Ozomatli Sets a Fire in Audiences

The six-piece world fusion rock band, Ozomatli, has been firing up audiences all over the world for the past 14 years. At the specific invitation by the State Department and various U.S. Embassies, they have toured India and Nepal, the Middle East, and recently returned from Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. Everywhere they go, they bring their infectious music and their open hearts.

This is a far cry from their early days in Los Angeles where they formed to play a labor protest event and reached out to inner city elementary schools, community activist events and city fundraisers. Ozomatli, whose members are multi-ethnic and multiracial, bring the music of their various cultures and musical influences to all of their performances, offering up a visual and musical example that makes us more than what we are as individuals and that we can all co-exist peacefully.

“Everyone likes a lot of different music. From the beginning, we just played what we knew,” said Raul Pacheco (vocals, guitar, tres and jarana). “As individuals, we have knowledge of different styles of music. It gave each of us different opportunities to get into something new, something we’ve never heard. In the beginning, we were just kind of teaching each other different things. It kind of evolved to being open to all of the different sounds that are out there in the world. We’re music lovers, anything from straight pop music to guitar playing, to something from India. It doesn’t matter to us. We’re moved by music in all its forms.”

It is that openness that has pushed the band into prominent media markets. They have appeared on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” This led to their first invites from the State Department. Ozomotli has also appeared on Wolf Blitzer’s “The Situation Room” on CNN, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Last Call with Carson Daly,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and the “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” And, even played on “Dancing With the Stars” and wrote the new theme song for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At the heart of all of this publicity is the music and the cultural sensitivity of six guys from ordinary neighborhoods. But these musicians aren’t anthropologists or ethno-musicologists. Often, the band members know very little about the countries they tour; though they might have been exposed to an instrument or a musical style of the region.

“We don’t know anything about the country or the people – or very little. We just show up, and we get to start to form our own story that can have a little more depth with real people,” Pacheco said.

“Even though we’re there for a very short time, I think we get to see it in real life. It’s different than in a picture or if you’ve been reading about it or even from having someone tell you about it.”

So, it is a two-way cultural exchange. And it has fostered a true sense of hope not only for the people they meet but also for the members of Ozomatli.

“A lot of us are in fear because of the experiences we might have in our own neighborhoods growing up. We start to hold on to that,” Pacheco admitted. “I think there’s a lot more going on in the world. That element of violent behavior is very minimal for most people… most people are kind. It’s very rare that you meet people that are straight up jerks, mean people. It’s always a good reminder to get perspective.”

The music of Ozomatli will quicken your pulse and stir your musical blood. But it will also bring you closer to others and show you a glimpse of what peace in the world can be.

Who: Ozomatli

When: Saturday, July 25, 4 p.m.

Where: Field Stage, 10KLF, Soo Pass Ranch, Detroit Lakes

Tickets: http://www.10klf.com