Goodwill Touring: Ozomatli
IN THE PAST YEAR, Ozomatli has played Indonesia, India, Jordan, Egpyt and even Nepal.
But the most unlikely place the band has appeared?
The set of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
"Its f---ing weird because I never really watched the show, but it felt like everyone around me does," saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Ulises Bella said. "You work yourself up a lot for two minutes of work and you realize how important those two minutes are because millions of people are watching you. It's a surreal experience."
Ozomatli got the gig because of a familial connection — Justin "El Nino" Poree, who plays percussion and raps, just happens to know the show's orchestra pit guitarist — his dad.
So now that Bella's performed on the show, has he started watching regularly?
"No, it's hard to keep up on that being out on the road," he said.
He's not kidding: Ozomatli's U.S. State Department-sponsored goodwill tours have taken the band across the world. Bella said the tours, which have the band playing free concerts on behalf of the U.S., have been a huge success for the band.
"It all went really well," he said. "Each ambassador or each consulate wants to bring us through their country."
And, yes, the band even got to live Bob Seger's dream — they went to Katmandu.
"When we played Katmandu we played an open free concert, and it's usually a space used for political demonstrations," Bella said. "When we started we thought it'd only be a handful of kids — and then it was 10,000 people. Everyone kept saying we were the first American band to play Katmandu."
For the band, Bella said it was an easy decision to work with the State Department for these shows.
"I think part of it is we felt that obviously there's the whole angle of us working with the State Department — we're using that money — at the end of the day, the give and take of what it all means is I don't think wed have the opportunity to play Katmandu if it was just us," he said. "When we go there it's a different reflection of the United States. We want to get our hands dirty. We want to talk to local people, catch the local music. It's kind of an exchange of cultures."
Cultural expansion is nothing new for Ozomatli. The band's heart is multiethnic and Ozo's sound reflects that cultural mix, with elements of Latin music, rock, reggae, hip-hop, salsa, funk and more. The band's members fluctuate. It boasts a seven-person core these days, although the group often tours with a bigger entourage.
Ozomatli has been together for 13 years now, with three-Grammy awards to its name. Bella said despite the band's longevity, its sound is still evolving.
"I think there's possibility for us to change," he said. "Now, I think there's certain things that are core that aren't going to change, at least I hope they don't — the energy level of the show, the intensity of the live performance, the different sound combinations and mixes that are going on — I think those are very fundamental."
Those energetic live shows are where Ozomatli earns its stripes — keeping the crowd dancing, energetic and entertained throughout its sets. It's that kind of show that makes Ozomatli the perfect festival band, Bella said.
"I think that for us there's always going to be all these other people that are there for other bands and when they catch us we turn them on to us," he said.
The band plays Wakarusa and Bonnaroo this June and just played Jazz Fest in New Orleans a few weeks ago. But in true Ozomatli fashion, the band did more than just appear at the festival; it also gave back to the community, by inviting members of the St. Augustine Marching Band — from a New Orleans High School — to jam with the band on stage.
"We had the opportunity to go to their school at like 10 in the morning to do some music stuff with them — workshops," he said. "The first part is where a band that does stuff like that does outreach stuff. Secondly, as a town [with such] musical history, we're thoroughly indebted to New Orleans. With all the beautiful music that came out of that town, and all the tragedy, I feel like anything I can do to help is good."
He said the students were thrilled.
"I think they had a blast — they got to play on stage at Jazz Fest — it blew their minds," Bella said. "Just watching them cheese out, I was cheesing on them.
"We've always been a band that's always been down for the people, so we gain inspiration through the masses," Bella said. "In any way, if we feel something's a positive thing, inspires the band or the band thinks its righteous, I think the band will do it."
» The State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St.; Wed., 7 p.m. doors, 8:30 p.m. showtime, $22; 703-237-0300. (East Falls Church)
Written by Express contributor Rudi Greenberg
Photos courtesy Ozomatli
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