"Let your voice be heard. Join the PARTY party!"
This Latino based, multi-racial nine-man crew has never been shy about their commitment to social justice, progressive politics, and anti-war convictions. In their fourteen years together as a band, celebrated Los Angeles culture-mashers Ozomatli have gone from being hometown heroes to being named U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world. Their music - a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of brass driven hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga - has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A. More than ever before, the band is both of the world and of L.A. Originally formed to play at an area labor protest over a decade ago, they have been synonymous with their city: their music has even been taken up by The Los Angeles Dodgers and The Los Angeles Clippers. The band has built a formidable reputation over four full-length studio albums and a relentless touring schedule for taking party rocking so seriously that it becomes new school musical activism. Having Ozo in the mix is a game-changer for any festival and we welcome them to High Sierra with arms wide open.