Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Great mix of sounds, all enjoyable.
Como vez
Tricky to find so will definitely have a deeper dive to make sure I have heard it all as it definitely was a record brimming with energy and soul. I imagine they are fantastic live
it's got some classic 2005 weightless production and corniness, but i still enjoyed it thoroughly (although naturally i get my first latin album in like 300 days and it's still an LA band)
I do not like this. It's really a victim of its own ambition. It tries to do so much and doesn't excel at really any of it. Some of the instrumentation is super good, but a lot of the time it goes nowhere and the song becomes really boring and repetitive. No standouts. I do not like any of the rapping.
Jurassic 2 out of 5
No idea how it compares to other albums in the same genre, but it's fun, varied and I enjoyed the vocals.
While it’s not my thing, it was incredibly well done and oozing passion.
The music is really good! But the singing is not, and the lyrics are corny or just straight bad. The album, I would say, is fun, but I would not say it's good. It really doesn't have any business being here. Favorite Song(s): Love and Hope
Another random album from post-2000. Let your grandchildren pick these grandpa Rating: 2.2
Couldn't find all of it online. Seemed OK.
I played the Madden this was featured on, it was shite too.
Fun Latin rock and rap mixture
There was no full album available in Spotify, and those two songs that there were didn't inspirate me to hunt the full album from somewhere else. So my stars are based only on those two songs.
"Not available for streaming at your location". From the little bits that I did find, ie. cumbia and latin flavoured dance hiphop, it feels like street style Ricky Martin music. This is not for me
Based on one song it might be a decent album. I was in a really good mood when I was listening though
I spent about an hour trying to source this album. The only songs I could find were fantastic but unfortunately could not get to the rest
Pretty good
Never heard of these fellas before now but this is pretty fun and varied. Nothing too spectacular but I’d definitely listen again
sviđa mi se... mix svega, od hip hopa do jazza i cubano glazbe... lajkam...
latin album that makes me wanna rock out and dance it’s super fun
Demo tape for an ok band.
01) Believe - 7,5 02) Love and Hope - 7,0 03) Street Signs - 7,0 04) (Who Discovered) America? - 7,5 05) Who's to Blame - 6,5 06) Te Estoy Buscando - 1,0 (not available on Spotify/YouTube) 07) Saturday Night - 7,0 08) Déjame en Paz - 6,5 09) Santiago - 7,5 10) Ya Viene el Sol - 7,0 11) Doña Isabelle - 1,0 (not available on Spotify/YouTube) 12) Nadie Te Tira - 1,0 (not available on Spotify/YouTube) 13) Cuando Canto - 6,5 TOTAL: 5,62 (56/100) Current ranking: 394/467 I know it's not fair to give the lowest rating to songs I haven't even heard, but on the other hand, I'll die without ever hearing them! :-) Anyway, what I heard deserves three stars, but because I didn't hear everything, the rating is lower... There you go. Is that fair?
Not bad at all. Latin grooves with heavy influence from funk and hip hop. Very well produced, plenty to keep the ears occupied. I’ll be revisiting this one for sure. Saturday Night was a notable standout.
No shade but...why...
It wasn't very good. The best description of this album is that is sounds like an Indian parody of Latin music.
⭐⭐– – – 2[.1] of 5 stars. This one's kinda strange ... I can't decide if I sorta like it or not? Not what I was expecting from the album cover. It's like hip-hop/rap mixed with rock (sorta), and latin instrumentals/percussion in there too? It's okay, it starts out kind of good, but, after that it just seems to drag on and the quality wears off after the first few tracks. Not something I'd normally listen to, nor would repeat listen. Love the vocals and the GROOVAY instruments/drums on "Love and Hope" and "Te Estoy Buscando," the rap breaks on the title track, and where the album "slows down" at "Santiago," "Dona Isabelle" and "Cuando Canto," but other than that it just feels like a constant barrage of tracks that aren't really my thing. Favourites: Love and Hope, Santiago, Dona Isabelle, Cuando Canto⭐. Dislikes: America?, Déjame en Paz, Saturday Night.
1.4/5 did not enjoy
Hard to find every song. I skipped Santiago because I only found a live version and the sound quality was bad. They have a good thing going for the most part. Sometimes they remind me of Santana. I didn't like Te Estoy Buscando and Saturday Night.
I enjoyed how they fuzed so many different styles
Not available on UK Spotify, I listened to some of it on YouTube. I get the idea.
Ei oo spotifyssä ja youtubestakin oli aika vaikea löytää kappaleita, joten osa saattoi jäädä kuuntelematta mutta eiköhän suurin osa ja levyn idea tullut selväksi. Aika mielenkiintoinen sekoitelma kaikenlaista, raprokkia varmaan kuitenkin pohjimmiltaan. Kappaleissa oli myös itämaisia ja latino soundeja. Hyvällä tavalla yhdistetty. Parhaat: Believe, Saturday Night, Who's To Blame
This is not great. Some of the Latin stuff is cool but I dislike the party hip hop stuff intermixed with it.
I really enjoyed it overall and listening to the fusion between traditional latinx influence, hip hop and pop music. There were songs like Who's To Blame that had great lyrcis, but melodies were a little one note. America was another that had really good lyrics but melodies almost seemed to fun and beach party to stand up to a strong message, but pop music does that all the time so maybe reflecting, I don't mind it. Fortunate Song, Born in the USA, American Woman...they were all doing what this album does really well, make a deep message but cover it with fun catchy melodies that make them hard to not sing and dance to, so we all sing it and pass the message along. My only criticism is sometimes the sounds varied so much that the album didn't feel cohesive (Street signs to America to Saturday Night). But the latinx essence in all songs carried it through enough to be a solid 4.
Great energy! Fabulous instrumentation and love the Latinx beats. My spanish is not good enough to know what they are saying but that doesn't bother me. Great harmonies on the vocals. favorites: Love & Hope, Who Discovered America? (such a cool groove), Who's To Blame & Saturday Night (yaaa y'all), Dejame En Paz (means "Leave Me Alone", great energy!) Ya Viene El Sol (makes me wish I was somewhere warmer. creative song writing!), Nadie Te Tira (means "No One Throws At You", the horns especially shine on this one!), and they finish the album with Cuando Canto (When I Sing My Song). A beautiful song to close on. Good stuff!
This is definitely not my cup of tea. There’s nothing bad about it, just not my genre.
Are you ready for a revolution? It’s time to get hot! What a lovely Friday surprise. This album feels like such a party as it addresses serious topics. So groovy and funky and hip hoppy. This was a lot of fun. I can see why it won a Grammy! Discoveries like this are why I love this project so much.
This album does not completely exist in Digital space, but i loved the songs i was able to find so much so i bought a CD for insanely cheap. This is ricky martin, 2pac, latin folk/rock fusion backed up by the occasional rap(more like hop-hiphop) addition. An absolute banger.
Not bad, but not for me. It does sound a little dated at points.
Only 2 songs available
I mean this is fine. It’s fun. It’s fully itself. Unobjectionable. But I want to meet the guy who puts Ozomatli when he needs to jack himself up. Who puts this on instead of, say, Seven Nation Army or Squabble Up. Who fucking Lays. It. Down perfectly alongside Who’s to Blame.
I had a few friends who were Ozomatli diehards and I regret not taking them more seriously back in the day - this rips!
Decent album, fun style and great background music for running errands today. 3.25/5
After getting over halfway through the list of 1001 albums, this is the first one I didn't manage to play from start to finish. Why? Because I literally couldn't find anywhere to listen to it. Spotify has the first track only. YouTube has it all unavailable. It's not on any other music streaming services I use. I struggled but managed to listen to all of the tracks in different formats, some of them live versions, others from "diverse sources". For "Santiago", the best I could do was find a drum cover, so the track being played in the background with some random person drumming over the top. At times I wasn't even sure I was listening to the correct track, but I persevered to the bitter end. I'm going to give it 3 stars because I'm kind of annoyed about how inaccessible this album was in the UK and it wasn't amazing anyway, kind of a mix of good tracks and bland ones.
Not for me. South American salsa / rap / whatever - just is t of interest to me.
Ah man, this was really great, I loved it. It's just such a shame that it wasn't that accessible all in one place. It was really difficult to piece together the different tracks on YouTube, which upset the rhythm of it a bit. And because there is quite some variance between some of the tracks, you wonder if you've even lined up the correct one. Either way, it's just really accomplished. The music itself is really great. Lovely melodies and singing. I like the fusion of all the different elements. I like the pervasive violins throughout, the trumpet, the mixing. It's such a great time. I would definitely revisit more if I could actually track it down. I might have to buy it on vinyl. 4.5 rounded down.
point5.
I hear they’re really fun live but I didn’t like this. I was expecting something better, different
Not on Apple Music
Gear: Meze 109 PRO Artwork: 🚧🛑🧑🤝🧑 Production: 😐🤔🤷 Music: 🌍🎤🤢 Rating: 🚧(🚧)/5
This was a fun latin/funk/hiphop record. Pretty enjoyable.
i don't know too much about Latin music so i'm not sure if i can give it a truly accurate review but i thought it was alright. i was a bit bored by the songs on the first half of the album ngl but really enjoyed the collaboration with Chali 2na on "Who's to Blame" and i also liked the more acoustic songs like "Santiago" and "Cuando Canto" as well as the more dance-y tracks like "Ya Viene el Sol". definitely an interesting foray into a genre i don't really listen to on my own
Reminds me of one of my favourite bands, The Cat Empire. Shame there were only 2 tracks on Spotify. Tentative rating based on some other tracks found on there - 4/5, but I don't know what was on this one so 3/5
Surprisingly good!
Not in my edition of the book! 2004. 1 star. Background Latin hip-hop for soulless cocktail parties. Additional point deducted for spending as much time finding the tracks as actually listening to them.
Really surprised me- at first I thought the album was a little overproduced and scattered genre-wise, but as I got deeper I felt a sense of the themes coming together. Really powerful statements on the back half of the album
Full album not on Spotify-use YouTube. Even on YouTube can't find the full album. Saturday Night is good, but album is very hit and miss overall. More miss than hit.
Pretty good
I was a little skeptical at first, but by the first few bars I was into the pulse this music had to offer. Definitely a groove that's got you head nodding as you cross the metaphorical street. I could probably listen to a whole record of their instrumental jams alone, but I appreciate the added depth and message the lyrics bring. Solid.
Bland but listenable
Really loved the song Believe and overall was a good album.
I enjoyed elements of this (particularly the Charli 2na bars), but ultimately it didn't make a huge impact on me. Interesting mix of genres though, and was definitely a break from the norm in this list.
I dont recall ever hearing this kind of music like a slash between salsa rap and jazz
This is what I always hope Latin music will sound like, and then it doesn't. This always leaves me feeling vaguely racist. So I don't know if this is actually good, but it satisfies my white guy desires for exoticism.
A bit hit and miss, but the good stuff is excellent
some songs were very good bringing this up from a 3 to a 4 star
Imagine listening to Smooth by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana for 50 minutes.
I like this band and bought this album when it came out. I was disappointed. Only tracks that were decent are whose to blame w/ Chali 2na And Saturday Night. They're more of a live band but they're 1998 self titled release is far better
Nie udalo sie przesluchac, moze to blad, ale nie ma na spotify, a jeden kawalej brzmial ok, arabskie rytmy.
The band is very competent, and there is no lack of energy or creativity going into the songs, but they just don’t leave much of an impression on me.
It’s interesting moving from one Latin infused variation of a genre to another. Except this time it’s hip-hop instead of jazz, and it’s a much more modern take. The 2000s were simultaneously the best and worst time for hip-hop. Even in 2004, the year this released, you had Madvillainy and The College Dropout within the first three months of the year. Plus MF DOOM’s other major release, MM..FOOD coming out towards the end. It doesn’t get much better than that. Aside from people in much smaller circles of hip-hop, I highly doubt anyone who was around during that time remembers Ozomatli, or their album Street Signs. The only connection I have to any of this is through Cut Chemist, a member of this group who was also apart of Jurassic 5. I actually really enjoyed their album Power in Numbers from two years prior. But this doesn’t really have any of the good stuff from that. I’ll start with the few positives. The drums on most, if not every song, sound great. Production in that regard is solid. And Saturday Night is a decent song. Makes sense why it’s basically the only song anyone would know from this. But beyond that, this is an overly long and rather boring listening experience. I think the Latin fusions had the potential to be really interesting. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard another album which combines them to this extent. But something about it falls flat. The addition of these Latin sounds into a traditional hip-hop format feels forced somehow. And often the sampling, production, and lyrics are very repetitive. Many songs just devolve into repeating the same verse or chorus over and over again. I wanted to like this more, but once I got to the halfway point, I sort of gave up on that. Rating: 5/10
Oh I used to listen to a lot of Ozomatli back in the day. If I remember correctly this was the album where I lost interest. So the fact that this album made the list but not their superior debut is pretty funny to me and indicative of a lot of the choices in this book. This should be interesting… After giving it another listen, yeah, this doesn't hold up. The only reason I like their first album - and I barely do - is because I heard it at the right time in my life. I would likely not enjoy it if I heard it for the first time today. And this album is definitely not nearly as good as that first one. I'm sure they put on a great show, which is still evident from this album, but as far as a listening experience goes, this is a nah from me.
Not that cool
Sounds like 2004, kinda corny
Very interesting stuff. I think it’s awesome that they produced it themselves.
it’s either shit or it’s okay i’m undecided
I can't believe this album is rated so low! It's very different from the rest of the list as it has a lot of influences from all over the world. The Latin influences show the most and gives the album a real upbeat vibe. It is very underrated and I think is an album more people should pay attention to on this list.
smooth
not really into but 'saturday night''s not bad
This was different. I really enjoyed it and will listen again.
An interesting fusion of Latin and hip-hop beats that at times gets your toes tapping and gives you the urge to rumba around the room. Interesting and somewhat listenable, makes this a warm welcome in the middle of a winter cold spell. I recognize, Saturday Night, but the rest will be forgettable after I finish listening to it all. An okay listen, but hardly something I'll listen to often, if ever again.
Probably won’t come back to this but kinda fun
Boooooring. Two rap albums in a row
Lame ass attempts to fuse Latin music with whatever flavor of pop/hip-hop was trending at the time. While there are some fun grooves, this is one you most certainly do NOT need to listen to you before you die.
Totally loved it and all it's eclecticism! It has salsa, jazz, funk, reggae and hip hop.
This could be made for bad film soundtracks, specifically for party scenes needing mild spicing up, nothing threatening, or perhaps a remake of “Weekend at Bernie’s”. It’s terrible, but I did enjoy going down a Wikipedia wormhole about the Brat Pack after this prompted me to look up “Weekend at Bernie’s”.
Proficiently bland, with platitudes earnestly proffered over a mishmash of mild hip hop and orchestral stabs, sometimes like a latin-flavored Bollywood soundtrack without the full commitment to spectacle required. Probably a fixture in the lobby of youth hostels worldwide
4- całkiem spoko
Strange music.
https://musicmp3.ru/artist_ozomatli__album_street-signs.html
kinda messy i enjoyed finally listening to something different though
What an interesting mix of Latin, rock, and rap. Lots of super catchy choruses that had me head bopping. It was cool seeing Chali 2na pop up too. I wasn't sure what to expect here but ended up really enjoying it.
Except for the rap songs this is a great album. I can’t understand the lyrics but it sounds great.
Parts of this album are very stereotypical latin music, like exactly what I would imagine would play if a latin charachter was on a TV show. The raps are also very 2000s. It's a style that is very familiar to me, but it's slower paced and less lyrically interesting than raps from other eras. The back end of the album was significantly better than the first half for me. Déjame en Paz was my favorite. It's very high energy and the call and response in it is really fun.
Unavailable anywhere.
This was fine; nothing to love, but nothing to hate either
Enjoyed the vibes. The FIFA Street song definitely gave this album a boost.
I don't know what the hell was going on here but my ears didn't like it
I thought I was going to like this. I really did not. Very generic and uninspired.
сложно когда альбома нет на сервисах( сатурдей найт сразу узнала, ура! остальные вроде хорошие, но без 100 прослушиваний сложно подтвердить
It's alright, heard better in the genre
***An ok album, if you prefer Latin
Who is this album for? I thought it was going to be a trip hopefully electronic album based on the cover but really I can't see why this is on the list. There's better versions of all of this that's left off. Big bust.
These guys were hot shit on the jam scene back in the day. Now it’s borderline cringe?
Favourite tracks: who discovered America; who's to blame; Saturday night
This is so good. Artists I was reminded of while listening to this include Carlos Santana, Robert Bradley, the Gorillaz, Linkin Park, Sugar Ray, Chance the Rapper - which is crazy, but it somehow all works.
Still have the CD for this. My brother in law really loved them a few years ago. cannot see the fuss now.
This is a hard to find album (the one I found was stitched together from various sources on Youtube) but is absolutely worth it
Weird but cool hybrid, Latin, island, Indian, ska, hip hop
Cool mix of influences; latin, middle eastern, hip hop, etc
im not sure this album is real
Cool but not my cup of tea. Album cover: (B) Very 2004.
This was a cool album. It was very salsa-y, and I don't listen to a lot of Salsa music. It was almost entirely jams. I liked essentially every song. It's not my favorite sound in the world, but I liked it a lot. 8/10
A hidden gem of an album! Had to go to some extra effort to tick this one off but it was definitely worth it. Latin-flavoured funk/rock with hip-hop elements and just all-round great vibes. Immediately swivelled my head when I heard Chali 2na's guest slot on Who's To Blame (aka the best voice in rap, IMHO) and repeatedly wanted to add tracks to my Spotify playlist but sadly couldn't as it's not on the UK version. So yeah, I bought myself a copy of the CD and can see myself coming back to it often. Reading a bit more about Ozomatli is fascinating too, just a cool group and one I am really glad to have discovered.
I had heard "saturday night" before but never listened to this album (or even heard of the artist, really) before this. This is a good album!
Fun, good, definitely an excellent video music choice.
Honestly, enjoyed this album more than I expected. Latin hip-hop is not a genre I would consider my thing, but this is a fun album with really varied songs, catchy beats, and a vibe that transports you right back to the mid-2000s (something about those “middle eastern” horns). I swear this whole album could be the background tracks to establishing shots in Fast and Furious. I could definitely see this being representative of the sound of LA. I really liked “Love and Hope” and “Santiago” but was genuinely impressed with the variety of songs here. Still probably not my thing, but fun to explore this kind of music!
Listened Before? N Killer stuff! I've heard Saturday Night before but that's it. This album is awesome. Sure, it's half Spanish, but it doesn't matter. The rapping is top-notch and the other Spanish stuff is solid. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Saturday Night
Exciting. Rousing. Passionate. Earnest. These are the first words that come to mind when I think of how to describe this wonderful album. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-street-signs-by-ozomatli?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Heb nog wat nummers op yt geluisterd, het is niet verkeerd, maar om het op deze lijst te zetten yeah nah
Street Sings by Ozomatli is a genuine, ceaselessly inspired blend of Latin rock and hip-hop that dazzle the ear of the listeners coming across this for the first time and find an assortment of materials to enjoy. Favorites: Believe, Love and Hope, Street Signs, (Who Discovered) America, Te Estoy Buscando, Saturday Night, Santiago, Ya Viene El Sol.
Well... at least it's something interesting! This is definitely one of the more obscure albums on the list, but it's not another 90s electronica album, so I can at least appreciate that this album fills a very specific niche that hasn't really been filled by any albums I've gotten so far. Of course, that's not the only thing that I can appreciate Ozomatli's 2004 album Street Signs for. I think this album is good! The sound is lively and interesting. There's a strong genre and influence blend here, so that's nice. The songs are pretty varied. I guess if I had to compare this to any other album on the list, it would be that Jurassic 5 album I got a while back, which is fitting since that group's own Chali 2na was a guest on one of this album's songs. That's cool and all, but this album still isn't my favorite thing that he was a guest on. That honor, of course, goes to the Epic Rap Battles of History video he was in, where he played famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. This album's a close second though. It's pretty good, but it doesn't really need to be here. Still, the inclusions is certainly not the most egregious inclusion on here. Solid 3/5. Definitely closer to a 4 than it is a 2.
Knowing a little Spanish helps. I enjoyed it. Not my favorite, but good.
¡Ay, caramba!
Excellent. Loved the entire album. Listened to it the entire day, and started diving into their other work.
Música del mundo, salseo, bah, varios estilos. Rollo patatero.
What Latin music sounds to gringos.
Decent, with one really great song.
This wasn't my favorite start to finish, but there's still a lot to appreciate about it, like the blend of musical influence throughout, and the feel-good upbeat nature of the songs. However, I wish there was something more distinct in the production or themes or other qualities of the album tying it all together more. To me, it felt kind of like a compilation album. I love Latin piano, so my favorite song was Nadie Te Tira with pianist Eddie Palmieri, whose music I'd now like to explore.
Enjoyed the Latin influence. Great to see an album with Cut Chemist and Chali 2na on the list. Pretty fun album overall. 3.5/5 Will listen again
I really hear Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos on this record, but the occasional rapping brings it down a bit for me. Overall, some cool grooves and fun tunes though.
Street Signs is an album by Ozomatli, originally released in 2004. I had high hopes for this one. I had never heard of them before now but some of the reviews made it sound very interesting. Funk with Latin and hip hop influences? Sign me up. Unfortunately, my hopes were too high. Their ideas sound good in theory, and it's clear this group takes lots of inspiration from the greats like Santana. The musicianship and the grooves are definitely there... it just ends up falling flat in some places. The production is really bad. Classic victim of the Loudness War that was ever so prevalent in the era. It's also a bit overproduced. I found all of the layered string parts to be too much. The songwriting is also subpar for the most part. I found the hip-hop/rap elements to be dated and unimpressive. Although I wasn't a huge fan of this, I respect what they were trying to do. They basically took all of LA's influences and meshed them together. I even hear some influence on modern-day groups like Chicano Batman.
Decently catchy stuff. Nothing that I wanted to immediately turn off, but also nothing that made me want to put it on again.
This band certainly has its own identity but to me the combination of salsa, other Latin fenres, rock and rap feels very dated. It's of that era I guess.
Latin funk & hip hop. And it fucking rules. Favorite track: Dejame En Paz
Are the lyrics in Spanish as corny as the ones in English?
Not really my thing, but I feel like I've danced to Saturday Night and maybe a few others back in the day. The piano intro from Eddie Palmieri on Dona Isabelle was pretty beautiful.
Finally, an album that I’ve never heard of. That’s really great. Lots of different international styles. Mostly Latin, but also some styles from India and Africa.
I liked this
There's some really good stuff here. When the song "Saturday Night" started I was like, "I know this song...but from where?" then it hit me. It was on the soundtrack of Madden '05, which I played an insane amount.
Dinner music. Some bangers. Spanish and English lyrics.
Not my vibe.
What a great band to now know about. Excellent Latin, hip hop, soul and funk. I'll be adding this to my regular rotation.
Street Signs I think I’ve heard of Ozomatli, but only because they did some stuff with Cut Chemist, but had no real idea of what kind of music they make. Obviously it's a YT listen, which makes it a bit of an annoying experience with ads after every song, and not all the songs are available, so it’s kind of a difficult one to rate. However I did enjoy the general vibe, and mix of Hip Hop, Rock, Salsa, Middle Eastern strings etc. Generally I’m not a fan of Salsa but I like it on here - I think the fact that they stuffed so much from many genres into every song in a clearly joyful way it all kind of works. I’m a bit of a sucker for Middle Eastern strings, so I really enjoyed Believe, It sounds quite 90s rather then mid 200s in its production but it's a fun opener. Who’s To Blame is excellent, love 2na’s appearance and the middle eastern riff on what sounds like a melodica, with the more Indian sounding percussion. Bit of a gem. Saturday Night is good too, the dip dive bit and the trumpet punctuating the rhythm. Ya Viene el Sol is nice too. Props to Beatle Bob. Hard to give it a rating when you can’t really listen properly or fully. What I did hear I liked a lot, an energetic fusion album filled with loads of great bits and influences. I’d definitely listen again, but it’s such a shame it’s not on streaming. I’ll go a high 3. 🚸🚸🚸 Playlist submission: Who’s to Blame
Nada del otro mundo. No me agarró ni su música ni sus arreglos.
I own the first Ozomatli album and really like it. I never followed the rest of their career, but I was happy to hear this album is great, and I am excited to listen to more of their albums now that I'm reminded of them. Just a great mix of styles, hip-hop and latin styles.
I very much liked this album. I liked how it differed from the other albums I had previously listened to. I was starting to get bored listening to the same genre over and over again. I am glad this album came on when it did! 4 stars!
2/3
6/10. Had some uniqueness to it but didn’t stick out on creativity for me.
Extremely not my shit. Over-produced, early 2000s, very cheesy, genre mash-up Los Angeles jam band sounds like my worst fucking nightmare. The fellas making the music seem talented enough so I’m giving it two stars. Best part is maybe their rapper? He’s…..fine?
The one track is okay. This is basically chumbawumba pt 2
Fun, high energy Latin rhythms with lots of hooks and a big sound. It reminded me at times of Santana’s “Supernatural” album. There are also a handful of rap features and songs with Middle Eastern and African influences.
Pretty exciting and fun record. Listened to it in the morning before coffee and some of these songs seemingly gave me just as much caffeine as the coffee would. "Saturday Night" is excellent and I could see myself putting it on on a.. Saturday night before going out with friends and dancing around while getting ready. My one gripe with the record is that it feels connected and also disconnected- these songs all are painted with similar colors but are all distinctly different. This is a good thing, but also a bad thing because if I liked one of the songs (like the drumset-forward pop rock "Love And Hope"), then I didn't have a great chance at finding another one of that style on the album. Some songs are more modern Latin R&B (Street Signs), some are Latin dance focused ("Dejame En Paz"), some are more classic ballads with a focus on typical Latin instrumentation ("Te Estoy Buscando"), some are Latin rap ("Who's To Blame"). But there's really one one of each; so you get it and then it's gone. 3/5.
Some fun tracks. Not my normal kind of vibes.
I appreciated the blend of genre and styles.
Not bad. Pleasantly surprised.
Interesting listen Spanish / Arabic feel. Good dance vibes.
Favourite song - Believe
Not typically a big fan of Latin pop. But this mixed it up enough that it was somewhat enjoyable.
I like the self-titled first album significantly more.
Pretty bland overall.
There's a lot of questionable music trends all just blended in. Take your favorite aspects of Ricky Martin, then add a touch of NuMetal, including pointless dj scratching, and then add a dash of Big Bad VooDoo Daddy inspired swing. Hope for the best.
An interesting mash of genres. The poppiness and funkiness was good, the hip hop was ok, and the raps were Hopsin tier (bad). A whirlwind of an album that didn’t end up holding my attention for the right reasons
Not unpleasant. Not incredible. Somewhere in the middle. Nowhere near my rotation.
Some great Latin rhythms and melodies with some other influences creeping in. But most of the tracks don't quite come together in a way that clicks for me. Also really a pain to listen to since it wasn't available on Spotify for me.
The album is not complete in Spotify
The clave beat and the salsa piano chords get me every time. Oye! Chica! Tirate! Que Tirate!
There's something for everyone in here
This was fun! Lotta variety here, but I didn't love the rapping focused tracks. 'Dejame En Paz' was my fave.
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.
So Ozomatli did the sound track to the videogame based on the sequel to Happy Feet? Anyway, I can understand why people would like this but this slipped right by me.
Was really happy to see the OZO kids when I opened today's album. I have that street sign as a little sticker. Picked it up at one of the shows I saw around the time of this album, really really energetic affairs. Yeah the lyrics can get a little cheesy but they can get a crowd jumping. So maybe it doesn't really capture the vibe when you are not part of the collective delight, or don't know spanish, or have a salsa or rock en espanol affection, but damn I check those boxes and can't (won't) separate now from those occasions. I love this.
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.
I have known of this band, but had never listened to this band. That was my loss. they’re great and this album is great
I knew just a little going into this — somewhere in my past Ozomatli crept into my consciousness. On one hand, I loved a lot of it. Particularly the Latin, Spanish-language fare stands out. The rap, largely, isn't my preferred flavor in the genre and there were other times during the album where it felt a bit forced. So... rating such a beast. The highs were high, and the lows were mid, so the 3.something gets the bump. I didn't love it like a 4, but it was a good soundtrack for the weekend.
Strikes me as a flavor-of-the-month kind of album. I'm sure it sounded like the future of music when it came out but now it sounds dated and lacking in focus. There's a lot going on but that's not usually to the songs' advantage.
Loved this. Thought the album got stronger as we progressed through it.
Couldn’t find it so no idea if it’s any good. Will be generous and give it a 2 though.
This album is very much a time capsule of the 00s so I was #triggered a bit as this was certainly the worst time for music (popular music at any rate). The message is good, despite some trite lyrics, but the package on some songs like “(Who discovered) America?” just reminded me too much of the “Smooth” era of popular music.
An interesting fusion of styles, but some of the rapping and lyrics were pretty cringe. Definitely sounds "of its time". Occasionally felt like the soundtrack to an early 00s Showtime or FX drama. Maybe it was the fact I had to listen to a heavily compressed, unofficial playlist via Youtube, but the mix sounded a little flat and lacking in dynamics. Despite my mild disappointment, 2 seems too harsh.
Funkadellic. I think i like the weird fusion of fast paced music and rap.
Not for me
Ozomatli are great. Sadly, this is one of those albums that doesn't come up properly on my streaming provider and while I feel fairly confident it's probably a 4 star record I'll have to give it a 3 as I'm not getting the full picture.
This was pleasant enough to listen to, but for the most part didn't make a huge impression on me. I liked the contribution from Chali 2na. A lower end three.
It’s not bad but doesn’t seem exceptional.
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.
It’s either too much and messy or completely bare bones. It’s quite infuriating
Whoa, what a pleasant surprise! It's like taking a bowl, and mixing the ingredients of Latin American Music, as well as System Of A Down, Gorillaz, and a touch of The Flobots. A diverse group of sounds, and genres made this a fun album. Favorite Track: "Saturday Night"
The album isn't on Spotify but I'm listening to all the tracks I can find. Update - One song in and I'm very confused Update 2 - They sampled Barack Obama? Blending Latin music with hip hop just isn't it rly. Interesting record. Wouldn't relisten
Seems fun but not my type
It's okay, I dug a bit back in the day, but this doesn't really grab me. 2.5
Pretty inoffensive, pretty uninteresting.
Unconvinced this album should be on the list. It's not bad, but doesn't do anything special.
Very short, even for an EP. Inoffensive.
Great album
Pretty fun, some nice and interesting beats. But something about it feels hollow?
i usually can’t get into albums that aren’t in english but this was a great listen throughout. cool mix of songs and styles and was never bored with anything going on
Literally cannot listen to more than 2 songs on this album so this rating wont count
Mostly light Latin rock with hip-hop elements. Although as a Jurassic 5 fan, I did have to do a double-take when I suddenly heard Chali 2na in "Who's To Blame". I feel like I've heard "Saturday Night" somewhere else before as well (maybe because it sounds like the Black Eyed Peas, which is apt for this time period), but nothing else really pushed the needle for me. It all sounded pretty safe and by the book.
Not really my thing.
Expected worse
Not really my thing but didn't mind it. Liked the inclusion of Tuna Fish from Jurassic 5 on one of the tracks.
(Dancing Face Emoji) Where did they come from?! And why have I never heard them before now?! And how did they mash up those musics and those messages and make it work?! And what have they done to my need to categorize musical styles?! And how can I see them live?! And am I the first person to ever have their mind blown by Ozomatli while making bread and butter pickles?! They’ve raised so many questions…
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..."
Had never heard of these guys before. Solid album, loved the music, although did t love all of the vocals. I’m definitely going to delve more into their music.
Sounded great! Not for me.
3.5 - not my favorite of Ozomatli's albums but still solid.
kaunis maailma, majesteetttinen maisema... amerikasoitumisen jälkeen riekaleina... Tiedän vaiheet, jotka ovat erittäin hyödyllisiä ja suojaa sinua virheiltä. Voi, kuka tahansa ei halua tanssia lopussa, En vielä tiedä, että hänen täytyy tanssia. Muodostamme ihanan tanssin, Näytän sinulle suunnan. jultomten tulee Afrikkaan ja Mikki Hiiri seisoo Pariisin edessä.... sad shit. ainakin on chali 2na feature jurassic 5 referenssi incredible artisti... silkkinen ääni huhhuh ja selvästi paras biisi koko balumilla ai että. noooooo koko homma on semmone meediumi kummiski... semmone meediumi... whos to blame
Not for me
Genres all over the place - Latin, strains of Bollywood, hip hop, interesting & eclectic
Funky Afro-Latin sound
Interesting sound, but kind of done-to-death. It's essentially modern Latin-pop with a noticeable electronic influence (e.g. DJ sfx/sampling, synthesisers). The opening three tracks were strong patch in a fairly weak track listing, possibly for being the beginning of a listening session before my enjoyment tapered off substantially. This album just doesn't bring anything new to the table. Anything on this list post-2000 has got to be seriously creative or ear-catching to really justify its presence. As is typical for the genre, the horns and percussion are two very strong point. I love the trumpet harmonising and extensive syncopation, and could easily see me in my high school jazz band struggling to play Nadie Te Tira correctly. Brings back some good memories. The percussion is reasonably complex and busy – always a plus. The production isn't particularly interesting, and I would've liked a less mono-sounding mix. There's less piano than I would have expected, but when it appears, it's usually played with gusto. I don't like the singer's vocals at all – it's a bit hoarse and unrefined – but I can understand its appeal in this genre. 2/5 Key tracks: Believe, Street Signs, Doña Isabelle/Nadie Te Tira
Diverse, exotic, genre spanning
After the first song of this album, I was ready to turn it off. But I’m glad I stuck it out! It was so fun and refreshing to have an album with such diversity of sound! While the lyrics may be repetitive, and not particularly moving, this was a fun 51 minutes. I’d listen again.
sounds like a combination of 311, santana and sublime. and TONS of groove. a fun listen.
Not bad until those horns get too jazzy.
This is just amazing. Hit a piece of nostalgia I didn't know existed. I don't know of this record but it and I definitely occupied the same universe. So fun and all inclusive.
Better than expected.
Great mix of genres.
I'm sure these would be a blast live back in the day, on record not so much
not pour moi
Gezellige, niet al te kleffe latino-pop met een snippertje hiphop ertussendoor. De zomer breekt door en je kunt er vast een mooi feestje mee bouwen. Wat wil je nog meer.
Het begint met licht arabische tonen met bijpassende (ook licht) trillende stem. Toch voelt het westerse ritme dominant. De rest van het album voelt meer licht-latin. Wat blijft is de dominantie van de westerse klanken. De band houdt van lage tonen, pop-ritmes en een rapje af en toe. De combinatie maakt het geheel best toegankelijk, maar toch interessant genoeg om niet geestelijk af te haken. Ik heb hier met plezier naar geluisterd en zou het zo nog eens kunnen opzetten.
Het doet me allemaal een beetje teveel aan als een soort huismerk Santana met Enrique Iglesias als zanger. Het is best vrolijk hoor, maar ik heb het idee dat als je een of andere latin zender aanzet, dat je 300000 van dit soort nummers kan horen. Of als je naar een willekeurig buurtfeest in de cariben gaat, de lokale huisband dit ook gewoon staat te spelen. Misschien zit ik wel helemaal fout en is dit terecht de creme de la creme en hebben ome Robert D en zijn muzikale vrinden dit speciaal geselecteerd voor ons. Het is niet voor niks dat dit blijkbaar in het voorprogramma stond van Santana tijdens de Supernatural tour, dus uit de tijd van "Maria Maria". Maar dat is precies waar het op lijkt. Overigens kon ik niet het hele album luisteren, want er is geen goede versie op joetoep en op spotify kan ik maar 2 nummers luisteren tenzij ik ga betalen, wat ik uiteraard weiger. Dus voor de toegankelijkheid gaat er weer een puntje van de vergeetbare 3 af.
Sounds like music from some bad B movie.
It’s a fun party album - but not seeing why this is special enough to sit with some other more striking records. It’s not bad but not something I’m going to look out for - especially given how hard it was for me to find it to listen to it.
Sorry, what? Am I missing something here or is this list saying that completely forgettable copy/paste Latin American albums are vital to listen to before you die?
Much of this doesn’t do much for me, but there’s enough stylistic variance, genre fusion, and global influence to keep things interesting.
Are you kidding me! Platinum quality.
Super hit or miss. Some tracks suck me right in with an infectious arrangement, but others just feel derivative and boring.
Alas, Spotify UK only allowed me access to track #1 of the album, so...not able to fully assess the whole thing. But, I "Believe" that I'll be tracking down some other access method, it's sounds damned interesting. A twist of Quantic, a slurp of Yerba Buena and a slug of Tinariwen. An exotic mix.
Album is not available on youtube music, at least not in the Netherlands. Listened to the title songs via a different route, and it sounds okay. Bit too much rap. The Northern African sounds accompanying are nice.
È carino? Sì. È valsa la pena cercare le canzoni singolarmente su YouTube (e non trovarle nemmeno tutte)? Più o meno. Lo andrò mai a riascoltare? No
Middling. Surface level fusion. Unclear how this is 1001.
Could not find a way of listening to this full album on any service. So only heard the first song. I don't feel I was missing out.
LOt's influences, some of hip hops tracks are good nothing groundbreaking but others are just bad. The latin funky jammy tracks are the winners, there's just not enough of them. 2.5
I reluctantly feel I need to confess that I actually liked this record. I liked the diverse sounds and mix of influences. It was… fun?
This was all over the place. Some of these songs don't even sound like their from the same band. I didn't connect to it at all.
While I didn't particularly like this, I did appreciate how many different styles of music were blended together fairly well. But it's not for me.
not on spotify
This is the second Latin influenced band in one week, and I ain't mad about it. The vocals reminded me of Ricky Martin at times, which was unexpected. Unfortunately, there were some flops here. Maybe they have another album that's better? I guess there's only one way to find out.
This one started really strong and I was really thinking I would enjoy the rest. Sadly, It was downhill from there for me, to the point where I was getting a bit bored with it all.
Catchy! 3/5
Good, pleasant upbeat tempo, mix.
Hmm asså det va fett skumt, bara två låtar fanns på Spotify o sen hitta jag nästan hela albumet på youtube, men inte ens där fanns hel albumet, så jag lyssnade på det som fanns, helt okej album Bästa låtar: Believe, Who discovered America?
Fun. It kept my interest more than some non-English speaking artists.
3/5. Latin funk, always an enjoyable genre at least. It also has some rap throughout, which I would say is not the highlight here but still not bad. I do enjoy it but I wouldn't say it stands out as impressive. The pop and rock songs are definitely inspired by Santana but this one is more focused on the band as a whole instead of just the guitar. There is a similar rhythm throughout which creates a concise theme but can be a little much with the maracas and hand drum taking up the background of the songs. It was fun and danceable but not a constant repeat listen. Best Song: (Who Discovered) America?, Believe, Nadie Te Tira
Took me a while to get round to listening to this on YouTube music, pretty disappointed when I finally did, sounds so much older than 2004 don’t think it’s aged very well, appreciate a mix of different music styles but the hip hop and lyrics feel very dated.
Very good but like kryptonite for me. A lot going on, very funky.
An adequate yet over rated piece of Latin world pop rock and hip hop.
Sorry, I just plain don't like this. Sounds prepackaged. Pop. Yeh 1 star
Not for me.
Completely new to me. I enjoyed it. I think it needs a second listen
Paso palabra
I can see the appeal of this album, with its blend of Latin rock, hip hop, and funk. However, the rapping felt cliche and sleazy, filled with outdated punchlines and hooks reminiscent of ‘80s hip hop stereotypes. By the time it reached the end, the album had worn out its welcome and began to feel more annoying than enjoyable.
Not fully sure what to think about it, but I liked it quite a bit.
Seems like this album is all over the place and lacks some direction. Would have ranked the first few songs a 3, but midway through the record I was ready to say goodbye. (Not the teary eyed kind)
Latin funk hip hop! Something about this one just brought me joy, the songs feel good. It doesn’t make sense that they aren’t more popular in the U.S., they should be.
I remember them getting super popular in the early 2000s but never really listened to them. It's almost like the rock version of reggaeton? Or is it Latin rap rock? This feels a lot like Santana's pop albums only without the famous featured artists. I don't remember exactly what their first album sounded like but this feels very heavily influenced by those Santana albums. I like Charli 2na, but I'm not loving this appearance. The more traditionally "Latin" songs are worse than the more rock/rap ones. The back half of this album sounds like a Richard Rodriguez bar band.
Interesting sounds 2.5/5
I’ve always heard great things about Ozomatli but have never sat down and really listened to them. I love the horns and strings. Really fun blend of Latin grooves, hip hop, funk and rock. Great recording and mix, I can see why it won some Latin Grammys. Chali 2na from J5 on Who’s To Blame?!? Awesome! My only complaint musically is the genres represented here seem a little generic, although the performances captured are really well played. Other than that I really enjoyed my first dip into the Ozomatli world, definitely gonna do some deep dives into their catalog. 3.5
The only album I've ever listened to from these guys is their debut album. I remember liking it, but I never revisited it or listening to any of their later albums. This is a fun one. A nice melting pot of hip hop, latin grooves, and I hear some middle eastern vibes at some points. Oh, I recognize the song "Saturday Night." Not sure where I heard it before. My favorite is Dejame En Paz. I don't dance, but it makes me want to shake my tuccus.
Groovy tunes are nothing new, but Ozomatli pull in brass, a DJ, AND an orchestra and still keep it funky. Nothing jumped out as anything but middle of the road. I don't hear them taking any chances except perhaps a bit on instrumentation. Good, but not great. Am I missing something?
Pretty good Latin fusion. I first heard these guys via my oldest kid on PBS Kids; they'd done a series of songs and videos that got played between the shows. Cool to hear them when they aren't singing about math or the five senses. 3.5
I liked this one. To me it occupies the same headspace as Bixiga 70 or Orgone. Moreso Bixiga though, except Bixiga has a more raw organic sound.They do a good job combining traditionally Latin music with hip hop elements and electronic sounds without losing the feel of the two different worlds. It was cool to see Charli 2na make an appearance. My favorite was Nadie Te Tira.
Cover Impressions: the band name and unfamiliar sign has me thinking Australia, but could be anything. Apparently this is American, but is quite the melting pot of sounds. I hear elements of Linkin Park, Santana, Ra, and others. Not a huge fan of mixed languages, but I assume it's cool for bilingual people. My brain can't handle going back and forth. I don't think this particular situation came up, but a common example I have for this is "eso si que es?". Are they spelling out Socks or saying what something is? Interesting album, but not really my style. Favorite track "Love and Hope" 2/5
It was okay, but nothing grabbed me.
Couldn't find this album so listened to the iTunes SoHo set. Liked it.
This was a really cool album, for me it was out of left field, surprised and delighted me
Not on Spot. Not really on YT either. Heard bits. Cuban rap funk thing. Sounds messy. Why this?
Enjoyed this. Would revisit.
One song popped up here. It was enough to know it was shite.
Has a few good moments but most of it is background music for a hipster mexican restaurant
It's ok but not my scene and I wonder whether it's here to fit the genre 'World Music' bands?
It’s got an interesting vibe, but not something I’d come back to.
J'ai pas mal de rattrapage à faire, alors je vais garder ça bref. Cool album
Fun and festive with some messages to boot, I loved the whole thing!
Oh my god, this was so good!! From the first beat to the last, I enjoyed it all!!
Great fun. I danced all day.
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!
I enjoyed this album even tho it was hell to track down, not being featured in England or Hungary - I’m still not sure if I listened to it all, and some of the tracks had to be covers. Due to these issues, this album may be rated lower than it otherwise would. I am not sorry for this. It gave me unneeded stress on my holiday. Favourite track: Believe.
Hard to find. Not my genre. Some songs were ok
Very mediocre and corny. 2/5
Difficult to find, but quite listenable once you get to it. Kind of get the feeling that it's trying to hard to be what it is - like, I get the use of non-funk music in hip-hop, but this seems a bit deliberate and cynical.
I liked the latin funk of this album but it didn't distinguish itself to me otherwise. What's Spanish for 'meh'?
I mean, it is a bop, but is it just the 2 tracks on spotify?
Really rather good stuff
Positive, uplifting, colorful…and a bit dull. Seemed like a great idea in the early 00s: blending genres and believing in brotherhood and taking a stance against conservatism. Some of the experiment results here are positive, but it always feels like the total is less than the sum of its parts.
How many world music styles/sub-genres can be shoved into a single album? Whatever the precise answer to that question, this record has entirely too many.
I'm not gonna lie, this kinda slapped. Definitely saving a few from this album.
Only 2 songs of the album on spotify
That was super fun and at first I thought i was listening to Serbian music, the vibe and instruments were the same. I will definitely not be listening to this again, except maybe believe, but I had a great time!
This was great as i had just started my holiday in mexico.
Not available to stream. Remove please
I had never heard of this band before and their music definitely isn’t something I’d typically listen to. But the album was fun and energetic. I’d probably have to listen to it a couple more times to familiarize myself to the style.
I wanna like Ozomatli. They obviously have a great feel for the music of LatAm and mix it well with some funky acidic old rock. But then they go and derail it with some really bad rapping. Really kills the vibe.
neibb
Yea, not bad
Similar to gorillaz
not my cup of tea