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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Street Signs

Ozomatli

2004

Street Signs
Album Summary

Street Signs is an album by Latin funk rock band Ozomatli, released in 2004 by Real World Records and Concord Records. Street Signs was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.This album won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2005. The song "Saturday Night" was featured in the video games Madden NFL 2005, MX vs. ATV Unleashed, and Sleeping Dogs, in the soundtrack to the film Turbo, and the trailer for the 2010 comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.87

Votes

11514

Genres

  • World
  • Funk
  • Hip Hop

Reviews

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Jan 19 2022
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3

Another album not in my copy of the book. There's an awful lot of divergence between different versions and (as I've noted before) a lot of more contemporary releases added and then quickly removed. It's almost like the people who curate this don't know how to evaluate modern music for its lasting impact. Anyway, I had never listened to Ozomatli before, but I knew of them as Cut Chemist's other group. In addition to Cut Chemist, Chali 2na has also collaborated with them, further cementing their connection to Jurassic 5. Ozomatli also share some of Jurassic 5's issues - namely, their lack of depth. They're fine, there's nothing wrong with them, but like a meal lacking much caloric content, you're going to be hungry again in an hour. There's a wiffliness to them, a lack of edge, a lack of bite. It's frustratingly clean and safe and, well, kind of boring. It shouldn't be. It's blending elements of a lot of genres, but it never feels like more than the sum of its parts. Why? How can you combine disparate elements and sound somehow formulaic? Better than Oasis though.

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Oct 19 2022
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1

A waste of time and space. Clear Latin music influences without doing anything interesting or worthwhile with it. Lyrics are corny and lack any sort of worthwhile message. Every genre influence it brings in does nothing to meaningfully expand on the core ideas, leading to cheap attempts of hip-hop, funk, rock, turntablism, and so forth. This drags on for nearly an hour without improvement. Skip this one.

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Feb 17 2022
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4

Excellent - shame the whole album isn't on spotify...

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Feb 18 2022
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4

Remember when we forgot for awhile that other countries had instruments too? I'd listen to Chali 2na read the phonebook

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Apr 07 2022
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3

Every song in "Street Signs", Ozomatli's third album, is a blast of latin rock, funk and hip hop in your face. An ensamble of great musicians with a great variety of references coming together to create a nuanced and cohesive record that talks about workers rights and imigration in a very interesting way, that keeps you hooked from start to finish. "Believe" and "Santiago" are beautiful songs.

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Apr 29 2022
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4

Never heard of this band until now. Not sure why they are not huge radio mega stars. My theory on the fly is the hype machine doesn't know how to market this kind of music unless there is an individual (ie. Bruno Mars) to focus on. Their sound is varied with all kinds of different touchstones; funk, latin pop, rock, alternative maybe even, rap, hip hop and jazz . Everything is performed with a verve and energy that is absolutely infectious. This is not typically my genre but this album will remain on my playlist. Favorite song; Love and Hope. 4 🌟

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Apr 29 2022
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2

hmm, I really thought I was going to enjoy this album. I feel like maybe there was a time when I listened to Ozomatli and liked them. This just feels like a mashup of the least interesting latin music and hip hop. It's upbeat and poppy and boring

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Dec 16 2021
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4

Loved the album, first song was a banger and the other ones were quite catchy. Didn't expect to have so much fun listening to a Latin Funk Album

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Nov 24 2022
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4

7/10 i liked the concept of fusing so many genres. However, it felt a bit shallow overall , like they settled for having unique beats and left it at that.

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Feb 22 2023
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4

Hadn’t heard of them, but thoroughly enjoyed some of the songs.

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Jun 18 2023
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3

Today we have a random rap motives mixed with latin rhythms. It sounds extremely naughties - as early 2000s as possible. I have never heard of this band before, so as with anything that comes from this times, if you haven't listen to it then, there is no chance you will like it now. The songs are okay, they are pretty fun, it's definitely an interesting collaboration between genres, but it's too late for me to really enjoy it. The moment to listen to this album is long gone, even though it sounds like I am in my sixties, and hate new music. Still, I appreciate it, pretty innovative idea.

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Feb 20 2022
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2

An interesting blend of genres and influences that doesn't quite stick the landing - some tracks swirl with the perfect mix of Eastern/Latin/Hip-Hop rhythms, but others bite off more than they can chew and fall into a repetitive (and boring) holding pattern.

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Aug 28 2022
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2

2.8 - A bland fusion of Latin rock and hip hop that you’d head at a free summer concert in some medium-sized city.

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Jun 06 2023
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2

Didn't hate this, but it felt like every song was the same, and didn't ever end.

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Oct 19 2023
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2

Just because you put a latin twist to mediocre music doesn't make it any better.

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Nov 29 2023
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2

This is just absolutely not my thing.

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Jan 13 2022
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5

Kind of like santana, hip hop like a little bit.

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Jan 30 2022
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5

First time of listening and what a revelation! great Latin/Rock/Hip Hop throughout. Loved "Saturday Night" "Believe" "Love & Hope " and "Who Discovered America" loved the line "Dip, Dive, Socialise Get Ready for Saturday Night..." Good album well worth it place on this list, homage to Carlos of course!

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May 09 2022
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5

Loved it! great music, hard to find the correct album though.

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Oct 04 2022
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5

Excellent album! Only 1 or 2 songs I didn't really care for, the rest were either fine but mostly excellent!

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Oct 26 2022
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5

This album was a fantastic with themes that could have been written in 2022. Latin fusion sound is very underrated. Favorite track: Dejame En Paz

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Nov 24 2022
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5

9/10. A great, unique sounding album. A couple songs got on my nerves, but in general this was great.

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Dec 23 2022
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5

This was amazing from start to finish 5 stars

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Jan 25 2023
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5

Yes please more hindi inspired music! ...correction, hindi music! Woo! How was I so wrong? Well reguardless of the origins, this rocks hard. So danceable, so aware, so activist, just wonderful!

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Feb 15 2023
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5

I always know when the genre on Apple Music isn't in English, that I'm in for a treat. Indeed I was today with this fun and lively album. I appreciated the diversity between the tracks as well as the energy and creativity of each song. Very enjoyable!

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Mar 03 2023
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5

A really interesting blend of cultures and sounds. Anthems for the regular people of LA County. Full of energy, Ozomatli definitely delivered here. Will have to check more of their catalogue out

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Apr 20 2023
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5

Definitely shows a lot of the roots of Latin music to come, especially the prominence of Spanish rap in music from artists like El Cata and Bad Bunny.

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Jun 02 2023
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5

Believe: very indian sounds, kinda fun Love and hope: its got the Latin piano. It's wierd how jazzy this is and how it feels very different from the jazz im used to. This has "livin la vida loca" Ricky Martin energy, but the violins are such an interesting add that works really well. The repaying lyrics at the end feel like they are for singing and not for chanting. Not what im used to haha Street signs: love the bari sax comboed with the bass, makes the bass feel deeper in the back of the brain just doing what it usually does. I just read the Wikipedia cause I just couldn't place this genre of music. Latin Funk makes so much sense, the music makes so much sense now too. Has a slow and punchy tempo and bass for funk combined with the Latin instrument sounds with the trumpet and piano (Who discovered) america?: this is starting to grow on me, just needed to get into the groove. I cant believe I cant think of another band that does this style of music, it feels so unique and similar to Santana to me right now, especially with the guitar solo. This is really good. This sounds like it would be really fun to play as well Who's to blame: the claps make this song along with the bubbly bass. Not usually into rap but this i can really get behind. Probably not on its own but in the middle of this album it just makes sense Te estoy buscando: what a good tango! Kind of peppy but really cements the "stomp stomp clap clap nose in the air" energy. Love the radio voice and the transitions back into reagular singing, one of my favorite vocal features Saturday night: Really interesting take on the styling. It feels experimental but also very rudimentary. Very opposite with the electric guitar and clams kinda feel Defame en paz: ayy ayy ayyyyyy! Now this is some Mexican style music right here, this i can get behind. Love the call and answere between lead and backup singers! Love the twangy piano sounds, love the sax trumpet stuff. This is going my Playlist right here this is good stuff. Santiago: this is just really good at this point Ya viene el sol: this feels super Indian. Really cool stuff. Donna isabelle: very beautiful piano work. Nadie te tira: the previous intro added so much to this song Chandon Canto: a good calm down I wanted to give it 4 stars at the first half, but this music really won me over. 5 stars, especially for the creativity. I've never heard anything quite like this and im really into how unique it feels for me. Very nice

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Jun 29 2023
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5

I have a lot of pre-existing affection for Ozomatli, although I'm more familiar with their earlier albums - saw them live a couple of times and they're fantastic - really bring the energy! Fave tracks - "Believe" is a badass opener, "Dejame En Paz" is a jam, and "Ya Viene El Sol" is just totally joyous!

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Jul 28 2023
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5

Please feed me more like this. About to start listening to these guys on the reg.

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Nov 06 2023
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5

Oh wow. I was already excited because of the obvious Nahuatl name, and then was really floored with the overall execution on display. Diverse, Rich, and Fun all in a perfect length record.

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Dec 14 2023
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5

This has been one of the biggest surprises and best albums in this list so far. This is awesome stuff.

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Dec 22 2023
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5

fantastic fusion of LA musicians incorating Indian raga, hip-hop, second line, East LA R&B, funk, and an absolute wedding banger that has been lost in my rotation and is now at the forefront.

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Feb 01 2024
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5

An album worth a listen. High energy and fun. Makes this project worthwhile to hit these discoveries

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Feb 09 2024
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5

Fuck yeah. I had to assemble this in YouTube and include live versions. This shit rocks though. Might try to pick it up on vinyl at some point. Unexpected greatness.

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Feb 15 2024
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5

Ooh, I'm digging this. The 1st track gave me Oojami vibes. Spanish lyrics are a plus!! I'm checking out their other stuff

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Feb 23 2024
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5

Such a broad-hitting release. Love the diversity of sound.

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Feb 28 2024
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5

high energy album with salsa, rap and rock styles.

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Mar 06 2024
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5

Listening to this had multiple health benefits including a lifting of spirits, and a slight loosening of hip joints. Suffice to say I had never heard of this band before today and I am so glad I know of them now.

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Apr 07 2024
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5

Amazing fusion of Latin music and modern hip hop. I loved this album so much be it is such a cultural crossover and hits on so many levels.

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Apr 28 2024
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5

Absolutely loved these guys! Kind of a cross between Santana, Island music/reggae and rap!

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May 06 2024
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5

Ah that’s a shame. I loved the debut album by these guys. Awesome mix of Latino funk and positive Hip Hop. I think I first saw them on The O-zone with Jayne Middlemiss and Jamie Theakston… there’s an esoteric UK throw back you weren’t expecting to see today. I can see why this one isn’t rated highly on here, the one track on Spotify does not do it justice and listening on YouTube feels like a real chore these days. I would recommend digging through some of their stuff though. I loved these guys back in the day. 5 stars, partially for the nostalgia.

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May 17 2024
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5

this is a COOL album and one that's absolutely unlike anything we've heard before. members of ozomatli are from latin america, and a lot of the music contains latin elements. interestingly, there's a sitar on the opening track and it gives a south asian feel to the album, even though the sitar is only on the first song. but i stand by that south asian sound isn't as strong as the latin sound but it persists throughout the album. not only that, ozomatli doesn't restrict themselves just to hip hop, and everything about this album is so refreshing. i'm obsessed with these lyrics! i had no idea ozomatli was so passionate about multiple social causes, and it's wonderful to hear such a strong presence in their songs. not only that, the songs are catchy as hell! somehow ozomatli creates such powerful lyrics while making absolute bops. no complaints.

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Jun 05 2024
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5

really enjoyed it, didnt recognize the name but once i started listening i recognized the voice. 10/10 would listen again

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Jun 29 2024
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5

Having never heard of this group or album I put this on cold and *BAM!* Out of the gate the opening track Believe was a modern, party take on Arab music that set me twirling in my seat! TERRIFIC! Love And Hope, the second track, had more Arabian delights and I thought I knew what I was listening to. Street Signs took things in a very different direction, world music from an entirely different part of the world. What am I listening to?! Turns out Ozomatli is a Latin Funk Rock band who apparently appreciate Arab and North African music - not unlike a certain boy who was known to listen to his mother's belly dance albums from an early age. This is an Arab-North African-Latin-Hip Hop party that I had no idea I - or the world - needed!

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Jun 29 2024
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5

Oh my god, this was so good!! From the first beat to the last, I enjoyed it all!!

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Jun 29 2024
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5

Fun and festive with some messages to boot, I loved the whole thing!

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Aug 16 2024
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5

Are you kidding me! Platinum quality.

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Sep 06 2024
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5

Wow. What a feast. A feast you can dance to. A feast that makes me want to put down all of this work I have to do, turn my back on the september morning chill, and head to L.A. to swear off winter forever... Each song has *such* a good groove, layering sounds and languages and cultures...I'm constantly being surprised by the inclusion of different instruments as these songs unfurl.... While there are a number of sounds here that have appeared in more popular music and tracks over the years, none of this feels done just for the sake of including a sound. As well, these tunes aren't overproduced. They're expertly mixed but still managed to retain the rawness of live music celebration... This kind of discovery is what participating in this 1001 albums exercise is all about... "The revolution will begin this Saturday night..."

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Sep 30 2024
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5

Ozomatli is an unique mix - it's a band that sounds like all of the influences that make up Los Angeles. There is a Hispanic foundation, with hip hop beats, a funky horn section, and some rapping. This danceable mix has made the band cultural ambassadors through their near-constant, international touring. Street Signs, the group's third, full-length release, was very well received, and won the Latin/Alternative Grammy the year it was released.. These are fun, catchy songs, with layered orchestrations both from the talented members of the band, and from the use of samples and synthesizers. This is an incredible fusion of a range of styles - again, this sounds like the amazing mixture that is Los Angeles.

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Oct 14 2024
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5

I can’t quite believe how much I loved this. It came as a complete surprise to me as I’ve never heard of them and they seem to touch a nerve, in a good way. I had to listen to them a second time just to prove that I wasn’t under some kind of spell or delusion. But a second time on a different day, I still love them. I will be returning to this as it makes me feel happy. I’m not sure it’s quite a five but for the Excitement and novel elements (to me at least), it probably deserves a bit more of a boost.

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Oct 16 2024
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5

I remember when they first started and they were sonething diferent and some of my friends didnt knew what to think of it. By this album they were already settled down and well respected everywhere. An amazing meltong pot of cultures they took all and everything from their hoods in LA and made an incredible album with influences from all over the world. In this one they incorporated the middle eastern sound along with salsa, hip-hop, funk, jazz and some other generes simply an amazing feat. Them talking about activisim and social issues probably didnt help them get on the airwaves just like RATM before them but this album is 5 star album no doubt a must listen to album.

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Oct 18 2024
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5

The clave beat and the salsa piano chords get me every time. Oye! Chica! Tirate! Que Tirate!

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Dec 21 2021
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4

Rock latino. Fusión. Interesante

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Jan 09 2022
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4

Albums like this are the ones I look forward to the most on this list due to their sheer uniqueness. Latin rock is much more interesting than hearing another boring 70s-80s rock album. Fav: who founded America

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Feb 09 2022
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4

The English lyrics leave a little something to be desired but this is great

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Feb 16 2022
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4

A different vibe completely from what I listen to. Tons of fun and well worth a listen.

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Feb 25 2022
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4

Quite liked this. The Roots but in Spanish?

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Apr 01 2022
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4

Mitt nya favorit band. svänger! även om det är svårt att få tag på tyvärr. men så är livet. ques que se

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Apr 22 2022
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4

Cool hip hop/funk/Latin fusion album. There's a lot of variation in the style of songs on this album which makes it fun to listen to

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May 19 2022
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4

What a mix of styles and genres, seriously loved this experience

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May 20 2022
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4

I don't care what genre, the world needs more socially conscious music that makes you want to dance as much as this does. I wouldn't normally gravitate to any of the genres explored on this album, and can't say I would go back to it, but glad I now know it exists.

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May 20 2022
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4

Latino flair from LA, Good listening.

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Jun 13 2022
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4

Músicas del mundo. Está bien. Un 4.

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Jun 16 2022
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4

Pretty awesome blend of rap, funk, and Latin music

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Oct 13 2022
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4

That was a trip. And Jurassic 5 is a big part of it. Wow catchy and very unique. Whole lots of genre influence

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Oct 24 2022
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4

This was something I'd never heard before, but it makes complete sense when you put it next to contemporaneous stuff like the Cat Empire or Manu Chao. Good fun.

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Nov 10 2022
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4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Believe, Love and hope

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Dec 08 2022
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4

Really fun album. I've never listened to these guys but they've got a great sound. Funky, cool latin rhythms, classic old-school hip-hop, it just works. They're creative and playful with their sound and structures, and just sound like they're having a really fun time on the album. They're not my style overall, but I'd listen to this again anytime.

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Dec 21 2022
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4

Man, that was way more fun than expected. The musicianship is top-notch, the songwriting is lighthearted but still significant, and the recording quality is legit. I don't know, I really enjoyed it and added several tracks to my personal playlists.

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Dec 25 2022
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4

A great album with amazing musicality and great musical diversity! Kept me invested the whole time. Best tracks: Believe, Who's to Blame, Saturday Night, Dejame En Paz, and Ya Viene El Sol

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Jan 05 2023
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4

It's not all available on Spotify or Youtube it seems. What I did listen to I actually enjoyed a lot

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Jan 18 2023
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4

Jammer dat zowel Spotify als Youtube niet het volledige album hebben. Ik vond dit gevarieerd en leuk. Niet alles overigens; soms vond ik het ook Enrique-Iglesias- en Songfestivalachtig. Over all toch enthousiast. Ik houd wel van groepen met veel muzikanten. Hier nog een leuk filmpje: https://youtu.be/jpAYZKX2Cz4

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Jan 25 2023
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4

Super fun hybrid hiphop latin stuff

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Jan 27 2023
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4

This was a hard one to rate because of how uptempo and over the place it was. I loved Santiago and America the best, but there were plenty of replay able songs. The combination of rap and Spanish pop(?) was a novel idea to me, and I can’t say that it disappointed.

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Jan 27 2023
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4

This is what I love about this 1001 experience. I would never have discovered this without this group. I really enjoyed this. It moves right from the start. Loved the guitar in Santiago and the piano in Dona Isabella. This would be the perfect album to play in the background for a warm summer night party.

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Feb 02 2023
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4

Really enjoyed that, felt like it spanned a few different genres nicely. Never heard of Ozomatli but in looking them up found out they are friends with Jack Johnson.

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Feb 02 2023
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4

It has been really hard to listen to this album as it isn't anywhere online. I think I've managed to listen to most of the songs on YouTube, albeit some were live versions. But I certainly had an impression - wow this was so fun! I bet it would be so great to see live. Loads of energy, fun, big sounds - loved what I did hear!!

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Feb 02 2023
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4

Amazing mix of influences and cultures. Never heard of this group before but I like what I find when I'm researching them a little bit. This vibe of taking you around the world by taking you around LA is really cool because of how international LA is. The biggest influence I hear coming through is the Latin one with Spanish lyrics and Latin beats. I love this mix of R&B Salsa Samba Jazz etc etc. It keeps me so interested throughout the album and makes me want to dance some salsa. Really great! Who Discovered America? Wow what a poem, amazing tune too.

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Feb 06 2023
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4

What a fun, funky album, reminded me of the first US3 album! 4 stars easily. Nice find.

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Feb 10 2023
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4

This was one of the most unique albums we've heard so far. It featured a variety of sounds, genres, and languages yet nothing sounded out of place. Parts reminded me of the Roots, Santana, the Black Eyed Peas among others but the album still had a cohesive feel. I wish some of the melodies were stronger.

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Feb 10 2023
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4

Not familiar with the band at all (although one of their songs from 2010 is in my itunes library -- probably from some compilation sampler I got). Have to say that I really liked the mix of funk, latin and rapping. Maybe they are more well known outside of the US, but they deserve some visibility here too.

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Feb 13 2023
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4

Its a party album, no doubt. Lots of fun but Im not sure an album of this title even exists. Has it become lost to time?

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Feb 09 2023
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4

Despite sounding like the soundtrack of a Fast and Furious movie, I have to say this was a fun listen. Obviously I didn’t understand it but it’s catchy as hell.

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Feb 16 2023
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4

4, bordering a 5, really good record.

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Feb 22 2023
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4

I really enjoyed this - I was already a fan of Chali 2na of J5 but hearing him and others over this ace Latin music was really enjoyable, and the additional African and Middle Eastern influences made it really varied and interesting. Definitely one I'll revisit.

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