Mario Calire: News/Journal

Upcoming Tour Dates

    04/06/2012 Ace of Spades - Sacramento, CA
    04/07/2012 Harrah's Tahoe- Stateline, NV
    04/11/2012 The New Parish - Oakland, CA (w/Eddie Roberts' Roughneck)
    04/13/2012 McDowell Mountain Music Festival - Phoenix, AZ
    04/14/2012 Radio City Music Hall with Gabriel Iglesias - New York, NY
    04/18/2012 Brick And Mortar - SF, CA (w/Eddie Roberts' Roughneck)
    04/19/2012 The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
    04/20/2012 The Tower Theatre - Fresno, CA
    04/22/2012 SOHO Music Club - Santa Barbara, CA
    04/25/2012 Brick And Mortar - SF, CA (w/Eddie Roberts' Roughneck)
    05/25/2012 Summer Camp Music Festival - Chillicothe, IL
    05/26/2012 Tequila Festival Avila Beach Resort - San Luis Obispo, CA
    06/9/12 – Univision H20 Festival – Dallas, TX
    http://h2omusicfestival.com/
    06/13/2012 Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO
    06/16/2012 34th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival - Los Angeles, CA
    07/5-6/12 – Winnipeg Folk Festival – Winnipeg, MB
    http://www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca/
    07/13/2012 The Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
    07/22/12 – Weesner Amphitheater – Apple Valley, MN – w/ Los Lonely Boys
    http://www.mnzoo.com/musicinthezoo
    07/28/2012 FloydFest - Floyd, VA
    08/3/12 – Salmonstock – Ninilchik, AK
    http://www.salmonstock.org/

I am excited to announce I am now a full line DW drums & hardware endorser. Having played and endorsed DW hardware for 15 years, I have long appreciated DW's commitment to making top tier equipment for drummers, for always improving and innovating all that they make, and for their unmatched artist program. Touring as much as I do with Ozomatli, it's a blessing to be using drums and hardware of this caliber on a nightly basis.

DW's in-house shell manufacturing and design is resulting in some amazing sounding new drum lines. There is much to love across the board from Collector's Maple and Maple/Mahogany to Classics to the Jazz series. I can only imagine what types of shells DW will be putting out in the future but I plan to be around to a part of it. And stash a few in my studio!

Cheers! Mario

 

Ozomatli taped a series for Comedy Central with the comedian Gabriel Iglesias, aka Fluffy. Check it out!

 

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/standup-revolution/index.jhtml

http://ozomatli.com/news/thank-you-for-an-amazing-2010
It’s quite staggering to put it all on one page. We could not have done any of this without your love and support. So grateful. So humbled. Thank you for being an indispensable part of this team, for believing in this crazy dream, and for lending your skillz to help push it out to the world.

With respect and love,
Amy B and Ozomatli

February 2010: Musicares Person of the Year breakout performance- Neil Young’s Mr. Soul, second line style!

February 2010: Completion of Ozo’s most complex and daring album- Fire Away.
http://www.youtube.com/user/OzoVideos#p/a/u/0/B1OE3QSHuSY
February 2010: TED Block Party
http://blog.ted.com/2010/03/10/ozomatli_downlo/
March 2010: SXSW Auditorium Shores free show to 25,000 people. Epic!

March 2010: Ozomatli composes the 2010 Dodgers Theme Song- Dodgertown


April 2010: ‘Fire Away’ Album Release!
http://www.livestream.com/downtownmusicstudios
April 2010: Ozomatli performs at Ben n Jerry’s Bonnaroo Buzz Ice Cream Launch, has official sundae “Ozomatli Coco-Caliente” created in their honor.
www.popmatters.com/Ozo
April 2010: Ozomatli Day- proclamation in honor of Ozo’s 15th Anniversary from Mayor Villaragiosa, City Council- Ozo has their own day forever more in Los Angeles- April 23rd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkMk8aen53M
April 2010: Ozomatli vs KCRW Soundclash release

May 2010: Boston Pops! First Symphony Collaboration garners rave reviews, sells out two nights at Symphony Hall

May 2010: A 5 city tour of China as State Department Cultural Ambassadors, including an appearance at the Shanghai Expo, the Tibetan Plateau, and the Chengdu earthquake zone.

June 2010: The first western band to perform a free concert in Mongolia. 30,000 people attend.

June 2010: Releases Gay Vatos In Love Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6pe3LUL5Z4
June 2010: Headlining and hosting the first ever Latin Tent at Bonnaroo, garnering national press attention

August 2010: Capital Records/Aucra/Panasonic session with the legendary Elliot Scheiner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPL7U56V36Y
September 2010: Meeting with the NCLR, releasing “Respeto”, the most successful widget download campaign to date, garnering national media attention as well as unprecedented numbers of new database subscribers
http://www.ozomatli.com/news/ozomatli-and-nclr-call-on-latinos-to-vote-for-respect
September 2010: Headlining the Hollywood Bowl- pulling off a visionary, inspired, stunning, show- which has the possibility to birth a new chapter in the band’s history (vegas baby!)
http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/ozomatli-calexico-and-more-hollywood-bowl-31132271/
September 2010: US State Department International Visitors session to the Cookman offices- 30 Global Arts Leaders dialogue with band members

September 2010: All Around The World Video release
http://www.youtube.com/user/OzoVideos#p/a/u/1/VDTgAPzg1yo
September 2010: Kennedy Center performance for Mexican Independence Day/Bicentennial

September 2010: Collaboration with global Roots Musicians International Visitors program at Kennedy Center
http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=73250630864&share_id=143573445685946&comments=1
September 2010: Band members sit on Immigration Reform panel at San Jose State with Dolores Huerta and Tom Saenz
http://alianzanews.com/videoplay.asp?id=133
October 2010: USC Presidential Rally Performance, Meeting Barak Obama
http://ozomatli.com/news/ozomatli-performs-at-move-america-forward-rally-at-usc
October 2010: Red Bull Soundclash Ozomatli vs Talib Kweli
http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Video/soundclash%20dallas-021242926445979
October 2010: Itunes Sessions released, rethinking and reimagining classic songs, fan favorite!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/itunes-session/id401381087
October 2010: Performs at Apple Headquarters, Cupertino CA. Nano uses Fire Away as campaign image
http://ozomatli.com/news/apple-uses-fire-away-for-new-nano
October 2010: Ozomatli releases cover of Caifanes’ “Nubes.”
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nubes-single/id395591081
October 2010: Ozomatli awarded prestigious KCET Local Heroes Award for outstanding humanitarian contributions to their city.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=452910462308
November 2010: TED TALK!- conceptualizing and realizing a new paradigm of conveying the bands history through story and song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxqlROnk7WY&feature=player_embedded
November 2010: Collaboration with the Trojan Marching Band at the USC- Notre Dame half time show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfQrBnWhAJ8
December 2010: Fillmore Ozo kids- first hard ticket Ozokidz show

December 2010: Composed end title theme to the new Chris Weitz film “The Gardner”

December 2010: Club Nokia all star jam, year end show, Quinceañera celebration!

And other highlights:

East Coast Blues n Roots Festival, Byron Bay, Australia
Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba, Japan
Vive Latino Festival, DF, Mexico
Austin City Limits
Mile High Festival
Womad (Headlining), London, UK
Celebrate Brooklyn
Bumbershoot Festival
High Sierra Festival (Headlining)
Honored at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus luncheon
Yogi Bear Trailer
Parenthood placement
Harry’s Law placement
Off the Map placement
The Event placement

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/20100508ozomatli_supercharges_pops/srvc=home&position=recent

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/05/08/ozomatli_plays_a_contemporary_smorgasbord/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/04/album-review-ozomatlis-fire-away.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/19/AR2010041904586.html
http://www.billboard.com/#/new-releases/ozomatli-fire-away-1004082151.story

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=317350104574

http://www.seaofdreamsnye.com/
Come down and get down with us on NYE in SF!!

http://danielhernandez.typepad.com/daniel_hernandez/2009/11/ozomatli.html
http://www.informador.com.mx/fil/2009/158668/6/ozomatli-prende-la-expo-gdl.htm
http://www.milenio.com/node/331527

Drum! Magazine's main man Andy Doerschuk grabbed me at the 2009 NAMM show for an impromptu interview. If you're a drummer interested in some of the nuts and bolts of what I do, check it out, you non-drummers might simply appreciate the soothing tones of my voice yapping away....

http://www.drummagazine.com/features/post/namm-09-mario-calire-of-ozomatli/

Diamonds in the Rough / Lessons for a Cause

I am soon to be a part of a benefit concert called "The Diamond in the Rough Concert Series", in support of the Diamond Learning Center in Fresno, CA (http://dlclife.org). DLC is an organization that works with people with a variety of special needs, from kids to adults. They have been using music as a form of therapy and having great results. That said, they have a pressing need for funds to get the right kind of musical equipment, and I want to help even more than doing the concert.

I've decided to give 10 lessons and donate my fees from the lessons to the Diamond Learning Center. I will be giving the lessons out of my home studio in So. Cal. and they will be anywhere from 60-90 minutes. The lessons can and will take an organic direction based on where you are at, where you'd like to go and what interests you. If you would like to know more send your contact information to mario@mariocalire.com and I will get back to you.

I am looking forward to helping anyone I can and mostly helping support the great work of the Diamond Learning Center. Thanks for checking this out!

http://www.singaporegp.sg/media/press_090611.php
We have a few shows in Singapore for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, luckily got a hotel room overlooking the course, gonna be loud here soon!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/16/AR2009091603777.html?sub=AR

Congrats to my brother Jamie Caliri and his team for their well-deserved Emmy win for 2009 Outstanding Main Title Design for the Showtime series "United States of Tara".

http://www.jamiecaliri.com/
http://www.cgarena.com/archives/news/jamie_emmy.html
http://dennytu.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/2009-emmys-winner-outstanding-main-title-design/
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/karin-fong/between-spaces/spaces-between-leave-us-betwixt
http://creativity-online.com/news/and-the-commercial-emmy-goes-to-cocacolas-heist/138991
http://www.dexigner.com/digital/news-g18664.html

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/locals-only/ozomatli-perform-barack-michel/
http://www.chci.org/events/page/2009-annual-awards-gala
Sept. 16th, 2009

http://www.vater.com/spotlight/MarioCalire/index.html

Ozomatli is featured on this weeks cover of the LA Weekly with a story about our trip to Burma. Enjoy!

http://www.laweekly.com/2009-06-25/music/music-without-borders/

OZOMATLI TRAVEL TO ASIA IN MAY - SERVE AS U.S. CULTURAL AMBASSADORS TO MYANMAR, VIETNAM AND THAILAND


Los Angeles based band Ozomatli has a longstanding mission to spread a message of global communication and understanding through music and diversity. Often describing their pioneering mash-up of hip hop, salsa, and cumbia as "the people's music”, Ozomatli is proud to once again announce that they will be serving as US cultural ambassadors in May of this year, with a US sponsored State Department trip slated for Ozo performances in Rangoon, Burma; Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; and Bangkok, Thailand.

Ozomatli has previously served this role with a series of US government-sponsored programs, international trips that have sent the band to Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East - tours that linked Ozomatli to a longstanding tradition of US cultural diplomacy that includes the esteemed likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong.

Singer and guitarist Raul Pacheco says of Ozo’s upcoming trip to Asia, "The history between the U.S. And Vietnam is, of course, an obvious one. I believe the intensity of the past is something we will still encounter when we perform in Ho Chi Minh City, but I also think it is a unique opportunity to continue to create a new relationship based on our own upcoming individual experience. The band’s trip to Myanmar will be fascinating as well, it is truly an opportunity unlike any we have ever had."

Saxophonist & vocalist Ulises Bella adds, "Going to Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand is a huge deal for me personally. Vietnam for it's position in U.S. History, and to be able to go as an ambassador of goodwill and music. It just seems like a excellent opportunity to break down some stereotypes and promote positive exchange.”

The current program features Ozomatli performances and humanitarian outreach, including HIV and AIDS care clinics, visits to schools for the blind and deaf, orphanages, Methadone clinics, and outreach programs to refugees and disadvantaged youth. Ozomatli’s trip begins in Rangoon, Burma from May 7th thru May 9th, followed by a visit Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from May 11 thru the 14th. Ozomatli will then appear in Thailand on Saturday May 16th in the city of Pattaya, and Sunday May 17th in central Bangkok.

Ozomatli’s previous State Department trips have literally sent the band all over the world - including Nepal and India. Their Kathmandu appearance marked not only the first performance by Western artists, but also the first peaceful, incident free mass public gathering in modern Kathmandu.

Ozomatli are a Los Angeles based, multiethnic, multi-racial group who are a living example that music can transcend any cultural or social boundary. Long devoted to outreach and community involvement, Ozomatli’s continued US State Dept. performances and workshops are a further extension of their commitment.

Ozomatli has always juggled two identities. They are both the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world, while their music has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A.

Originally formed to play a Los Angeles area labor protest, Ozomatli spent 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. Since then, Ozo have been synonymous with their city: their music has been embraced by the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and Los Angeles Clippers basketball franchise, they recorded the street-view travelogue “City of Angels” in 2007 as a new urban anthem, and most recently, Ozomatli were featured as part of NBC’s prominent L.A. figures imaging campaign “We Are 4 L.A.”

Ozomatli are currently recording new music in Jack Johnson’s studio in Los Angeles, the Solar Power Plastic Plant, with Robert Carranza (Mars Volta, Zach De La Rocha) behind the mixing board. Some of the titles Ozo has recorded so far include, “Malagasy Shock”, “Ashes”, “It’s Only Time”, and “La Guagua”.


publicity: Rob Moore at 60 Cycle Media
office # 845-358-6026
moore@60cyclemedia.com

Ozomatli Hits Europe This Summer
posted on 04.17.2009

EUROPE TOUR DATES 2009

Saturday, June 27th: Couleur Cafe - Brussels, Belgium ONSALE NOW.

Monday, June 29th: Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, UK PRESALE starts April 19th @ 9am.

Tuesday, June 30th: Fiddlers - Bristol, UK PRESALE starts April 19th @ 9am.

Wednesday, July 1st: Concorde 2 - Brighton, UK PRESALE starts April 19th @ 9am.

Thursday, July 2nd: Melkweg - Amsterdam, Holland

Friday, July 3rd: Your World Music Festival - Rotterdam, Holland

Sunday, July 5th: Summerjam - Cologne, Germany

Just a few more shows on the Ozo tour! Come check it out!

3/06/09 - St. Petersburg, Florida @ Jannus Landing
3/07/09 - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida @ Culture Room
3/08/09 - Orlando @ Florida Club Firestone w/ Bad Brains
3/10/09 - Atlanta @ Georgia The Masquerade
3/11/09 - Asheville, North Carolina @ The Orange Peel
3/12/09 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
3/13/09 - Baltimore, Maryland @ Sonar
3/14/09 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ World Cafe Live
3/15/09 - Troy, NY @ Revolution Hall
3/18/09 - Boston, Massachusetts @ House of Blues
3/19/09 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
3/20/09 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
3/21/09 - So. Burlington @ Vermont Higher Ground

http://blogs.laweekly.com/play/news/oliver-wang-on-ozomatlis-three/
OLIVER WANG ON OZOMATLI'S THREE-NIGHT STINT AT H.O.B. (WITH CHALI 2NA BACK IN THE MIX)
by LA Weekly
December 18, 2008 8:33 AM
The first time I ever saw Ozomatli was in 1997, when they played the Elbo Room in San Francisco; their dozen or so members barely fit the tiny stage. The second time I caught them was less than six months later, at a UFW march in support of strawberry workers in Watsonville. The two spaces couldn't have been more different -- one was a quaint, hipster space that fit barely 200, the other was a march that included thousands. Yet Ozomatli's impact was the same, unleashing a torrent of energy as they wound their way through each respective crowd in a samba procession that would become a signature gesture in all their performances.


A decade later and Ozomatli's reach has only increased. Last year, they were given a Fulbright-Hays grant through the U.S. State Department to travel the globe as cultural ambassadors, including playing their first-ever gig in Nepal. This year, they took to the airwaves, hosting a weekly local L.A. music show, then a two-month morning show stint, both for 98.7FM. And just to show the full extent of their pop cultural penetration, they also performed on Dancing With the Stars. Can an American Idol cameo be too far behind?

Throughout all this, they've kept experimenting, and expanding their musical breadth. The core of their sound has always been a uniquely Los Angeles blend of Mexican, Afro-Latin and hip-hop sensibilities. As the group has matured, they've learned to adroitly incorporate merengue, salsa, reggae, rock, R&B, funk, bolero, cumbia and hip-hop in any given moment. It's the embodiment of the "glocal" -- the unity between a global world where culture travels at the speed of information but with a distinctly local sabor and spirit.

For their three-night stand at the House of Blues, Ozomatli is giving their long-time Angelino fans a special treat. For the first time since the late '90s, the group's original rapper, Chali 2na, of Jurassic 5 fame, is rejoining them on tour, reuniting part of the core group that helped establish Ozomatli to begin with. (Is a Cut Chemist cameo in the works too?) They just finished a similar three-night set at S.F.'s Fillmore, but this trio of House of Blues' shows will be their last of 2008 and it'll be a fine time for the local fans to help close out their busy year in style. (Ozomatli perform tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip.) -- Oliver Wang

We were lucky to have her while we did. Miss you, mom.

http://www.legacy.com/VenturaCountyStar/Obituaries.asp?Page=Notice&PersonID=119214011

I changed up the look here as well as added a few new tunes to the music area. Thanks for stopping by!

http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=11346
http://www.pollstar.com/tour/searchall.pl?By=Artist&Content=OZOMOTR&Key=Y
The Retur​n Of Chali​ 2na

Wedne​sday,​ Sep 24, 2008 3:​03AM
Ozoma​tli will take its uniqu​e mash-​up of hip-​hop,​ salsa​,​ cumbi​a and dub on the road this fall with some help from old frien​d and forme​r membe​r Chali​ 2na.
The band kicks​ off the party​ Octob​er 26 at Voodo​o Music​ Exper​ience​ in New Orlea​ns City Park and will hit clubs​ and theat​res throu​gh late Decem​ber.​
Highl​ights​ inclu​de stops​ at Wareh​ouse live in Houst​on (​Octob​er 27), House​ of Blues​ in Dalla​s (​Octob​er 30), Fox Theat​re in Bould​er,​ Colo.​ (​Novem​ber 1-​2)​,​ Showb​ox at The Marke​t in Seatt​le (​Novem​ber 8-​9)​,​ McNea​rs Mysti​c Theat​re in Petal​uma,​ Calif​.​ (​Novem​ber 14), The Fillm​ore in San Franc​isco (​Decem​ber 11-​14)​ and House​ of Blues​ in West Holly​wood (​Decem​ber 18-​20)​.​
Ticke​ts are avail​able at Ticke​tmast​er.​ com.
Ozoma​tli origi​nally​ forme​d to play a Los Angel​es area labor​ prote​st and spent​ its early​ days parti​cipat​ing in every​thing​ from earth​quake​ prep "​hip-​hop ghett​o plays​"​ at inner​-​city schoo​ls to commu​nity activ​ist event​s,​ prote​sts and city fundr​aiser​s.​
Last year,​ the band serve​d as ambas​sador​s for a serie​s of gover​nment​-​spons​ored inter​natio​nal tours​ to Asia,​ Afric​a,​ South​ Ameri​ca and the Middl​e East.​
The group​ expla​ined coope​ratin​g with the Bush admin​istra​tion,​ which​ it hasn'​t been shy about​ criti​cizin​g,​ was a respo​nse to a globa​l cry for chang​e by using​ music​ to promo​te messa​ges of peace​ and under​stand​ing.​