The Grammy-award winning Latin fusion band Ozomatli will be performing at the Sacramento State campus, in the University Union Ballroom, on Oct 29. 

Ozomatli's music is known as an 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 ragga and Indian raga, according to the band's website. 

More than a decade ago, 14 years to be exact, Ozomatli formed in Los Angeles to play at a labor protest. Since then they have been involved with "community activist events, protests, and city fundraisers," their website states. 

Ozomatli's indigenous LA music has been played by The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Los Angeles Clippers and lately played at the LA figures images campaign "We Are 4 LA" on NBC. 

"This band could not have happened anywhere else but LA," said saxophonist and clarinetist Ulises Bella. "Man, the tension of it, the multiculturalism of it. LA is like we're bonded by bridges." 

Initially starting out as Los Angeles grassroots musical heroes, Ozomatli has produced four studio albums and are now U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Aside from their political activism, Ozomatli keeps a relentless touring schedule to promote and perform their music. 

"Just being who we are and just doing what we're doing with music at this time is very political," said bassist Wil-Dog Abers. "The youth see us up there and recognize themselves. So in a playful, party-type of way, I think it's real easy for this band to get dangerous. We are starting to realize just how big of a voice we actually have as a band and how important it is for us to use it." 

Ozomatli will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on Oct 29 at Sacramento State’s University Union Ballroom. Tickets are $15 for Sac State students (with ID) and $20 for the General public and are available at the University Union Box Office or Tickets.com. 

For more information, visit www.SacStateUNIQUE.com or call (916) 278-6997. 

Picture courtesy from the Ozomatli website.