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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

2.88

Votes

9506
Genres
World
Funk
Hip Hop

Reviews

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Wed Jan 19 2022
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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Wed Oct 19 2022
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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Thu Apr 07 2022
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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Thu Feb 17 2022
4

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

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Fri Feb 18 2022
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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Fri Apr 29 2022
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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Thu Dec 16 2021
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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Thu Nov 24 2022
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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Wed Feb 22 2023
4

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

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Sun Jun 18 2023
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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Sun Feb 20 2022
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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Fri Apr 29 2022
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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Sun Aug 28 2022
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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Tue Jun 06 2023
2

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

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Thu Oct 19 2023
2

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

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Wed Nov 29 2023
2

This is just absolutely not my thing.

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Thu Jan 13 2022
5

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

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Sun Jan 30 2022
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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Mon May 09 2022
5

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

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Tue Oct 04 2022
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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Wed Oct 26 2022
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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Thu Nov 24 2022
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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Fri Dec 23 2022
5

This was amazing from start to finish 5 stars

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Wed Jan 25 2023
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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Wed Feb 15 2023
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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Fri Mar 03 2023
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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Thu Apr 20 2023
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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Fri Jun 02 2023
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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Thu Jun 29 2023
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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Fri Jul 28 2023
5

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

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Mon Nov 06 2023
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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Thu Dec 14 2023
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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Fri Dec 22 2023
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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Thu Feb 01 2024
5

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

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Fri Feb 09 2024
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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Thu Feb 15 2024
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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Fri Feb 23 2024
5

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

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Wed Feb 28 2024
5

high energy album with salsa, rap and rock styles.

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Wed Mar 06 2024
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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Tue Dec 21 2021
4

Rock latino. Fusión. Interesante

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Sun Jan 09 2022
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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Wed Feb 09 2022
4

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

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Wed Feb 16 2022
4

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

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Fri Feb 25 2022
4

Quite liked this. The Roots but in Spanish?

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Fri Apr 01 2022
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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Fri Apr 22 2022
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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Thu May 19 2022
4

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

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Fri May 20 2022
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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Fri May 20 2022
4

Latino flair from LA, Good listening.

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Mon Jun 13 2022
4

Músicas del mundo. Está bien. Un 4.

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Thu Jun 16 2022
4

Pretty awesome blend of rap, funk, and Latin music

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Thu Jul 21 2022
4

Lively fun Latin rock and roll

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Thu Oct 13 2022
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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Mon Oct 24 2022
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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Thu Nov 10 2022
4

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

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Wed Dec 21 2022
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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Sun Dec 25 2022
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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Thu Jan 05 2023
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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Wed Jan 18 2023
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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Wed Jan 25 2023
4

Super fun hybrid hiphop latin stuff

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Fri Jan 27 2023
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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Fri Jan 27 2023
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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Thu Feb 02 2023
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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Thu Feb 02 2023
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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Thu Feb 02 2023
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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Mon Feb 06 2023
4

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

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Fri Feb 10 2023
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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Fri Feb 10 2023
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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Mon Feb 13 2023
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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Thu Feb 09 2023
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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Thu Feb 16 2023
4

4, bordering a 5, really good record.

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Wed Feb 22 2023
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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Mon Feb 27 2023
4

I liked this. Crazy eclectic sound - from Indian raga vibes to sounds approaching klezmer, and it's always a nice change to have socially and politically aware music that is largely positive and upbeat.

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Wed Mar 08 2023
4

Never heard of these before, really enjoyed the album!

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Sun Mar 19 2023
4

Started off like 70's funk, but it's a interesting mix of ragga, reggae, dub, latin, and ska. I liked it.

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Wed Mar 22 2023
4

Very solid. Always liked this album.

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Wed Mar 22 2023
4

Great mix of world music sounds and grooves. A good choice of music to work or clean the house to.

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Thu Mar 23 2023
4

A very welcome swerve from the procession of old white dudes

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Fri Mar 24 2023
4

Fun upbeat music with some variety. Most of it joyful

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Fri Apr 07 2023
4

This was a cool surprise, really fun Latin fusion rap rock.

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Wed May 10 2023
4

Mixture of Latin music and rap. Really fun. 4/5

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Sun May 28 2023
4

this is very nearly a 5 star album, maybe 4.5 it's a bit all over the place, but i like it, reminds me of ondatropica

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Mon May 29 2023
4

I had never heard of Ozomatli before today. But I liked what I heard. A very cool and unique blending of styles forms an enjoyable sound.

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Wed Jun 21 2023
4

Had a lot of fun with this one, but some songs feel repetitive.

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Thu Jun 29 2023
4

Oh what fun! I'm glad I had a chance to listen to this album it was really enjoyable. Fave tracks would be (Who Discovered) America?, Saturday Night, and Dejame En Paz. Cuando Canto is the perfect closer leaves you feeling relaxed afrer all the hype.

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Mon Jul 03 2023
4

Músicas del mundo. Está bien. Un 4.

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