Ozomatli

Pulling together salsa, funk, reggae, jazz and hip hop, Ozomatli sounds like the traffic on Sunset Boulevard with the windows rolled down, a blend of cumbia, merengue and rap that refuses to stay in one lane. Formed in Los Angeles in 1995, the group grew out of a failed attempt to organise a workers' union, and its members took over an abandoned building that became a cultural arts centre. Their lyrics are socially minded, often sung in Spanish, and they have long campaigned on farmworkers' rights and immigration reform.

Their self-titled debut arrived in June 1998 on Almo Sounds, and a television appearance on Vibe! helped it reach mainstream notice, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Latin Albums chart. The following year they joined Santana and Mana on tour, and in 2002 they appeared on "One of These Days" from Santana's Shaman. Embrace the Chaos, released on 11 September 2001, won a Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, and Street Signs took a Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Later work includes music for Happy Feet 2 and a stint as the house band for Gabriel Iglesias's Stand Up Revolution from 2011 to 2014.