Studio: Concord Records
Video: Widescreen 16:9
Audio: DD 5.1, DD 2.0
Extras: Photo Gallery (3 min); Saturday Night Music Video; Miscellaneous Clips including Interviews (14)
Length: 130 minutes
Rating: ****
Ozomatli is a ten-piece multi-cultural group that is geared towards not
only performing music, but creating a musical experience. This
concert was recorded on December 3rd in 2004 at the historic San
Francisco venue. A handful of the songs performed come from their
Grammy-winning Street Signs album while others are older hit
songs. The band is unlike what we have come to expect from a
typical music group; it incorporates elements from different genres and
successfully fuses them together. Getting the crowd energized and
involved in the music is of prime importance to the group. It is
more of a festival than just a concert. The music is a unique
blend of Latin, hip hop, funk, soul, and rap and would be essential
music at a party. The band is filled with a variety of performers
including percussion, keyboards, guitar, bass, a DJ, and even a horn
section. During the concert there is a large video screen behind
the stage that plays all sorts of video clips from bees and people to
scenes of destruction that relate to the topics being discussed in the
songs. The power of the music is not only in the sound of the
instruments and singing, but in the lyrics and the stories they tell as
well. Topics about social change, getting along with one another
and love are just a few. The group performs a modern day revival
of the spirit without the religious overtones. After the concert,
as a participant, one feels revitalized and fresh.
Sound quality is well above average with lots of heavy bass and crowd
noise in the surrounds. Some of the music is sung in Spanish for
those who might find this important. The video is impressive
although there is some grain in the darker crowd shots. There is
a lot of fast motion, but the camerawork and editing is done in a way
that doesn’t dizzy the viewer. There are lots of close-ups on
individuals on stage and in the crowd as well. For an uplifting
musical extravaganza you’ll want to pick this one up. It is as
close as you can get to seeing the band live. Songs are: Dos
Cosas Ciertas*; Believe*; (Who Discovered) America?*; Eva***; Street
Signs**; Elevation; Coming Up Part 2**; Cumbia De Los Muertos**;
Saturday Night*; Cuando Canto*; Chango***; Esa Morena**; Love and
Hope*; Como Ves***; Dejame En Paz**; La Misma Cancion*; End Samba**.
Legend = * On DVD and CD; ** On DVD only; *** On CD only
-Brian Bloom
