Danielle Peleg Gallery

presents Original Paintings,
Drawings and Lithographs by 13 Year Old

ALEXANDRA NECHITA

Or maybe they just find it refreshing
to encounter a band that sings in
Spanish, raps in English and spreads a
political message without leaving
behind the requisite sense of fun.
Band members begin nearly every
show with an onstage samba line and
often end with the audience joining
them for spontaneous block parties.
Wil-Dog, a self-described cultural
Jew, says heshinks there aren't many cul-
turally diverse bands around because "a
lot of people live in their own commu-
nities and don't really go outside those
communities for their own reasons —
fear, cultural differences in communica-
tion style or just not wanting to."
There are boundaries all around
that need to be bridged, he says. "It
takes some effort to build a multicul-
tural community."
During the interview, he takes a call
from his mom, and mentions his "hard-
core New York Jewish grandma, who
instilled in me great things from the
Jewish cultural background." He adds
that people learn the difference between
right and wrong from their parents.
Rolling Stone magazine described
Ozomatli as "everything anyone could
hope for from a group of party-rocking
Angelenos who find the world outside
their door in a city on the brink."
The band released its self-titled first
CD in 1998 on the Almo Sounds
label. The album's first track, "Como
\,/es," pays homage to Cuba and warns
that history isn't necessarily something
learned in school; "Coming War" is a
reminder that the revolution will be
televised; and "0 Le Le" is a battle of
lyrical wits rather than weapons.
Ozomatli wants to "play for every-
body in the world, bring social justice
and change to the world and show peo-
ple positive ways to live," says Wil-Dog.
Legendary guitar-rocker Carlos
Santana described its members as "the
future" of music.
In return, Wil-Dog counts Santana
among his many influences — which
run the gamut from John Coltrane to
George Clinton to Run D.M.C.
Most importantly, Wil-Dog thinks
Ozomatli succeeds at bringing people
together. "Some bands here in [L.A.'s]
inner-city are trying to do something
similar to what we're doing. Music is a
universal language, [but] we're not a
concept. We just kind of happened."

Ozomatli opens for Santana 7:30
p.m. Saturday, June 12, at Pine
Knob. $32.50 pavilion/$15
lawn. (248) 645-6666.

"Mozart with a paintbrush"
"She's a child prodigy"
... a budding Picasso"

Charles Osgood

Newsweek

USA Today

Reception for the Artist

Saturday, June 12 from 6 pm to 9 pm
For Reservations, call 248.626-5810

Danielle Peleg Gallery

4301 Orchard Lake Rd. at Lone Pine • Crosswinds Mall • West Bloomfield

248.626.5810

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30-6:00, Sun 12:00-5:00

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Detroit Jewish News

6/11
1999

93

