Ozomatli / Street Signs
Album: Street Signs   Collection:World
Artist:Ozomatli   Added:May 2004
Label:Concord Jazz, Inc.  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2004-05-24 Pull Date: 2004-07-26 Charts: Reggae/World
Week Ending: Jul 25 Jul 18 Jul 11 Jul 4 Jun 27 Jun 20 Jun 13 Jun 6
Airplays: 2 2 1 1 5 5 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. Apr 20, 2022: At the Cafe Bohemian (rebroadcast from Mar 1, 2017)
Who's to Blame
4. Jul 11, 2019: Global Ginga
Who Discovered America?, Te Estoy Buscando, Who's to Blame
2. Feb 18, 2022: At the Cafe Bohemian (rebroadcast from Mar 1, 2017)
Who's to Blame
5. Jun 14, 2018: At the Cafe Bohemian
Who's to Blame
3. Jul 24, 2021: At the Cafe Bohemian (rebroadcast from Jun 14, 2018)
Who's to Blame
6. May 10, 2018: At the Cafe Bohemian
Who's to Blame

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2004-05-17
OZOMATLI – “Street Signs”
Concord, 2004

Man, Ozomatli is a hard band to pin down. Over the years KZSU has filed their music under hip-hop, general, and occasionally world. I’m putting this album in the latter category, partly because the band has added Middle Eastern rhythms and instruments to their usual Latin-hiphop blend on some tracks. It may sound strange, but it works, like a more streetwise version of Transglobal Underground. Other tracks cover the gamut of urban Latin party music. Lyrics mix Spanish and English. If you like your music hot, funky, and just a little exotic, check this out.

Try any track. Fo’s picks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 12

1. 5:02 – catchy, with dramatic strings, oud bassline, rapped break right in the middle
2. 4:24 – rai-meets-lowrider melodic hook, soulful English vocal, heavy groove
3. 3:46 – hot multicultural rap over funky clave rhythm with Gipsy Kings-ish accents
4. 4:35 – Latin soul-rock in the Santana vein, slower tempo; fuzzy guitar solo
5. 3:13 – PLAY THIS! Cool stylistic mix (snake-charmer ragga?) and a great political rap
6. 3:50 – busy midtempo ballad with Spanish vocal, lots of strings (almost a tango)
7. 3:59 – Big guitar riff, 70s funk horns; lyrical flow shifts between vocalists
8. 3:29 – fast, nutty norteño-ska bounce. Spanish lyrics, gets crazier as it goes
9. 5:10 – quick rhythm, relaxed vocal, acoustic guitars. A nice Cuban-style ballad
10. 3:39 – remix: cute vocal melody over a stripped-down, heavy beat; samba break!
11. 1:05 – jazzy solo piano intro to track 12…
12. 4:48 – hot midtempo salsa-funk, lots of horn action, good vocals and a piano solo
13. 4:40 – relaxed: really nice guitar picking turns into a sort of schmaltzy prom ballad

[ Fo ] – 05/17/2004


Track Listing
1. Believe   7. Saturday Night
2. Love and Hope   8. Dejame En Paz
3. Street Signs   9. Santiago
4. Who Discovered America?   10. Ya Viene El Sol
5. Who's to Blame   11. Dona Isabelle
6. Te Estoy Buscando   12. Nadie Te Tira
  13. Cuando Canto