Reviews (page 3 of 7)
It's fun! Fusion is fun. This isn't the most artful record on earth but it does a lot of things well, and I disagree with other reviews that the whole is less than the sum of the component parts. I don't really know Ozomatli at all, but this was a better "introduction to the artist" than some of the other records on this list, which give me nothing but a wary if not outright bad outlook for future appearances.
I’m a white person and this is the Whitest Music Ever for people who thought Putumayo compilations were too exotic.
Wow!!!!!&
I like the idea of these guys and their outlook on music and community, but their LA Latino mashup sound doesn’t really grab me.
Unfortunately I could only find 9 of the 13 tracks available to listen to. Lively Latin rock with good percussion and rhythm. Vocals are Spanish so it's difficult to comment on them. Overall a decent album.
Latino sounds with pop hooks. Some danceable rhytms and good variation. Not bad, but not anything I’d like to revisit ever again.
pretty funky
This one was super weird... not really in a good way
What a neat sound!! I'm definitely digging it.
Not ideal listening circumstances, a partial album sandwiched between YouTube ads, so it may not be the fairest view. We also seem to have hit the fusion part of the list, and this has a /lot/ going on, from rock and hip hop to salsa and Sufi music. I guess my trouble is that the fusion takes it all towards a lowest common denominator sludge, or at least the safety of middle ground. That's harsh, and it's more interesting than that, particularly given so much of this list, but equally I'm not going to come back to it.
2.3 2x youtube
only listened 2 songs because culdnt find others, and they were terrible
ei imusicissa. ei jatkoon
This reminds me of being like 19 and meeting a cute boy who I thought looked super cool but then we hung out and his favorite band was something like this. This may or may not have happened; it certainly feels real.
Þetta er töff á köflum og fínt í hófi, en ekki þesslegt að ég nenni að hlusta á aftur.
I really enjoyed this first time listen to Ozomatli. I love the mix of songs ranging from pop rap and Latin music themes. The added socio-political lyrics add depth and substance to their music. One song rapping defiance the next song ready to get up and dance-party.
Enjoyed the mix of wawa, singing in mix english and spanish. Felt like Ricky Martin and Mana and also Sergent Garcia. Would definitely revisit it 3.5 Who discovered america?
Some songs felt bland. Mostly felt like a party album, lacking substance.
Struggled to find the full album on either tidal or yt. What I heard was...ok? Bouncy latin flavoured hip hop. Reminded me of early Incubus hippie vibes, but nothing that deep. A 3, but based on very little.
𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 mixes funk, hip hop, and rock with a strong dose of Latin influences. The band clearly plays with energy and skill, but the overall style doesn’t really work for me. The Latin-fusion approach dominates the sound to such an extent that it becomes difficult for me to connect with the album. Since only a couple of tracks were available to me, I can’t fully judge the entire record, but even from those songs it was clear that this musical direction simply isn’t my taste.
This is the most 2004 shit I've ever heard in my life. The acoustic ethic melting pot from that peak "omg everyone were ending racism :))))" era millennials believed in. Rap verse on the first track threw me for a loop - kinda went crazy on that beat. The layered chorus on "Who's to Blame" is specifically funny to me. "Saturday Night" 1st rapper wants to be Malice on a Neptune beat soooooo bad "Ya Viene El Sol" record scratching is awful on top of a boring ass song I did get down with "Nadie Te Tira" but it wasn't enough to save this album
Multi Culture group with a blend of Latin, Hip Hop, Reggae and Funk. Highlights: Love and Hope and (Who Discovered) America? 3.0
Ricky Martin raps!?!? Nah This sounded like it would be interesting, but actually listening proved otherwise. Without the rap bits, this just sounds like everyday mediocre Latin pop. There were some flairs and riffs sprinkled throughout that did add some enjoyment, but not enough. For Ex: the guitar in the middle of "(Who Discovered) America?" or the intro to "Who's To Blame" Too much of this sounds like it would be playing at my local Mexican restaurant. Background music. No idea why this would make the list. It's a 2
Mexican hip.hop jazz fusion. Ok.
Cool Latin and rap vibe but not really for me
Tough to find all of the songs here. Not bad or anything, but kind of wears you down a bit?
It’s terrible
Didn’t finish but I heard enough
This sucks pretty sure I heard this in a stinky toilet.
It barely passes for me because it has an undeniably unique sound but aside from the first few tracks the album doesn't do it for me.
Fun album! I used to play a lot of these tracks on WYCE. The rapping on here is very “2000’s” at times. But it isn’t too bad. Instrumentally, the band is on fire from track to track
Love it love it love it great
Couldn't listen to the whole thing unfortunately, some songs didn't really do much for me but enjoyed the closer
*shrug*
onbekende band... maar met enkele verduiveld catchy songs... iets te lang om te blijven bekoren, maar zeker niet slecht
What a fun album! Some rock, some hiphop, some scratching and plenty of Spanish. Very cool mixtures here.
A collection of various Latin styles. It was nice that it wasn't all dancehall, but still not very interesting to me.
Annoying and irritating Best Song: Saturday Night Rating: 3/10 Stars: 3/5
Favorite tracks: Love and Hope, (Who Discovered) America?, Santiago This was a really fun album, so many different styles that all still flow together really well. Merengue? Check. Chali 2na? Check. Latin Gwen Stefani vibes in Believe? Check. (But really, it's crazy that Rich Girl and Believe came out the same year - such a similar melody)
...
Very suprising. Different, creative, nice except for a few songs.
Heard one song. It wasn't great. Very early noughties
Inte min grej
Svårt album att ens lyckas lyssna på, och det var inte direkt värt jobbet.
Bökigt att hitta låtarna men härlig musik, och najs med lite kulturellt coverage som saknats hittills i projektet!
Hip hop jazz rock from a group of socially and politically conscious Latino chaps from murica? Why, yes please
Viva el musico chicano
51/100. This has a bit of everything. Latin, hip hop, funk, reggae, samba. You name it, it probably shows up at some point. The problem is the constant genre switching. It feels like every song takes a sharp turn into something completely different, which ends up killing the momentum for me. I actually enjoy samba hip hop a lot, so whenever that element popped up, I was locked in.
It was quite and ordeal to find a version of the album that was close to the original. I ended up on YT with some tracks replaced by live versions. But that's primarily not the fault of this list or the artists. Ok, back to the album: I kind of liked it, although this is usually not my kind of music.
Mixed bag of movie credits music, albeit with heart. Loved the rap songs and the Chali 2na collab, got a little too Santana Ft. Rob Thomas for my tastes other times. Three stars. Favorite Track: the unbridled aughts energy of the Saturday Night music video
Yay por lo chicano
I didnt get past the first song, it was that ridiculous.
Pretty great very dance-y. The lyrics were mostly positive and hopeful. I enjoyed this album but wasn't overly wow'd by it.
only the first song was on spotify but it seemed promising 😍
It was a bit hit and miss for me. I love the enthusiasm and heart behind all of it though.
*Note: Not on Tidal, found on YouTube. Ads suck* This album has a fun mix of influences from musical styles throughout the world. Also, mixes up numerous genres with elements of hip-hop, funk, rock and soul. Musically this record all over the place. Mostly in a good way, but it does feel a little overdone at points. There are many danceable tracks throughout. I bet this band would be a riot to see live!
can't listen it in spotify
Favorites: Believe, Cuando Canto Least favorites: Who's To Blame, Ya Viene el Sol Rating (out of 10): 5/10
This was not at all my genre, but I really, really loved it anyway. Every song had its own unique sound and all of them were so fresh and funky and just an absolute delight to listen to. The writing and performances were amazing and the production and recording were absolutely immaculate. I loved this so much I listened to it three times and probably would have gone for a fourth but I had other things I had to do away from music. I will definitely be listening to this album again. Five stars, easily.
Santana meets Black Eyed Peas meets the Beastie Boys! ¿Donde esta la after-party?
++: Believe, Love and Hope, (Who Discovered) America?, Who's to Blame, Saturday Night, Déjame en Paz, Nadie Te Tira +: Street Signs, Santiago, Doña Isabelle +-: Te Estoy Buscando, Ya Viene el Sol, Cuando Canto 6,9/10
Ó hvað ég vildi að þetta hefði verið heilt albúm. Mig langaði virkilega að hlusta á þetta en heyrði bara tvö lög en þau voru góð. Þess vegna fá þau höfundarréttarskammarstig. Leiðinlegt.
Before I start reviewing this album, let me rant about how hard it was to find. Only the first two tracks are available on Spotify. Half the album is on YouTube with the other half either only being available through live versions and covers or not available at all. I eventually found the full album and was able to listen to the studio versions of each song, but what a struggle it was to find it. • Believe kicks the album off with a bang. I love the combination of Spanish and English lyrics, and the rap was a very pleasant surprise. • I like the guest vocalist on Who's to Blame, he's a great rapper and the lyrical content is very good • I love the Ozomatli chant during Déjame en paz, it made me smile so wide. You can feel how much fun they're having during the recording process • Ya viene el sol is so different to the rest of the album. The recurring sample of the intro voiceover and the disc scratches give it a unique vibe, it feels even more hip hop than the rest of this very hip hop coded album There doesn't feel like much point in writing notes for each track since my thoughts tend to boil down to the same thing for each: they're great! This is such a fun album to listen to, every song sounds like they had a blast during its production. This has to be one of the most energetic and frenetic albums I've ever listened to, it's like listening to a party. It's absolutely criminal that this album is so difficult to find, and the fact that it is made me go into the album with fairly low expectations, as if it was hidden for a reason, but I'm so glad that's not the case. It's hard to pick a favourite song, I feel like you could make a case for multiple of the tracks, so my choice is a bit more arbitrary than normal. Favourite song: Saturday Night
cool ma youtube is annoying
Just meh I thought.
A breath of fresh air in comparison to the absolute slog I've had for the last week. Who doesn't love latin hip-hop from the early aughts?
Oh man how have I never heard of Ozomatli before? This was a total blast! Especially the songs where they add strings, some excellent music there. Believe kicks it off nicely, with those wonderful strings, and a nice rap section too. Love And Hope also has the strings, very nice. Street Signs was really fun, good rap and some nice piano work. Who Discovered America was really fun. Who's To Blame had a nice beat. Te Estoy Buscando was lovely, great strings in that one. Saturday Night was a fun chill song. Dejame En Paz flowed really nicely. Santiago and Cuando Canto were really good. Loved it, definitely need to listen to more Ozomatli! Best song: Who Discovered America
Not all available
Never heard of this band, but it's a lot of fun! The wild mix of styles feels organic and never forced and the songs are catchy without feeling cheap. I will probably return to this.
Really cool vibes an message
Listened to part of it
Odd
ganz nett
I definitely preferred the rap songs in this album, which isn't a surprise as I always enjoyed the little I'd heard Chali 2na in (mostly his contribution on Linkin Park's Reanimation). Overall it was decent, but whether it was worth VPNing into the US for, not so sure.
The first half of this album was incredible. The second half was pretty pleasant, but didn't hit the same high for me personally (probably because I don't speak the language). Still, overall an very good album and I wanna listen to more Ozomatli now.
This is fun. Not exactly my thing, but I like it
Very enjoyable. Looks like it got taken off later, but I'd never heard of these guys, and left impressed - if only all dance music could manage to actually be songs.
Like it 3/5
Bit of a struggle to listen (had to use YouTube). Interesting and you can see how this would be brilliant live.
Not enough of it on spotify for me to make a decision. The stuff I did hear seemed quite good?
The issue with fusion/hybrid music, which Ozomatli epitomizes, is that it so rarely digs deep into the genres it claims to explore: the Latin accents do not have much going for them, the rapping is corny and weak, the lyrics are platitudinal, dully uplifting, and superficially political, the production is one-note and one-dimensional. This is like the music you'd hear at a party at the playa that no amount of alcohol will have you feeling - the next drink may in fact make things worse. The best track is 'Who's To Blame,' which features an impressive but unmemorable verse from Chali 2na. Look, if you want pop-rap-rock from LA, Black Eyed Peas are your flawed go-to. This is about as offensively bland as you can get, the pacification of genres I love.
This is the latin machine that does not stop it just keeps churning, body yearning, dance floor burning, esse vato loco let's go!
Very mediocre music with a Latin twist. I hate this genre mashup nonsense that Americans do; Latin music could and should stand on its own, it isn't made interesting just because you put rap over it. Couldn't bring myself to finish.
Like kje latinamerikanske rytma, men ut over da va da heilt ok. Kanskje litt for P4-aktig
Til dels smertefullt pinlig, til dels ingenting.
4/10 – Weak
Holeee godDAMN
Not my thing.
It’s cool and fun
Not for me
An excellent album. The mix of genres including but not limited to funk and jazz with a Latin influence done so well. I had never heard of this artist before and I'm really impressed. I love the mix of some good social commentary and music. Favourite song: (Who Discovered) America? HM: Street Signs 4 Feb 2026
Fun and interesting record, sad to not have found anywhere solid to listen to it. While appreciative that latin sounds are being represented by this record, I think it is not the landmark album that the list claims it to be. 6/10 [DROP]
Wasn’t a fan of this one. Kinda cheesy.
3⭐️/5 02.04.2026
Interesting. Based on the first song, I thought it was going to be middle eastern. Turns out it's Latin.
I couldn’t find anywhere to listen to the full album
Review - a difficult album to find on streaming services. Not a good listen. A Mish mash of pop rock, various Latin styles, and hip hop, but not particularly good version of any of those styles. A jack of all trades album. Music for no one. Rating - 2.5/10 Need to listen? NO
540/1001
Enjoyed this way more than I thought. Some funky sounds and good variety of styles in one record!
I was extremely pleasantly surprised by this album. The back end was a little too heavy on the cumbia for my tastes—not that cumbia itself is off putting but the elements of fusion are where this record really shines—but the A side is a revelation.
I mean at least I had fun testing out my Spanish skills
LA's answer to Manu Chao, this is an ecclectic bit of world music drawing on global funk, hip hop, reggae, cumbia, salsa and other latin dance music, electronica, and rock. Scratching DJs compete with a horn section and a melodica to get a line in between rap verses. Party feel, but not an especially fun party.
I found this to be a very colorful and fun album. Side A had some great blends of funk, pop, and hip hop with a Latin edge. I was reminded of ATCQ on some of the hip hop leaning songs too. The latter half delved into more Latin music, but remained colorful. I definitely was losing interest about halfway through the record, but it was a pleasant enough listen.
Only 2 songs on Spotify, and they were more than enough
This was headed to one star because I hated the English parts. The Spanish parts that didn't try to do a rap/rock hybrid was pretty good. Probably won't ever listen to this again but it's not without it's merits.
Took me a while to find such is its popularity!?? When I did I discovered my worst musical nightmare - a fusion of funk and hip hop. Shit of the highest degree. Only redeeming feature is that it seems no streaming platform carries it. 1/5 28/1/26
This is totally ok, it's not really memorable in any way and it's not really my style. I understand how this is super LA focused but I just don't care for it
ehh
This album was a great discovery! I didn't know anything about the artist until after listening to the album. This album is a neat fusion of world music.
Here comes weird ahh latina stuff. also it sounds perfectly like what I would expect 3/5
"Street Signs" is the third studio album by American rock band Ozomatli. Rap rock, Chicano rock, funk, hip hop, Latin rock and world fusion are the Wiki-listed genres. They hit all those styles. The large band is Asdru Sierra (lead vocals, guitar, piano, trumpet), Raul Pacheco (vocals, guitar, jarano, tres), Justin "El Nino" Puree (rap, vocals, percussion), Jabulani "Jabu" Smith-Freeman (rap, vocals), Ulises Bella (vocals, keyboards, saxophone, melodica, requinto), Jiro Yamaguchi (vocals, percussion, tabla, arrangements), Willy "Wil-Dog" Abers (backing vocals, bass, arrangements), Sheffer Burton (trombone), Mario Calire (drums) and Rene "DJ Spinobi" Dominquez (turntables). The album reached #125 on the US Billboard 200 Album Chart and won the 2005 Grammy for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. A wah-wah guitar and handclaps open "Believe." Bass, drums and dramatic Middle Eastern horns. Spanish vocals and rapping in English urging listeners to take action in social change by voting. This sound is not far from the Afghan Whigs. Cowbells ring in "(Who Discovered) America?" A catchy Spanish vocal chorus. A searing guitar solo. I don't where but I have heard this song before. Horns set the melody in the first single "Saturday Night." Rattles and a rock guitar. The style changes to a funky beat and horn fills. Scratching. The community is getting ready for Saturday night. "Santiago" has a Spanish-sounding acoustic guitar. A Latin beat in more of a ballad. Piano and synth strikes. An ode to the patron saint of Spain? The one thing that stands out on this album is amount of styles the band incorporates: hip hop rapping, Latin, rock, Middle Eastern, Indian, classical, ballads, and even ska. There's a lot going on instrumentally with horns, synths, guitar, piano and various percussion. Nice we mixing and production. The lead and backing and vocals are loud and clear in English and Spanish. This lends to the uplifting and party-like tone. The lyrics tend to be calling out to the community to rise up and participate in change. Overall, this was an enjoyable album well worth the time spent listening to it.
I'm suprised that none of these songs are in Total Overdose Red locoroco core
I have never been as happy to hear an American's voice until now
Unfortunately, I could only listen to two tracks from the album, as my streaming service didn't have any more. But that's enough for a first impression. What I heard was quite interesting. It reminded me a little of the Oriental rock/pop music I hear blaring from some open car windows here. I find that quite amusing at times, but after a while it becomes a bit strange. So I won't be making an effort to listen to more of the album or the band. 3/5
Great discovery
Great album if you like grwffiti
cool album.. from what I heard (not on apple music). 7.5/10
While the music is catchy and well produced, this does not land with me simply because it is not my style.
AMAZING. Cinematic and different and fun. Wow what an album
not bad, but i immediately forgot what I had listened to after it was done.
not for me
Not my bag, to be fair. A little groovy.
not bad
Can’t really judge based on two songs on Spotify but I didn’t like the first song but the second was fine. Still 1 star probs Had to listen to the bootleg version with covers and missing songs but was quite enjoyable, a very good vibe and felt like 2000s rap in a few songs. Fav song: dajeme en paz and saturday night
This was a really fun listen. A band I have never heard about and a genre fusion I haven't listened to before. The rhythms and the flow throughout the album are great. Even though I don't understand a word I still get pulled straight in.
Not on Spotify. The few tracks I could locate were terrible
La he tenido que escuchar en Youtube en plan cutre porque no está en Spotify. Por otra parte, la música no está mal. Me recuerda mucho a música del FIFA rollo Macaco. Pero vamos, sin más.
Bunte Latin-Pop-Rap Mischung. Manches gefällt mir gut, manches ist nicht mein Geschmack. Insgesamt ok. 3/5
Unable to listen to the full album. What I could listen to was refreshing but not truly my vibe
Funk, soul and so much more.
Nahh man this isn’t it. A bit too mid rap with very mid everything honestly.
Jeg har Apple music og dette albumet finnes ikke på plattformen. Likte hverken videoene eller reklamene på Youtube. Forbanna liberalt pølsevev! 2/10
Skjønner ikke helt hva de prøver på her
Hørt 13/01/26. kun to låter tilgjengelig på Spotify. Googlet bandet, sjokkert over at de er amerikanske og ikke tyrkisk eller whatever?! Veldig eurovision-musikk basert på de to låtene iaf.
Blanding av alt mulig rart; latino, jazz, hiphop, rap. Politisk vinkling på mange av sangene, men tekstene er veldig tannløse.
1/13/26. Enjoyable and different. 6.5/10
I'm very confused by this album it is all over the place, switching in and out of genres and languages arbitrarily. I feel like I should hate this, but I really enjoyed it.
Fine
Zzzzz. What is this even doing here? I laughed so hard at the Spanish pronunciation of the first song
not bad
Pass
Good but not phenomenal. 3/5
There are some fun songs here but the salsa vibe of this album just sounds too dorky to me.
Man, what on Earth was this album?? This was so far removed from anything I’ve listened to so far and I honestly just kind of loved every weird minute of it. This is the kind of random album I started this project to hear. This is a band I just BARELY remember hearing in Madden when I was a little kid, so in a weird sense it also feels like a bit of a time capsule of sorts, back to when gaming was actually good and we didn’t have to worry about micro-transactions or AI nonsense. Street Signs is a completely mixed bag of musical genres and drastic vibe changes, sometimes being very traditionally Latin, other times going to Hip Hop, Pop, and frequently switching between Spanish and English lyrics. Sometimes, it works. Other times it really doesn’t. What does or does not work for you is going to largely depend on what you enjoy hearing, as the biggest compliment I can give this album is that every song sounds wholly unique from the last. Could also be a double edged sword at times, but I digress. Take Chali 2na randomly showing up on “Who’s To Blame” for instance. Furthering the fun time capsule, he immediately made me want to go listen to Jurassic 5. With his unbelievably smooth voice, I would listen to that man read the phone book. Then you’ve got songs like “(Who Discovered) America?” and “Love And Hope”, which are mostly in English but have a few lines and background elements in Spanish. On top of that, you’ve got “Dejame En Paz” and other songs which are entirely sung in Spanish. This album switches like that on the fly, and there’s truly a lot to take in. Sometimes to its benefit, other times it doesn’t really work. The end result for me personally was that I found myself adding a new song just about every single time I replayed the album. The only song I haven’t mentioned by name yet that I really enjoyed is “Saturday Night”, which I remember coming straight out of Madden. Picking a favorite song here was way harder than I was expecting, but it’s going to go to Chali 2na and “Who’s To Blame”. I had no idea he was going to show up, but he absolutely kills it on that song. “Saturday Night” gets my second favorite. It was a very close fight. Both are catchy as hell, but I think the ladder is maybe just a bit repetitive. I still don’t entirely know what this album was, and sure there’s plenty to skip on it, but man, I ended up adding 5 songs on the album, and most of the rest aren’t even bad, so I’m going to give it a 4.1 right on the dot. I think for being so unique and different, as well as just being very good and trying something new, that rating makes sense to me.
One time I forgot about some Pico de Gallo in the back of my fridge for a few weeks and when I found it it was covered in a thick layer of blue fuzz. The smell was unbearable. Unlike that experience, Steet Signs is the kind of Salsa Funk I can really get behind. It's a shame spotify doesn't have all of it available, but I'm planning on buying this one anyway so I'm not too worried... Just glad I found a way to listen to it all (albeit with a different/live recording here and there and maybe not at the highest quality). I do wonder how much the overall rating of this album has suffered from people marking it down because they're annoyed that it's not as available to listen to. For me, Steet Signs is an easy 5 even with the difficulties associated with actually listening to it. Chali 2na's track in particular is excellent (and apparently he was a founding member of the band, so I may need to find some of their earlier stuff!) and I really enjoyed the overall sound. This album brilliantly walks that difficult line between showcasing variety and range, and having a definitive and recognisable sound. Avoiding becoming stale and boring while maintaining a cohesive vibe and experience is a hard thing to do, and they've pulled it off very well here.
Interesting concept mixing so many different nationalities of music. I think it's too much happening at once, and I can't rap but I didn't think the rap parts werent articularly that well done. It was a fun album, but i didn't really care for it.
DNF
Albums like this are exactly the reason why I'm doing the 1001 albums project. I've never heard of this group and it was a great listen!
Nice beats. Latin influenced hiphop and very diverse. Too bad it isn't on Spotify and the YouTube playlist is incomplete
"Street Signs" by Ozomatli is a mix of genres, but I found myself less keen on the hip-hop elements. It was an okay experience overall, but not one I’ll be adding to my regular rotation. Somewhat safe and nice. Three stars. This is the the second album on this list was a challenge to find in full. YouTube had most of the tracks. 208/1001 117/208 albums reviewed were new to me.
i think i would've liked it better if instead of switching tabs between youtube and spotify, i could listen to it in one place on any of those platforms. sadly, i had to miss two songs because they were not available on any of music streaming apps. the album itself was fine, it had a pleasant vibe ("saturday night" and "ya viene el sol" were my personal favourites). maybe one day i'll buy a used cd of this album so i could listen to the entirety of it, but at the moment the album was just "fine" and simply nothing too special for me, despite being quite catchy!
Nice, groovy Latin hip hop. Enjoyed this one from start to finish.
OK
3.0
Let’s take the corniest elements of Wyclef Jean, Santana, Lin Manuel-Miranda and the Black Eyed Peas and blend them into one whack ass group that’s just asking to be nominated for a Grammy circa 2006.
Did not listen
Impossible to find this (on Spotify at least, and only partial version on Youtube). From what I heard on Youtube, it was pretty cool. Latin rap. Some songs better than others. Fine, won't return most likely. Odd inclusion to the list, when so many of the great Latin albums were not included.
Pretty fun
Some of that was pretty cool. Decided to explore their catalogue a bit more. Ozomatli is a great example of a band that's pretty good in the studio, but great live.
Didn't know what was going on for half this album but every track was fire
annoying that it isn't on spotify. well. i liked it but not a whole lot. my bf walked in and started dancing so that was nice.
This is an album from a group out of LA that I don’t know anything about. It’s a mix of hip hop, jazz, Spanish, and Latin music. It’s unlike anything else on the list so far. Overall it’s good, but not quite good enough for a four-star rating.
This is a fun album cover. I think I may have heard some of these songs before (yes!! per Wiki: "In October 2010, Ozomatli performed at the USC Presidential Rally with Barack Obama". It was so crowded all my photos from this event are just people's heads!!), but I guess they didn't make a huge impression. Still, nice to see a little Spanish language representation! The second half of the album was definitely better for me, maybe debido al idioma. Like a mildly funky Angeleno Linkin Park in the first half though. It's OK. Pleasant enough but no interest in a second listen. Like a 3.5. Highlight: Actually, I did like 'Déjame en Paz' for the sentiment, maybe I'd return to that one.
It took me a while to listen to this album as it's not on Spotify. My initial impression was very positive, but quickly dropped. There's too many ideas/genres being put into the pot and the result is something that's occasionally very good but is often a mess. Sometimes less is more.
A blend of Latin, urban, and world rhythms. Hearing Khaled's Kenza and ROSALIA recently has made me appreciate the Santana/Timbaland production here.
It was alright
This is a very strange album. It takes the throw everything at the wall and see what sticks approach to songwriting. Sometimes there are some really unique and interesting ideas, but I also found a lot of it to just be a little boring. One of my personal problems with this album is the vocals. They are just too loud in the mix and don't blend well. I also think they seem a little too over processed. I do think the good outweighs the bad though and I did enjoy it for the most part. Mid 3.
What a surprise with this album! I really enjoyed every single song.
-sort of a strange album in terms of direction i think. not at all something i would listen to in my free time but i gave it a decent chance -there were some fun songs at the beginning but a lot of it felt very cringe and contrived. kinda blended together toward the end. maybe not an album quite deserving of being on here imo -Favorites: Believe, Love And Hope
Very strange Latin Rock or whatever. And yet another album whose sole claim to fame is being included in the book. Very eclectic mix of genres, without excelling in any of them. Not bad, but nothing more than a leftfield curiosity. Key tracks: Believe
It is a jarring album that I can't decide whether to hate or like. On one hand, it sounds like a bunch of horror movie props banging together, but on the other hand it's pretty well done and gives an eerie feeling.
Not my jam.
This was so captivating. The first song is almost like listening to every genre all at once, but from there you really get introduced to what this group is all about, and they way they blend so many sounds successfully at all is so impressive. Some songs weren’t quite for me, but these guys won me over for sure. Best Track: Cuando Canto
I had fun listening to this but it didn't make me want to return to it
3.5 stars. 2000's Latin album that is at times pop/hip-hop/rap rock. "(Who Discovered) America?" feels like knockoff Santana. Standouts are "Saturday Night", a nostalgic memory with it's catchy chorus and "Dejame En Paz" a fun, uptempo Latin tune.
Street Signs is an incredibly interesting and unique album and that is what i love so much about it. Most of the album had this really cool mix of rock, funk, traditional Latin and hip-hop which is definitely a fun combination and not something you see every day and it is executed super well too. The lyrics here are also pretty enjoyable too with the big single Saturday Night really standing out on this front (These guys predicted 2020, what else can i say?). I guess my problem with this album is that it does eventually abandon that cool fusion i mentioned before and goes full traditional Latin, That's not a bad thing, especially if you are a fan of that genre, but it is still disappointing. Still a great album though. Best Song: Saturday Night Worst Song: Dejame En Paz
A bit repetitive at times but I really enjoy the fusion of different styles
I appreciate the melting pot aspects of this album, and I love the activist messaging. But I found myself wishing it were strictly Cumbia, samba etc. I didn’t have much need for the rock, rap or DJ aspects.
animated and quirky latin-inspired pop music. it's definitely a set of music suited for parties and big events... and judging from the youtube comments, it's the kind of sleazy latin pop that's found in movie soundtracks. if you're the kind of person perpetually stuck 20 years ago and you think living la vida loca is the greatest song ever made in history, you might like this album. a decent handful of tracks are nice, but a lot of it is annoying and similar sounding. dreamworks animated movie credits music cd, basically.
I listened to Ozomatli's first album quite a bit and loved it. I have also seen them live multiple times and they have always put on a really fun show. This is the first time hearing any album after their first album. It's pretty good, I dig it. Not as good as their first album but I would listen to it again.
The first album by this band was such an incredible debut, it sort of put everything else they did in a paler spot. Even their collaborations with groups I really love and respect never seemed to shine as bright. This is probably unfair to the group - on this listen of this album I found a lot more that I like about it than previous listens that were closer in time to its release. I still don’t think they ever hit those same heights, but there’s a hell of a lot to like here.
Just not my vibe. I think there are groups that have a similar sound that are more my vibe that I will give a listen to.
I would lean to give it a 3.5 for the variety of sounds. But this really had moments where I felt I had heard other artists do something similar but better.
I either loved or hated the songs. It sounded like two different groups!
I liked Ozomatli before I knew anything about hip hop or latin music so...
Wow, glad I was introduced. Finding good songs outside my experience is why I'm doing this. So it's great to see one in the first week.
It was OK till the rapping started. But a good solid album, though not available on my streaming service.
Was kind of like a suburban mall version of Latin funk
I'm just okay on this
Sorry not sorry
Temu Enrique Iglesias.
La única forma de escucharlo han sido listas que he encontrado subidas por la gente a YouTube Music. Suenan bastante bien, pero no los conocía de nada y creo que no los he escuchado antes. Suena a verbena, a Café Tacuba a Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. No sé si fueron los pioneros de este sonido, pero no han pasado a la historia.
What a banger. Enjoyed it throughout. Such a cool sound throughout. Felt a little inconsistent but would listen again if I was flying to like Cuba.
A lot of people are going to love this album, but I just don't. It's a lot of fun, but the vibe reminds me of late '90s numetal, though without the trailer park machismo, thankfully. Not much more to say. Not bad, but not for me. Three stars.
This is giving early 00s where we threw hip hop at everything. Cool cross-genre songs though, good vibes from this album overall.
Kind of boring in a banal way. Nothing really stood out, even if it was heavier than expected. Still, I probably won't have this album in a regular rotation. 2 stars.
I haven't heard about this band before, it's Latin pop mixed with rap, alternative rock and other genres. Quite an entertaining album, although sometimes I think less is more. I couldn't find a few songs on Youtube, which is rare cause so far (950+ albums) I've found all albums in full. 3stars.
I had heard "Saturday Night" from a lot of different things, I think it was in a Madden game, or maybe NHL. In any case, the rest of this album is solid. Nothing to write home about, but not terrible. 2.75 / 5 stars
Was only able to listen to two songs, rest not available in my country. It's 2025, go figure. Anyhoo, the two I could hear didn't float my boat
These are all very good musicians. Unfortunately this doesn't really do much for me. I'm honestly surprised this is on the list... but 1001 albums covers a lot of genres and artists. Ozomatli is probably the best at what they do... but that doesn't make it something I need to listen to before I die. Is this even their best album?
Occasionally cringey in it's interpolation of modern aesthetics into more traditional Latino genres, there is no denying that this music gets you moving.
Really liked this one.
Very cool, fun album with a mix of sounds.
Some good stuff here, mostly due to Cut Chemist, but overall just highs and lows.
not much to see not on spotify
This album had a lot of different genres mixed in together. Some of it was good, some of it was interesting, but overall I can't say any song really rose up and did it for me.
??? latin, middle east, hip fusion. läuft gut durch aber 1001? c
Interesting. Such a mix of things, they probably don’t even know what kind of music they play. In Amal bites it was ok, but not this much.
Finally, music featured in Hot Tub Time Machine, a major motion picture from MGM. Fine overall. Not quite my thing. Although I could see myself enjoying this at a music festival.
Wanted to like this more than I did, but aside from a few moments this didn’t grab me.
Another introduction to me. The album starts strong ("Believe", "Love And Hope", the Santana-like "Who discovered America?") but with further progress looses tension to me. Nonetheless I like the mood of this record and the brass instruments. I give it the weak three stars just because of the few sucker ("Saturday Night", ""...). 2,5
2.5
Latin rap, for a guy who is meh about both genres
Fun and funky, with a very eclectic set of influences. The various streaming services clearly feel this is too much like a good time for them, as they've rendered it almost impossible to listen to in a coherent fashion. Anyway, it was fun, but we all know by now that I'm not really here for fun.
I've been looking forward to this one. Loved Ozomatli's self-titled debut back in the day, but haven't listened to much else by them. Really liked this one.
I am mostly disappointed that these guys are from LA ... when the album started, I was thinking maybe we were dealing with some world music. But quickly this album becomes pretty annoying. This album plays out like an office secret Santa gift exchange, someone just threw a bunch of crap in the pot, and you are trying your best to find one good thing about the whole mess.
I couldn't listen to much of this as it was hard to get on streaming, but what I listened to was good. Very funky.
7/10… Funk / Hip Hop / *2004
Very jolly but not very good
3.0 51:40 (13 tracks, 3rd album, 2004) Latin Hip Hop (U.S. band, LA) heavy salsa and jazz influences. English Spanish mix - not bad.
I hoped for more. But it’s not good.
I love a good fusion style and this is great.
Bad
Jamaica, nd a ver com reggae...escutei algumas outras coisas pois esse album n tem no spotify (acho que apenas duas músicas).
Nope
This is exactly why I started this project—an album I never would’ve touched otherwise. It’s a fun and genuinely interesting listen. It’s very of its time, but it works, pulling from everywhere: hip-hop, rap, a little Ricky-Martin-era pop energy, even splashes of Indian and African influence. It shouldn’t blend this well, but it does. It’s the kind of record that throws a lot at the wall and somehow most of it sticks. A pleasant surprise I didn’t see coming.
I found myself really liking certain sections of this record and I also found myself really hating certain sections of this record. Overall I don't really like it but I could see how this would be a banger of an album for a lot of people. I'm not a big fan of latin rock but I really like latin jazz and just latin music in general. The hip hop stuff came across as pretty cheesy. So I think whenever it got more rock-y or more hip hop-y I started to hate it. I think I'd give it a 2.5 but I'm leaning more towards a 2.
This caught me off-guard and I really enjoyed it. Most of the latin music on this project has been hard for me to get into, but I was really able to connect to the hybrid nature of this one. It really does sound like Los Angeles. I like the Santana inspired guitar with the hip hop beats and rap. As well as kind of nu-metal vocals. This was really cool.
Местами интересная музыка, местами не очень. 6 из 10.
Interesting.
It's pretty good if a little repetitive. Kind of like Miami Sounf Machine with guys signing, scratching and rapping.
I think this has been removed from Spotify, probably in one of those moronic protests
Nice
It was OK, not my favourite so far
i have warm opinions of them due to nostalgia and how much i enjoyed their first 2 albums. this one is certainly solid, a good first half and a better back half. might not reach to this album again, but it's not bad. it was a nice reminder to check back in with them: they have a really fascinating children's album, and their dubby covers album from 2017 is nice!
The 2020 mention in Saturday Night freaked me out. Anyways this bangs. It's a nice break from all of the rock albums that I've gotten lately. The genre mixing is well done. The album as a whole is welcoming, I feel like it's music for anyone and everyone while still having a strong, specific perspective.
There's some things to like here, but it also shows its age, so it's a bit of a wash. Mostly positive, but a wash.
This is very of the time. The rap (in my opinion) adds nothing to the tracks. I found that I was waiting for the songs to be over instead of enjoying them while they lasted.
> the Beatles This rules. People who rated it low I'll bet love yellow submarine
eh
So we're stepping up the difficulty level where I need to find the album myself since it's not on spotify. Anyway looked for every single song on YouTube and what should I say? I really enjoyed that album. I guess I'm into Latina Stuff pendejo HE HE HE didn't find: Te Estoy Buscando -> instead: Kino y Zehki instead, was ok, some Hip Hop Stuff Santiago -> bad quality shakey Concert Video BUT ended with Masters of Puppets Instrumental Cover! Very cool!
Different but in a good way.
World music mixed with rap.not bad, but not for me. Sorry, 2 it is.
From the bits I was able to find, it sounds like they were having a lovey old time. Shame that the whole album wasn’t available anywhere and I’m not sure if everything I found was actually part of the album. But I’ll go with vibes and give it a 3 that I hope it deserves.
This was bloody good once I had finally found a version of it on YouTube. Completely eclectic world infused tunes. I love it! I shall hunt for a copy on ebay!
I was kind of angry that I had to listen to this on Halloween, but somehow it strangely fit the sinister/spooky theme. Really enjoyed this one.
Loved the high energy and mix of styles and culture on this album. Funk, Rap, Latin Beat all done well. A very pleasant surprise..
Only one song available on Spotify and it wasn't good enough to make me seek out the rest
Delicious from start to finish.
Meh
Excellent. Again not the album that I recall being super into.
I enjoyed all the Latin elements, especially the brass, and I like the idea of mixing up genres in theory. But, like another recent reviewer, I wasn't super-keen on the rap and nu-metal bits; I think I'd rather listen to pure salsa. Good to hear about their activism, though.
Didn't hate it, but every song sounded the same as the rest. It almost seemed like a parody of latin music... 2.4
Damn good stuff.
Ozomatli is a band that I only knew about from the fact that they once played a Phish festival in 1999. With that being said, I'm glad that I at least knew what I was getting myself into here. This is a record that is primarily latin and has hip hop and rock influences layered throughout. I'm Mexican-American, so I think it's a little pleasant to hear Spanish vocals though I don't seek them out. I spent a lot of my early life exposed to Spanish-language music so much that I got tired of it. But now I hear someone speak the language (cada día yo veo la destrucion) and I think it's cool to have that on a list like this. As for the record, I wouldn't return to it but it has nice stuff that prevents it from being a 2. There's potential in the material presented and I'm all for it, but not diehard if that makes any sense. It's a clever mixture of a variety of styles and that's good enough for the rating (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)
As one half of infamous British Latin Funk band Houmous & Chuntey I can really appreciate the struggle Ozomatli had to get over with the mainstream crowds. 4.0 4/13 Who Discovered America?
that was not what i was expecting holi moli def a high 4
This was fantastic and took me a wonderful journey of different kinds and styles all full of energy. I need more like this and have been pleasantly surprised with a lot of international music I came across.
Expected to hate this, but some of it is OK.
Great genre bending album. Hip hop, rock, salsa, latin rock vibes throughout. Really enjoyed this one and loved the horn section! Highlights: “(Who Discovered) America” and “Saturday Night”
This was awesome! Loved the mixture of genres here with Latin rock, a little hip-hop, a little jazz, and a little classical. My favorite track was the second-to-last one, "Nadie Te Tira" which had incredible piano work.
Not for me but you gotta listen to em all. 2.3/10
While I wish the expanded “world” influences lasted through the whole album, this one is a fun party!
Its kinda cool with all the latin american influence and flair. But awfully tacky and cliche for '04 with the infusion of hip hop and nu metal aspects. Surely worth a listen before you die in lifeto round out your world influence. But this is so very 2004, it doesn't hold up 21 years later in the big '25.
Couldn’t understand half of it Close to being as bad as the beastie boys
It’s like the Latino version of the Roots. Cool mix of hip hop and Latin music.
I've heard much better Latin albums that probably would have been better for this book
This was so fun to listen to especially after the endless stream of rock and hip hop albums we’ve been getting. Every song was super catchy and different from the previous one. I like the switching between languages too. The album takes a really interesting turn on Dona Isabelle. Fav songs: believe, ya viene el sol, cuando canto
Not my style of music. So I’m the wrong person to rate it’s quality.
Prvič slišim za ta band & mam v bistvu problem najdit album. Spotify ma samo prve dva komada, Bandcamp nič, na youtube je playlista, sam bom plagued s stotimi addi. Evo, sm ga izbrskala nekje... Ok, začne (komad "Believe") se tko udarno, da me je skor fuknl s stola. Spet mam prenaglas zvočnik. Je pa tak, kul. Fak, kr ne najdemo boljše besede dons. Dobr vajb ma, dobr ritem. Uf, ne vem pa kok mi je všeč random rap vložek. Ful ga ne rab ta komad. Ta drug, "Love and Hope", mi je mal generičen. Angleščina ne pomaga. Mja, vsakič k je španščina, minje dejansko bolj. Nism tok fen random record scratchev (ampak! je blo izdano 2004, to je blo takrat fakin povsod. Ok, bom pripisala cajtu.). Lol, naslednji, "Street Signs", se literally začne z record scratchem. Ok, ta je očitno bl rap komad. (+ Očitno je to their thing, delajo musko v celmu rangeu žanrov). "(Who Discovered) America?" je spet večinsko v angleščini, kar mi spet ne sede tok za njih. (Na wiki piše, da so s tem albumom prvič bolj v angleščini tud - mogoč brezveze? Čist drug vajb da komadu. Tko k je men osebno slovenščina v veliki večini grozen jezik za glasbo. Ni mi speven - so redke izjeme komadov.) U, kr naenkrat namest latin vajba ful Middle-Eastern melodija (v "Who's To Blame)? Zanimiv. Mi je pa besedna zveza 'sexy thing' nagravžna & hilarious obenem. Naprej gre album nekak v to smer: latin ritmi; mal hip hopa; mal španščine; mal angleščine; celga fuka španščine in fuuul hiter ritem; kitarska baladica; fake live začetek in pozivanje k revoluciji; random minuta klavirja k se razvije v komad s kul ritmom, polno trobent & spet mal klavirja; baladast komad za zaključek albuma. Sj mi je bil čist všeč, ampak za ene par komadov, po sm pa skos se ujemala, da gledam na uro & preverjam, kok komadov morm še poslušat. Ne tok zame.
The soul is there, the sound isn’t. Too much Ricky Martin-esque sparkle for me. 😬
not my thing but wasn't especially painful
Not bad!
Not for me. I love the style, some fusion bands really get me, like Melt Yourself Down, Budos Band, Estradasphere. But for some reason this one just doesn't hit. That being said, I imagine if I saw this band live, I'd be blown away, and want to know who it was. I feel like these types of intense, collaborative performances lose something when not live.
I really enjoyed this but it might be just because it was different enough from this run of tepid 70s rock picks
Not great, but pretty different.
This one was never on my radar. Good album, definitely a product of the time/zeitgeist. Little chaotic and a few songs I had to skip through.
Starts fun and ends tiresome and kitschy 3.1
I'm a fan and embarrassed I didn't know these guys. I blame early career workaholism.
Never heard of these guys, but pretty fun album with solid rhythms, understand why this won a Grammy
Interesting but not really my jam
I liked the instrumental side of it. I didn’t like some of the lyrics in the earlier tracks
Genuinely really decent had a lot of cool Latin beats to it. Shame it's not on Spotify though.
This album is fucking AWESOME. Albums like this remind me why I'm still engaging in this 1001 Albums project after yet ANOTHER two week run of 70s rock. I could not tell you what genre this is, because it's like 6 genres wrapped into one. I would say I've never enjoyed a foreign language album more than this, but that's cheating a bit because at least half of the album is in English. I know this isn't exactly an intellectual review, but I'm a bit overwhelmed because after the last few weeks, this album is like a glass of water in the middle of the desert.
Street Signs is a cultural kaleidoscope - vibrant, messy, and at times, thrillingly chaotic. Ozomatli blends Latin rhythms, hip-hop, Middle Eastern horns, and funk like they’re hosting a global block party. Tracks like “Saturday Night” hit hard with infectious energy, while others feel more like experimental detours than full songs. It’s ambitious, no doubt - but sometimes ambition trips over cohesion. A fun ride, but not always a smooth one.
Day636 - i don’t know why the first five songs are on the album but after they are done the album get significantly better
Really good and fun album! Also I thought this was less popular from the spotify plays but apparently it got a grammy lmao
What a fun album! Pure party music, but it goes hard throughout, with funk, jazz, and hip hop all inflected through a Latin flair to great effect.
Not something I’d probably listen to on my own, but shoutout to this album list for producing a pretty fun one. A cool mix of styles. Like something I’d see at a festival.
This one's just filled with great energy. I love the variety of genre influences on display. It does lose a bit of overall cohesiveness as a result, though that doesn't make the music any less enjoyable. I had a blast! Standouts: Street Signs • (Who Discovered) America? • Saturday Night • Dejame En Paz • Nadie Te Tira
Instant classic. There is nothing I love more than a group of very talented musicians going hard as hell on a variety of instruments. Not every song on here did it for me, but I rarely feel like I'm having this much fun with an album. Catch me shaking ass to this in the future.
Short
Really good fusion of Latin rhythms with other styles. It was entertaining and creative, good instrumentation , lyrics and vocals.
Very repetitive, everything sounded the same. This sounded like an hour of commercial music. Also, minus points for the hassle it was to find this album anywhere.
Loved the feel good vibes, and the mix of styles. 7/10
NPC music - Latin edition. Boring, an on paper decent album of mixed influence that moreso sounds like taking garage band preset tracks and smashing them together.
I hadn't heard of it before and I'm happy I listened to it. I do find many of the songs sound the same though.
Really unexpected blend of Latin music, salsa, funk, jazz and hip hop. Sounds like it wouldn't work, but it's actually pretty enjoyable stuff.
Weird mix of styles and not on Spotify
This album is too all over the place. There's maybe one or two fun songs.