https://soundcloud.com/mmmusic/ozomatli-brighter-ft-dave
The multi-genre, multi-talented Ozomatli comes full circle with the release of PLACE IN THE SUN, their new album available on March 11, 2014. The album marks their debut on Vanguard Records. Produced by the band and longtime friend, world renowned engineer Robert Carranza (Eels, Jack Johnson, The Mars Volta) and featuring collaborations with legendary rocker Dave Stewart (ex-Eurythmics)and Xandy Barry of WAX Ltd, PLACE IN THE SUN is Ozomatli’s testament to the struggles, determination, and joy one finds in searching – and ultimately finding – their true calling. And after nearly twenty years of working together, touring on every continent, performing before hundreds of thousands, earning international acclaim, and winning multiple Grammys along the way – Ozomatli have earned their right to shine. PLACE IN THE SUN is a strong statement from a group of maturing musicians who have firmly placed their imprint onto an ever-changing music scene.
Earlier this year, Ozomatli previewed some of PLACE IN THE SUN’S new songs, including “Brighter,” “Tus Ojos,” “Paleta,” and “Burn it Down,” during KEXP’s SXSW showcase in Austin. Click here and see the band’s incredible dynamic live show.
Having originated in East Los Angeles, the city and its elements are firmly at Ozomatli’s core. The city, likewise, shares a mutual admiration for the band, as evidenced by the band’s partnerships with the Los Angeles Dodgers and, perhaps more impressively, the Los Angeles City Council’s proclamation of every April 23rd as “Ozomatli Day.” Reaching far beyond the city limits, though, the band has also served as Cultural Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, collaborated with the Boston and New York Pops Orchestras, and they were the first band to be asked to give a musical talk at the TED Conference in San Francisco. View the band’s impressive career highlights here.
PLACE IN THE SUN is destined to take its place alongside a litany of Ozomatli classics, taking tried and true formulas and injecting new life into them – new energies, new experiences. The album’s power comes from the way the band continues to work together, composing, recording, and fashioning live jams into polished, indelible songs. “When we put together that title track, I told Justin [Poree, the track’s lyricist/vocalist] to find the deeper meaning of what it takes to create your own place in the sun,” says guitarist Raul Pacheco. “How do you create a space in a way that you can shine, and what does that mean? For us it means the work it takes, the struggle it takes, and the joy we had once we got it.”