Ya se fue

Alright, busy week. Apologies, apologies. So tonight I’m serving up Ozomatli with a side of Chali 2na garnished with Cut Chemist. Ya llego (I’ve Arrived) was an EP that they sold at their shows in LA before they made it big. A friend of mine sent this to me in 97 and she would not shut up about them. Actually she sent one and it didn’t work (early CDR issues) and got another and sent it. None of this is really relevant besides the fact I was over Ozomatli long before I heard them. But then I heard them. Ozomatli is kind of a contemporary War with no harmonica and a DJ and MC. The first incarnation was with Jurassic 5’s (R.I.P.) own Chali 2na and Cut Chemist. The thing about Ozomatli is they cover funk, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and a multitude of Latin styles (pardon my ignorance but I don’t really know a mambo from a meringue) and they do all of this seamlessly. I saw them in Atlanta and they started the show off with a drum line that came in the back door, got on stage, played for one and a half hours and started another drum line and walked out the front door and started a block party that lasted another hour. It was a sublime experience and if you ever get to see them live, do so. Some of it translates on disc, but most of it is an experience you need to, well, experience. All the tracks on this EP were released on their first major release (self-titled) with some minor tweaks and changes. If you haven’t heard Ozomatli and you are a fan of music then you are kind of missing out. They’ve released 5 more records (maybe 4) since then but this one I feel is the best simply because of the added glue of J5. Either way, check it out. Honestly, anyone that I’ve played this for has dug it. It’s like the, “Dry The Rain,” scene in High Fidelity.
Pace.01 - Eva
02 - Cut Chemist Suite
03 - Come Ves
04 - Super Bowl Sundae