Ozomatli and La Misa Negra Will Perform an Outdoor Concert on the Aitken Arts Plaza Next Month

The Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University continues its 2021-22 Season with a double shot of beat-based dance music on Saturday, September 25 at 4:30 pm with Ozomatli and La Misa Negra,

Tickets are available now at muscocenter.org or by calling the Chapman University Ticketing Services at 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726).

"With their blend of Afro-Latin rhythms, reggae, ska, hip-hop, rock and cumbia, Ozomatli brings an entirely different vibe than our recent Aitken Arts Plaza re-opening with Pacific Symphony," said Musco Center Executive Director Richard T. Bryant. "This is just the sort of juxtapostiton of fabulous musicianship in a variety of styles, genres, and cultures that we are proud to present."

The six-piece Grammy Award-winning Ozomatli and seven-piece La Misa Negra will put the surge in resurgence as Musco Center continues to welcome live event audiences back to the Chapman University campus after an 18-month absence due to pandemic restrictions.

The music will reenergize the entire general admission audience on the outdoor Bette and Wylie Aitken Arts Plaza, which occupies the Musco Center's gently sloping front lawn. The groups' unique mix of beat-based dance music, with the boldness of punk rock and positive messages about farmworker rights, immigration reform and ending gun violence, will fill the sky over Aitken Arts Plaza.

Ozomatli represents the diversity of American culture and a fervent commitment to social justice and progressiveness. For more than a quarter-century they have performed around the globe, inspiring the U.S. Department of State to name them a Cultural Emissary.

Formed in the mid-'90s, Ozomatli quickly established themselves on the L.A. club circuit, then boosted their visibility with an appearance on "Vibe!," a late-night urban talk show, before releasing their self-titled debut in June 1998. More releases followed, including Live at the Fillmore, a concert CD/DVD package in 2005.

The current members are Wil-Dog Abers (bass, marimbula, backing and occasional lead vocals); Raúl Pacheco (guitar, tres, jarana, vocals); Justin 'El Niño' Porée (rap, lead and backing vocals and percussion); Asdrubal Sierra (trumpet, lead vocals, piano); Ulises Bella (saxophone, background vocals, requinto jarocho, keyboard, melodica); and Jiro Yamaguchi (drums, percussion, backing vocals).

In 2015, the band honed in on a new vision: to revisit their collective Latin music heritage through the lens of reggae and Caribbean music. After a PledgeMusic campaign that went over its goal by 53 percent, they entered the studio with famed producers Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. Also on hand were invited guests including Gaby Moreno, Juanes, Regulo Caro and "Herb Alpertto." Non-Stop: Mexico to Jamaica, released in 2017, included songs written by Selena, Café Tacvba, Juan Gabriel, Julieta Venegas, and Los Tigres del Norte, and rearranged tunes from their catalog.

Known for their unique blend of heavyweight cumbia and high-energy, Afro-Latin music, La Misa Negra have, on the strength of their wild and one-of-a-kind shows, gained a reputation as one of the most exciting live bands to emerge in years. Like Ozomatli, theirs is a diverse fan base that transcends musical, cultural, and generational divides. Their stage shows deliver an electrifying performance that explodes with infectious dance grooves and punk rock energy, powered by horn and accordion-driven riffs, a fierce rhythm section, and a vintage-inspired sound.

The seven-piece band is from Oakland, California, fronted, as Billboard described them in 2018, "by not one, but three women, including singer Diana Trujillo, who play an infectious, danceable blend of cumbia and funk."

The band is led by founder-composer Marco Polo Santiago, the guitarist and accordion player whose affinity for hip-hop and heavy metal inspires much of the band's sound and identity. In addition to Colombian-born Trujillo, La Misa Negra members are Justin Chin (tenor & baritone sax), Morgan Nilsen (tenor sax & clarinet), Craig Bravo (drums & percussion), Elena de Troya (percussion), and Paul Martin Sounder (upright bass & percussion).

In the decade since their live debut, La Misa Negra has continued touring the country, sharing stages and festival bills with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, Thievery Corporation, SZA, Mon Laferte, Julieta Venegas, Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estereo, and of course Ozomatli.

Tickets are now on sale at www.muscocenter.org or by calling 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726).

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