Party Politics

Think about South Florida's intimate relationship with Cuba and the Caribbean and the influence it's had on our indigenous music scene. The same sort of cross-cultural, stylistic leg-humping goes on in Southern California across the Mexican-American border, and there's no better example than L.A.'s Ozomatli. The bilingual, genre-smashing, Latin-funk-rock-rap outfit came together more than 10 years ago as the original L.A. party band, but it wasn't until its defining role as agent provocateur at the 2000 Democratic National Convention that Ozomatli found a purpose to its party. The group has withstood a rotating lineup of drummers, horn men, DJs, and MCs — including original members Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5 and DJ/vinyl junkie Cut Chemist — but has stayed consistently anchored by bassist Wil-Dog Abers' upbeat, politically charged songwriting. With a live show that's as full-blown ecstatic as any you've ever seen (that's a guarantee), Ozo is a No World Border phenomenon that'll reaffirm your belief in the power of music.

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More About

• Ozomatli
• Pablo Francisco
• Cut Chemist
• Chali 2na
• Latin Music

Ozomatli peforms with spoken word artist La Bunja and comedian Pablo Francisco at 8 p.m. Friday, November 4, at Mansion, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $25.