The Bottom Line
Don't Mess With The Dragon finds Ozomatli stronger and funkier than ever, with 12 tracks of rock, cumbia, hip hop, salsa, and lots more fused into an irrepresible melange of the sound of today's urban city. Each of the 12 tracks is a little different, so there's never a ho-hum moment as you listen, dance and party your way through Ozomatli's musical mind.
Pros
- Big urban melting pot tunes that you'll feel to the tips of your toes
Cons
- None
Description
- 12 tracks of big sound urban fusion in English, Spanish, and Spanglish.
- Produced by KC Porter
- Released by Concord Records
Guide Review - CD Review: Ozomatli - Don't Mess With The Dragon
It's hard to talk about Ozomatli without using the term "multi". They're a big band, going from 9-12 musicians over the years. They're multi-cultural, the lyrics are multi-lingual, the music mutli-fused with funk, hip hop, salsa, rock, cumbia and anyother genre that happens to catch their attention.
The band's origins are in the streets of Los Angeles, where for 12 years they've developed their sound playing block parties, rallies and protests, local clubs and festivals and, if their music is anything to judge by, having a rollicking good time with all of it.
Don't Mess With The Dragon is their fourth CD and it's clear that the group just keeps getting better. The eclectic collection of songs has a little bit of everything. "La Segunda Mano" starts out sounding like a Los Lobos number complete with Mexican harp and then segues from son jarocho to hip hop with the help of Quetzal's Martha Gonzales. "City of Angels" pays homage to my favorite town, ala Randy Newman, but this one is raucous and joyous, like the city itself. "When I Close My Eyes" is great rock, while "Vileta" is a ballad you'd hope to hear in any border town.
I love this album. It's like being at a great urban party where we're all invited to come.
