How a humanitarian project in Los Angeles turned into the world’s greatest party band.

The recent influx of foreign bands, unprecedented in recent Chinese history, has brought new sounds, aesthetics and styles to China’s pop culture connoisseurs. Unlike their predecessors, however, Los Angeles-based hip-hop, Latin, dance, funk, rock fusion group Ozomatli is bringing a much more relevant concept to Chinese audiences: social awareness.

Before international stardom was on the agenda, Ozomatli began performing as a social activism project at a sit-in for the L.A. Conservation Corps in 1995.

“We started as a political activist group holding concerts to raise money for the activist project,” percussionist and rapper Justin Poree tells City Weekend. “Since then it’s been ingrained in our music.” When Ozomatli became an international success, they brought this spirit of awareness with them on tour, using their music to connect with people all over the world.

“We’ve played some crazy places like Egypt, Nepal and Tunisia,” Poree recalls. “Everywhere we get an incredible reception; people can feel our energy and can recognize that we have no agenda.” For Ozomatli, this activist spirit translates into action.

“On past trips, we’ve done a lot of children’s outreach,” Poree says, “For example, in Jordan we visited a Palestinian refugee camp.”

For their China tour, Ozomatli plans to do outreach work with migrant workers in Beijing working in partnership with On Action, a Beijing based non-profit organization that has assisted over 3,000 migrant workers since it was founded in 2006.

“We work with migrant workers in their communities, in factories and on construction sites distributing cultural products and giving seminars on women's health, occupational health and safety, labor laws for signing contracts and writing skills,” explains Wang Kan who is a member of On Action’s board of directors.

Kan plans to work with Ozomatli to give both the migrant workers and Ozomatli the opportunity to learn as much about each other as possible.

“We would like to have a joint concert between [Ozomatli] and the migrant workers, and we might have the band eating the two kuai noodles that most workers eat everyday,” Kan says. While social awareness is an essential part of Ozomatli’s music, it’s certainly not the only thing. “First and foremost, our band is a dance band, and we want to bring the party,” Poree says. “First you hear the music, then you get the message.”

The band, nine strong, is a motley mix of cultures and backgrounds and just witnessing their live performance is a lesson in how social awareness isn’t boring.

“The band is nine guys on stage acting like maniacs, all of us are from different backgrounds and different cultures,” says Poree. “That in itself is a political statement.”

Expect Ozomatli to play songs from their latest album, “Don’t Mess with the Dragon” with a few classics thrown into the mix. The band will also be doing their best to bridge any gaps between the stage and the audience.

“We’ll learn a few phrases in Chinese to break the ice with the audience,” Poree says. “Just trying to communicate does a lot.”

The Details

Ozomatli will be playing in both Shanghai and Beijing. Catch them at the first annual Yue Festival in Shanghai on October 5 at Zhongshan Park where they will headline along with rapper Talib Kweli and U.K. trip-hop act, Faithless.

Or catch them in Beijing on October 2 at the Starlive where they will be headlining along with Talib Kweli. Stick around for Faithless on October 3 also at the Starlive.

Buy Tickets

Shanghai, ¥140/280/360

Tel: 135-2455-1955, www.228.com.cn

Beijing, ¥100/140/180

Tel: 6426-4436 ext. 21, www.piao.com.cn

www.yuefestival.com