Eclectic influences infuse Ozomatli

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Members of Ozomatli are, foreground. Justin Poree, and background, left to right, Wil-Dog Abers, Raul Pacheco, Jiro Yamaguchi, Ulises Bella and Asdru Sierra. The Los Angeles-based band is back in town for a third round of shows in as many years. Ozomatli 9 p.m. Saturday Kapono's $25 general ($30 if you show up without a costume), $17.50 advance; 21 and older 271-9140

The politically charged, Los Angeles-based band's music has always been fueled by boundary-breaking blends. Latin rock and urban hip-hop. Jazz-funk and salsa. Reggae and Tejano. The Grammy-winning band's latest disc, "Street Signs," even infuses Middle Eastern grooves into its mix.

Back in town for a third round of shows in as many years, members of the Honolulu favorites shared lists of the musicians and records that have influenced them most.

Ulises Bella (tenor sax, clarinet, vocals):

• Fishbone. There wouldn't be any Ozo without this band from our hometown of L.A. Fishbone's sound dominated our ears growing up.
• Eddie Palmieri. When Ozo played salsa-style music we were all ... trying to sound like "El Maestro." (Palmieri's) "Unfinished Masterpiece" was a hugely influential album for Ozomatli.
• The Clash. This band wasn't afraid to rock politics in the music. And stylistically, they were always on the edge. Before hip-hop was used to sell chewing gum and cars, The Clash were throwing it in their stew of rebellion.
• "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" — Public Enemy. What a band. What a sound. It's what I wanna hear in my ears flinging a Molotov at "the man."
• Our peers. Bands like Quetzal, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Slowrider, Acid Reign, Black Eyed Peas, Aztlan Underground, Quinto Sol and all the other local acts that we've played with over the years.

Raul Pacheco (guitar, lead vocals):

• "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" — Public Enemy. Hip-hop that demands to be heard, with memorable characters and incredible performances. It still holds up today.
• "Harvest" — Neil Young. A wounded soul and yearning heart for all to see and hear. Quiet. Profound. Emotional.
• "Susana Baca" — Susana Baca. Black Peruvian soul, straight from the roots of the earth. (The record) reclaims and announces the ever-present — but often forgotten — Black Peruvian culture.
• "Exitos Gigantes (Greatest Hits)" — Ramon Ayala. One of the best songwriters on either side of "la frontera" (the frontier). Ranchera classics, beer and carne asada are a must.
• "Monte Carlo 76" — Monte Carlo 76. A Chicano fantasy about what was, is and could be.

Wil-Dog Abers (bass, vocals):

• "Poulina" — Orchestre National de Barbes. This is the bomb record. Orchestre National de Barbes mixes reggae with Moroccan music. It's off the hook.
• Los Originales de San Juan. The best "narcocorridos" in music. (Currently popular and controversial in Mexico, "narcocorridos" are border ballads describing the exploits of drug smugglers.) The bass players (are) the bomb, too!!
• The Clash. The first time I saw them, I was 6 years old. That day, I knew I would be a musician.
• Bruce Springsteen. I also would go and see (Springsteen) at a young age. He represents the people!!!
• Fishbone. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be in this band. Then I started Ozomatli and wanted us to sound like them.

Rene "Spinobi" Dominguez (turntablist):

• Gang Starr, Eric B. & Rakim, Run-D.M.C. Most of my influences are DJs. (These three) had a rawness, which is what I appreciated most.
• Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Immortal Fader Fyters. As I got more into DJing, my influences got more intricate. (These crews) and all of the DJ crews I grew up with made DJs worth living for in the battle scene.
• The Bomb Squad. For doing much of Public Enemy's production and other stuff.

Asdru Sierra (trumpet, lead vocals):

• Miles Davis. Miles has always been the innovator. Besides all the things he did with Charlie Parker early in his career — blowing away everybody with his minimalist approach in improvising — "Kind of Blue" was the gem that made a transition in jazz history. This is one of the albums I usually recommend to people who aren't familiar with jazz. Then there's "Bitches Brew." The album was intended for Jimi Hendrix to play with Miles. And it would've been an extreme influence if Jimi Hendrix had lived to record with Miles as planned, but things like this only come so often in a lifetime. "Bitches Brew" introduced funk, jazz, and other styles of music from around the world to Miles' crowd. I remember one time, Carlos Santana asked me to come by his house to check out a trumpet Miles gave him as a present. We had an early bus call, so I wasn't able to go. It figures. Story of my life.
• Earth Wind & Fire. The horn section and its arrangements. The singers like Philip Bailey. The songs. Everything in this band was a major influence in my life. Wow.
• Santana. For myself, as a Latin American singer, writer and musician, Carlos Santana is an inspiration. He has songs in Spanish like Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" played right next to The Beatles and The Beach Boys on the same (radio) station. His music inspires me to write songs and poetry. It reminds me of home.
• "The Joshua Tree" — U2. I went to their Joshua Tree Tour concert in L.A. Talk about an ethereal vibe in someone's performance, and such a universal message of peace ... without having to preach it and shove it down your throat. "The Unforgettable Fire" is always welcome as well.
• The Police. Simplicity in songwriting at its best, and complicated stuff that they made sound easy. In his biography, Sting said he always tripped out on how people really dug his bass lines. People didn't know that the way he played had to make way for his singing. It's hard to play bass lines and sing at the same time. That's two melodies at the same time! "So Lonely" is one of my favorites. It's also one of my kids' favorites, too! Because of that, I always judge my music by how my kids react to it, before I show it to people. If it lifts my kids' spirits, it might be cool! They dig Miles Davis and John Coltrane, too. And they also dig Veggie Tales music!
• The Cure. Most of the old stuff was amazing to me growing up. I went to one of their concerts when I was 14. I felt I just HAD to wear black, so I borrowed some black pants from my older brother. He was a lot bigger, so I looked like a "goth cholo gangster" or something. "The Forest," "Boys Don't Cry," "Love Song" and "Close to Me" were some of my favorites.
• Curtis Mayfield. One of the golden voices of our times, and a big influence of mine. Nowadays, people emulate what he's done.
• Ruben Blades. The poet, singer, actor, lawyer, composer and renaissance Panamanian. While playing in the band with Willie Col÷n and the Fania All-Stars in the '70s, he was in also at Harvard getting his law degree.
• Willie Col÷n and Hector Lavoe. They were the original frontmen for one of the most influential styles of street salsa to hit this world. Anything they did in the '60s and '70s was amazing.
• Ray Barretto. This 6'8" giant "conguero" ("conga player") is also still a giant influence. Barretto is like the Art Blakey or Tony Williams of the salsa world. Definitely not "papi chulo commercial salsa" (roughly translated, "handsome daddy" or "handsome boy"); especially his '60s, '70s, and some early '80s music. It's hard to sit down to his music.
• El Camar÷n de la Isla and Paco de Lucia. The master authentic flamenco guitarist (Paco), and the man with the voice that everyone tried to copy (Camar÷n). Ask anyone from the very commercial Gipsy Kings to the (rumba-playing) cats in the streets of Spain who their biggest influence is and they'll definitely mention these guys. I would, too.
• Run DMC. I grew up listening to Run D.M.C., Sugarhill Gang, Whodini and Egyptian Lover. I remember being part of a pop-n-lock team called "Tic-Toc" (I was "Tic"). It's hard for me to listen to any new hip-hop unless it has that redeeming quality of a fusion of styles. Pop rap kind of bugs me. I actually dig some pop stuff, but most pop bugs me. Some of the commercial stuff is hard to listen to. So far, I really dig Kanye West. He's a poet and an extreme talent.
• Quincy Jones. His whole life's work has extended from Count Basie to Frank Sinatra to Bill Cosby to Michael Jackson. How many Grammys has he won? 35?
• Cafe Tacuba. Art and music in one. If Salvador Dali had a band, he would be the lead singer for this band, with Picasso as the drummer, Frida Kahlo as the guitarist, Diego Rivera as the bass player and so on. "Eres" is one of my most favorite of their recent songs. Cafe Tacuba won a Grammy for best album the same year we were nominated for our EP, "Coming Up." I would've been mad if we had won instead of them. And the video for that same song is AMAZING.
• The Beatles. Who doesn't know who this band is? Anyone????
• Bob Marley and the Wailers. I'm more into the stuff they did when Peter Tosh was in the band ... when all the guys in the band sang backgrounds in falsetto. Peter Tosh and Bob Marley were like John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Justin Poree (percussion, emcee, vocals)

• Public Enemy. One of my greatest influences. Chuck D's lyrics are intense and the group had great balance. It was a complete and whole experience, from Flavor Flav (the comedic aspect) to Professor Griff (the militant hardcore symbol). Also, The Bomb Squad literally dropped bombs on your (expletive) with their beats. They were like the hip-hop Phil Spector. The hip-hop Wall of Sound.
• Los Munequitos de Matanzas. Another great influence of mine. When I first started getting into music from the Caribbean and Central and South America, my friend and conga teacher made me a mixed tape with many great salsa and folklore groups from Eddie Palmieri and Los Papines, to Willie Col÷n. I used to fall asleep listening to that tape. After a month or so of listening to it every day, I could sing every nuance of every Munequitos song on that tape. Their (expletive) is infectious and very tasty. When I listen to those songs today, I still remember the licks.
• My dad. Also one of my greatest influences. He is a classically trained guitar player, producer and was a L.A. studio musician in the '70s for Motown.
• Prodegio, La Banda Chula. These bands are very raw, and are merengue at its core. The cats in Prodegio use the traditional instrumentation for merengue but play new school. Very tight.
• Henryk G÷recki. My favorite composer. (He's) very left field, but I grew up listening to my dad play Bach on guitar so I think a love for classical music is ingrained in me.

Reach Derek Paiva at 525-8005 or dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.