SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2008 AT 7 PM

Media Sponsor: KCRW
Promotion Partner: Mexico Board of Tourism

The tenth anniversary season of the KCRW World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl concludes on Sunday, September 21, at 7 pm with Ozomatli, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lila Downs, and Nortec Collective presents Bostich + Fussible. KCRW DJ Raul Campos hosts.

Still enjoying the success of 2007’s Don’t Mess with the Dragon, Ozomatli returns to the Hollywood Bowl with their socially-conscious, hip-shaking mash-ups of hip-hop, salsa, cumbia, dub, and Middle Eastern funk. After twelve years of constant touring and collaborative song-writing, Ozomatli still spans the globe in support of addressing social issues through rousing performances that usually culminate in spontaneous drum line parties. As U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors, Ozomatli embarked on a series of government-sponsored international tours to Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East - tours that linked Ozomatli to a tradition of cultural diplomacy that also includes the esteemed likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong. On the local front, the three-time Grammy Award winners and two-time Billboard Latin Award winners are the new hosts of The Ozomatli Morning Show on Los Angeles radio station 98.7FM. Building on the success of their weekly “Ozolocal” show for the station, the band takes over the coveted, drive-time morning show slot with their singular blend of political commentary, wry humor, and all of the unique perspectives of a band reared across the multiple communities of Los Angeles.

Michael Franti & Spearhead, also widely recognized for their socially conscious roots music, return to the Hollywood Bowl in support of their latest release, All Rebel Rockers. Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, with reggae's most prolific production teams, Sly & Robbie, this new release deviates from Franti's previous sound and comprises a hybrid dub-infused soul flavor and some hard-hitting dub rock production. Californian-born poet, musician and composer, Franti blends hip-hop, funk and reggae together with his outspoken political and progressive lyrics and has gone on to become renowned as not only a worldwide million-selling artist, but also a leader in the peace and social justice movement.

Mexican singer Lila Downs taps into a vast reservoir of native Mesoamerican music by singing rich, folkloric songs in the Indian languages of Mexico such as Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya and Nahuatl. She makes her Hollywood Bowl debut in support of Shake Away, her new critically acclaimed studio album. AllMusic states, “This is the record we've been waiting for from Downs; it succeeds on all fronts and deepens her canon immeasurably.” Co-produced by Downs, the ambitious Shake Away features both covers and original songs in styles ranging from cumbia and ranchera, to blues and rock. The record boasts a slew of high-profile guests including Spanish rock legend Enrique Bunbury, Mercedes Sosa, Spanish flamenco-pop star La Mari, Cafe Tacuba's Rubén Albarrán, Raul Midón and Gilberto Gutierrez.

Nortec Collective, Tijuana’s electronica leaders, create and perform a style of music called Nortec – a fusion of Norteño (from the North) and techno, documenting the collision between the style and culture of electronica and traditional Mexican music. Nortec Collective members Bostich and Fussible were the masterminds behind the hit tracks “Tengo La Voz”, “Tijuana Bass”, and “Tijuana Makes Me Happy” off their latest and double Latin Grammy-nominated album, Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3. Nortec Collective presents Bostich + Fussible debuts at the Hollywood Bowl in support of their latest album, Bostich + Fussible: Tijuana Sound Machine. Mixing the old and new in their signature style, they perform with a regional Mexican backing band.

In their 13 years together as a band, celebrated Los Angeles culture-mashers OZOMATLI have gone from being hometown heroes to being named U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world. Their music - a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican raga and Indian raga - has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A. Originally formed to play at an area labor protest over a decade ago, Ozomatli spent some of their early days participating in everything from earthquake prep "hip-hop ghetto plays" at inner-city L.A. elementary schools to community activist events, protests, and city fundraisers. Ever since, they have been synonymous with their city: their music has been taken up by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Clippers, they recorded the street-view travelogue “City of Angels” in 2007 as a new urban anthem, and most recently, they were featured as part of the prominent L.A. imaging campaign “We Are 4 L.A.” on NBC. Ozo is also a product of the city’s grassroots political scene. Proudly born as a multi-racial crew in post-uprising ‘90s Los Angeles, the band has built a formidable reputation over four full-length studio albums and a relentless touring schedule. In 2007, the reach and power of that voice went to new global heights. The band had long been a favorite of international audiences—playing everywhere from Japan to North Africa and Australia—and their music had always been internationalist in its scope, seamlessly blending and transforming traditions from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East (what other band could record a song once described as “Arabic jarocho dancehall”?). Using music to promote messages of peace and understanding. Ozomatli is a model of how diversity promotes change.

One of the most moving and politically charged writers, MICHAEL FRANTI and his band SPEARHEAD, return with their eagerly-awaited album, All Rebel Rockers. Alongside Dave Shul (guitars), Manas Itene (drums), Carl Young (bass) and Raleigh Neal (keyboards), the album also features Zap Mama founder Marie Daulne and Jamaican soul/dancehall star Cherine Anderson. In 1999, Franti began a more soulful and deeper exploration of his musical sound and politics. His writing with The Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy delivered a more aggressive format for controversial themes inspired by current affairs, while Franti's albums with Spearhead carry a more compassionate delivery with a few hell raisers thrown in. Stay Human touched upon the unjust nature of the death penalty and corporate globalization; Everyone Deserves Music promotes unity and personal empowerment. In 2006, inspired by a journey into the war zones of Iraq, Palestine and Israel, Franti released the album Yell Fire! and his directorial debut and award-winning film titled I Know I'm Not Alone, which received the the Amnesty International "Audience Award Winner" and the Harlem International Film Festival "Best International Documentary". Franti continues to influence people with his speaking engagements at Universities, panels at W.H.O./U.N. in Geneva, his work with N.G.O.'s such as Oxfam, Amnesty Int'l, but most notably is the international message and expansion of his own “Power to the Peaceful” festival which has drawn more than 50,000 people for one day to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco over the last 9 years.

LILA DOWNS is a bi-cultural singer/songwriter raised in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca(a state of southern Mexico) and in Minnesota. Her mother is a mixtec indian, one of sixteen native indian groups in Oaxaca. Her father, was a painter/cinematographer/biologist who taught at the University of Minnesota. Exploring and expressing Mexico's rich culture has been a lifelong passion for Lila. Living in such varied environments, Downs took after her mother’s stage career by singing mariachi tunes at age 8. Her career continued to evolve, studying voice as a teenager in Los Angeles and then in Oaxaca City at Bellas Artes, before graduating with a double degree in voice and anthropology from the University of Minnesota. In 1994 Lila met Paul Cohen, ex-circus clown and jazz musician and together they began composing with folk traditions and contemporary music. Lila and Paul began recording in 1999, and the CD La Sandunga was the result. The came Yutu Tata/Tree of Life (2000), inspired by the 16th century mythological telling of the first Mixtec people being born from trees, and Border/La linea (2001), a collection of songs exposing the plight of migrant workers and the hardships and racism endured by indigenous peoples. Lila contributed to the music in the movie Frida, an Oscar winning soundtrack, which led to her performance at the 2003 Oscar ceremony with Caetano Veloso. In 2004 Lila and Paul moved to New York, and started collaborating with N.Y. musicians and musicians from Chile, Cuba and Brazil. In 2005, their album Una Sangre/One Blood won a Latin Grammy. Her CD La Cantina: Entre Copa y Copa... marks a unique turn, as she focuses intently on the rich and familiar repertoire of Mexico's beloved cancion ranchera tradition.

Tijuana’s electronica leaders NORTEC COLLECTIVE released Bostich + Fussible: Tijuana Sound Machine (Nacional Records) in May 2008. “With Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, we focused on fusing vocoders, synthesizers and drum machines with the Norteño flavor,” explains Pepe Mogt (Fussible). “This time around, we really relied more on the acoustic sound. We tried to achieve a better balance between the acoustics and the electronics.” Following the tremendous critical and industry acclaim for Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, Nortec Collective toured the world, performing for ecstatic fans from Latin America and the United States out to Europe, Japan and Australia. Their past high-profile appearances include Coachella, Rokslide Festival (Denmark), Sonar Festival (Barcelona), Smithsonian Institute (Washington, DC), Vive Latino (Latin America’s Coachella), Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), Bellas Artes Palace (Mexico City), Mutek.MX (Mexico City), Ultra Festival (Miami) and Decibel Festival (Seattle). Nortec Collective scored two Latin Grammy nominations for Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, including “Best Alternative Music Album” and “Best Recording Package”. Latin America’s most important electronic act received glowing praise for the album from such prestigious outlets as Rolling Stone, LA Times, XLR8R, and the NY Times, and saw the release hit #1 on top digital retailers iTunes and eMusic in the first week of its release. The group’s music has appeared in commercials for Volvo, Dell, Fidelity Mutual, Edwin Jeans (with Brad Pitt), Nissan, and many others. Tracks from Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3 can also be heard in HBO’s “Big Love”, NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” and the movies Fast Food Nation and Babel as well as the video games, FIFA Soccer and FIFA Street 2. Nortec Collective is comprised of five artists: Fussible (Pepe Mogt), Bostich (Ramón Amezcua), Panóptica (Roberto Mendoza), Clorofila (Jorge Verdín) and Hiperboreal (PG Beas).

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 40th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2008, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the fourth year in a row at the 19th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards. The Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SUNDAY, September 21, 2008, at 7 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood



KCRW World Festival



OZOMATLI

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

LILA DOWNS

NORTEC COLLECTIVE presents BOSTICH + FUSSIBLE



Media Sponsor: KCRW

Promotion Partner: Mexico Board of Tourism

Tickets ($10 - $96) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (Tuesday–Sunday, noon–6 p.m.), or by calling 323.850.2000, or Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details.

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