Street Signs
Arts: Ozomatli. Concord.
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This irresistible set unfolds a dazzling collage of sounds. Ozomatli have long specialized in an aggressively multicultural fusion of Latin and hip-hop. Now they’ve expanded their palette to include Middle Eastern inflections: “Believe” pulses with Arabic shadings, and “Who’s to Blame” sets an angry rap to Egyptian textures. On a more traditional note, the blazing “Nadie Te Tira” guest-stars salsa piano legend Eddie Palmieri, and the delicate “Santiago” features David Hidalgo of Los Lobos. Whether preparing to party on “Saturday Night” or posing politically charged questions in “(Who Discovered) America?,” Ozomatli never stray far from an unstoppable beat. Life-affirming music is too often dull, but Street Signs couldn’t be more vibrant.
