ozomatli download . Ozomatli is a hip-hop group formed in 1996 in , known as much for their extremely vocal activist viewpoints as their wide array of musical styles. Ozomatli take their name from the Nahuatl word for the Aztec astrological symbol of the monkey, which is also a god of dance, fire, the new harvest, and music. The members of the band met through their affiliation with the Peace and Justice Center of Los Angeles, and their first performance was for picketers during a strike. They began their career in the Los Angeles and San Diego/Mexico border-area club scene. The members of the band met through their affiliation with the Peace and Justice Center of Los Angeles, and their first performance was for picketers during a strike. They began their career in the Los Angeles and San Diego/Mexico border-area club scene. Following an appearance in Vibe magazine, the group broke into the mainstream, releasing Ozomatli, their self titled debut album, in June 1998 under the Almo Sounds label. Ozomatli's second album, , was released on the inauspicious date of September 11, 2001. Although many American bands cancelled their concerts, Ozomatli gained some recognition for continuing to play their concerts, all the while continuing their commitment to social justice and progressive politics, in addition to the rising anti-war movement. Afterwards, the band made a further commitment to a new direction in music, embracing North African and Arab musical styles in addition to their own. The musical styles of many cultures are blended on 2004's Street Signs, with vocals mentioning the Yakuza crossing paths with trance; or Moroccan sintir virtuoso , joining the band along with Les Yeux Noirs and the Prague Symphony. Also accompanying are of Los Lobos and Mario Calire of The Wallflowers. The salsa pioneer Eddie Palmieri, who is on the Concord label, is a featured performer on Street Signs. In 2005, Street Signs won the Grammy Award for Best /Alternative Album. Ozomatli. Like many late '90s outfits, the Los Angeles-based Ozomatli is an eclectic conglomeration, fusing a wild variety of music. At its core, the group is a dance band, blending , hip-hop, Latin rhythms, jazz, salsa, , Tejano, and worldbeat into its sound. It's a busy, heady mix and occasionally there's simply too much going on in the mix for it to be easy to digest. Nevertheless, it's easy to admire a group that challenges the listeners, and Ozomatli certainly do that with their eponymous debut album. Not only is the music dense and exciting, but the lyrics are politically charged and daring, adding substance to the infectious music. The result is an album that is both entertaining and rewarding -- not a bad achievement for a debut. Ozomatli. Ozomatli are an LA-based band who combine Latin and influences with funk and hip-hop. The group is also very politically conscious, promoting social change both in their music and through activism. They have gathered a large fan base due to their pure energy at live shows. and of were both originally members of Ozomatli. They have since left the group but both make guest appearances on Ozomatli's latest album, Street Signs. Since their departure Ozomatli have recruited rappers Justin "El Niño" Poree and Jabu and turntablist DJ Spinobi into their ranks. The current lineup of the band, at the time of the release of Street Signs, is: Wil-Dog Abers - Bass, background vocals Raul Pacheco - , Tres, Jarana, Lead Vocals Justin Poree - Percussion, Rap Vocals Asdru Sierra - , Lead Vocals, , Acoustic Guitar Ulises Bella - Saxophone, Clarinet, Requinto Jarocho, Kayboards, Background Vocals Jiro Yamaguchi - Tabla, Percussion, Background Vocals Mario Calire - Drums Sheffer Bruton - , Background Vocals DJ Spinobi - Turntables Jabu - Rap Vocals. Ozomatli. Ozomatli are an LA-based band who combine Latin and world music influences with funk and hip-hop. The group is also very politically conscious, promoting social change both in their music and through activism. They have gathered a large fan base due to their pure energy at live shows. Chali 2na and Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5 were both originally members of Ozomatli. They have since left the group but both make guest appearances on Ozomatli's latest album, Street Signs. Since their departure Ozomatli have recruited rappers Justin "El Niño" Poree and Jabu and turntablist DJ Spinobi into their ranks. The current lineup of the band, at the time of the release of Street Signs, is: Wil-Dog Abers - Bass, background vocals Raul Pacheco - Guitar, Tres, Jarana, Lead Vocals Justin Poree - Percussion, Rap Vocals Asdru Sierra - Trumpet, Lead Vocals, Piano, Acoustic Guitar Ulises Bella - Saxophone, Clarinet, Requinto Jarocho, Kayboards, Background Vocals Jiro Yamaguchi - Tabla, Percussion, Background Vocals Mario Calire - Drums Sheffer Bruton - Trombone, Background Vocals DJ Spinobi - Turntables Jabu - Rap Vocals. Live at the Fillmore. Although they won a Grammy for their previous studio album, 2004's Street Signs, the ten-piece multicultural music collective known as Ozomatli have always been first and foremost a live act, and experiencing the group's explosive, energetic stage show, which mixes salsa, punk, reggae, funk, hip-hop, and touches of jazz into a barrio gumbo block party with leftist leanings, is like watching a renegade Gypsy street circus come to life, complete with massive percussion and massed horns. At last, perhaps to honor their tenth anniversary, Ozomatli have released a ten-track live set recorded at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco in late 2004, along with an accompanying DVD of the concert that adds additional songs plus backstage footage and interviews. The CD features versions of the undeniably funky "Saturday Night," the lovely "Believe," and the poignant " (Who Discovered) America?," all from Street Signs, as well as earlier Ozomatli gems like the racing, jittery "Como Ves," but it is the visual representation of the show on the DVD that really shows the full force of this incredible group, which has built a new template for what an American band can be in the 21st century. Passionate, diverse, fiercely independent, and ardently political, Ozomatli have an ace in the hole: they're one of the best dance bands in recent memory.