they were given free artistic reign. The result is their strongest and most eclectic set to date, an international party that drops a large dose of Arab rhythm and Egyptian string charts (played by a Polish Symphony orchestra) into their bubbling blend of hip-hop, Latin, rock, funk, ska, blues and jazz. Street Signs' impressive roster of guests-including Chali 2na and Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5, Los Lobos guitar ace David Hidalgo, French-Jewish gypsy violin band Les Yeux Noir and Latin Jazz piano legend Eddie Palmieri-never overshadows Ozo's big, bright vibe. "Believe" warps a riff from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan into a bouncy bit of Egyptian funk-rap, "(Who Discovered) America?" is radio-friendly Latin pop that explores the love/hate relationship between people of color and the land we all call home, and "Cuando Canto" takes us on a romantic Saturday night drive that starts out with an acoustic groove from Vera Cruz, Mexico, before gliding into L.A. on a thumpin' set of low rider wheels.
