‘Matli crew

Party in the Park returns with Latin rock supergroup

by Chris Aaland

Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. KSUT has thrown Parties in the Park in Durango’s Buckley Park since the mid-2000s, but recent years have found the event more scarce than regular. That all changes at 5 p.m. Saturday, when gates open for Ozomatli, the Latin rock supergroup that headlines the public radio station’s 18th such event.

KSUT held the events annually through 2019 when the Boulder-based funk outfit, The Motet, crammed more than 1,200 people into Buckley. Plans for a 2020 return by The Motet were scrapped by the pandemic; monsoon rains spoiled the party in 2021; and no Party in the Park was held in 2022, due to KSUT’s coproduction of the much-larger Lyle Lovett concert at Ward Lee Field.

“The Party in the Park has traditionally featured bands that make people dance,” KSUT Executive Director Tami Graham said. “It’s a celebration of the diversity of the Four Corners.”

Graham said that the event acknowledges the multiculturality of the Four Corners, including its vibrant Latinx community. Bands such as The Iguanas, Todo Mundo, Nosotros and Baracutanga have all brought Latin flare to past Parties in the Park. Other years saw Crescent City second line and R&B acts like The Stooges Brass Band and New Orleans Suspects take the stage, along with reggae, rock and world music artists.

Ozomatli, whose name refers to the ancient Aztec symbol of the monkey, which was considered the companion of the god of fire, music and dance, might be the most musically diverse of the whole lot. Since its inception in 1995, the band has forged a unique sound from such varied genres as rock, R&B, funk, hiphop, reggae, dub, world fusion and Latin styles like cumbia, salsa and merengue.

Longtime members Jiro Yamaguchi (drums) and Ulises Bella (saxophone) explained to NPR that Ozomatli takes listeners around the world by taking them around their native Los Angeles: “You drive down Sunset Boulevard and turn off your stereo and roll down your windows, and all the music that comes out of each and every different car, whether it’s salsa, cumbia, merengue or hip-hop, funk or whatever … that crazy blend that’s going on between that cacophony of sound is Ozomatli.”

In addition to Yamaguchi and Bella, Ozomatli’s current roster includes Wil-Dog Abers (bass, marimbula), Raul Pacheco (guitar), Justin Porée (percussion) and Asdrubal Sierra (trumpet, piano). Lead vocals are split between Sierra, Porée and Abers, with backing vocals by all six members.

The band’s most recent albums reflect that diversity. Its 2022 release, “Marching On,” is heavy on Latin rock and rap, spawning such crowd favorites as “Una

Mas” and “Mi Destino.” 2017’s “Non-Stop: Mexico to Jamaica” adds reggae and dub elements to traditional Mexican folksongs. The band even participated in rock projects like 2016’s “Bad Moon Rising” (from the “Quiero Creedence” collection) and “Willie and the Hand Jive” (from “Precious to Me,” which was released by Ozomatli’s record label, Blue Elan, earlier this year to raise funds and awareness for the Alliance for Children’s Rights).

Social activism is nothing new to Ozomatli. Throughout the band’s career, it has created music to give voice and shine a spotlight on the culture and lives of Latinos. Along the way, the band has championed workers’ rights and voter registration, particularly in underrepresented communities. It has also served as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, bringing the sounds of Los Angeles to China, Mongolia, Myanmar, Jordan, Tunisia and Cuba.

The awards have stacked up, including a pair of Grammys for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. Along the way, they’ve collaborated with and performed alongside such artists as Neil Young, Jack Johnson, Los Lobos, the Boston Pops and the USC Marching Band.

Graham said a good party needs more than just a mixtape in the background. She and her staff have partnered with the Sky Ute Casino Resort, A&L Coors, Wagon Wheel Liquors and a host of food trucks to offer adult libations and liquor and food options. The KSUT staff will sell tokens to 21-and-older attendees that can be redeemed for beer, wine, seltzers and cocktails.

Admission costs $25 in advance at ksutpresents.org and $30 at the front gate on the night of the event. Kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Pets and outside alcohol are forbidden, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs, blankets and picnic dinners. Gates open at 5 p.m., with DJ I-Gene spinning tunes until Ozomatli takes the stage at around 7.

Temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s Saturday afternoon under mostly sunny skies, and complimentary water will be provided at hydration stations.

Full disclosure: Chris Aaland is the development and music director for KSUT and talent buyer for KSUT Presents. He is a former music and nightlife columnist for the Durango Telegraph. He hosts the Afternoon Blend each Tuesday and “Tales of the New West” each Wednesday evening on KSUT. ■