The Vineyard Valley Theater Company (VVTC) is set to present its latest fundraiser production at the intimate outdoor Solvang Festival Theatre. The show will feature the culturally diverse musical stylings of Ozomatli to benefit the Santa Ynez People Helping People (SYVPHP) youth program “Youth Down 2 Business” on May 27 at 8 p.m.
The company has been producing quality stage plays and concerts to benefit area charities since May 2007 with its debut Troubled Love, which also benefited SYVPHP. Another popular program was a collaboration with Opera Santa Barbara, Voices of Romance, also to benefit People Helping People.
President of the VVTC and retired literary and talent agent Lee Rosenberg created the program to raise funds and awareness for community members in need—and to put on a good show.
“I was very fortunate to get Ozomatli,” Rosenberg said. “People Helping People is one of the largest nonprofit organizations that addresses the Latino population’s need for education, housing, drug abuse [help], and spousal abuse [help], and things like that.”
People Helping People is responsible for about 17 programs that—according to Rosenberg—are “hand up” and not “hand out” programs, including the “Youth Down 2 Business” educational program.
“It catches kids who have dropped out of high school and gets them in a mentoring program that gets them back on the straight and narrow,” Rosenberg said. “We have seen kids go on to college, and that is rewarding.”
Ozomatli has been creating a positive cultural exchange with its music ever since it formed at a labor rally in Los Angeles. Members have volunteered plenty of their time and talent to support youth programs.
The group is seven members strong: guitarist and vocalist Raul Pacheco, vocalist Justin Poree, vocalist and trumpeter Asdru Sierra, saxophonist Ulises Bella, bassist Wil-Dog Abers, percussionist Jiro Yamaguchi, and drummer Mario Calire.
The cultural diversity of the group translates to its music, truly representative of the melting pot that is America, but more specifically Los Angeles. The group performs fusions of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East L.A. R&B and New Orleans jazz, and Jamaican reggae and Indian raga. The band likes to reflect not just its community, but the planet as a whole, according to its website, ozomatli.com.
The group hasn’t gone unnoticed for its unique blend of music. The album Street Signs won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. Their song “Can’t Stop the Blue” became the L.A. Dodgers anthem, and other tunes of theirs have been used in films and television shows.
A crowning achievement for the band members came in 2008 when the United States State Department named them cultural ambassadors to the world. Within their first year, the band performed in India, Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia, Jordan, Myanmar, Madagascar, and Nepal. The cultural ambassadors title has been given to few musicians, but among them are jazz giants Louis Armstrong and Dizzie Gillespie.
“They have played all over the world,” Rosenberg said. “They recognize their roots. They dedicate themselves to peace; they dedicate their music to their world.”
According to Rosenberg, the members were culturally sensitive to each country they performed in, changing their set for each performance. Admittedly, for a band that plays at least seven genres in a night, that might not be too difficult, but it reflects the group’s sensitivity and awareness of culture.
The group has recently been performing more for children, children’s charities, and other such programs. They even have a kids album in the works.
“They are very audience interactive,” Rosenberg said. “They incorporate the audience with dance or as a rhythm section.
“They are a terrific group of guys,” he added.
Community music
Mama’s Boys is the featured musical group at an upcoming free community concert. The group includes Laurie Maly, winner of the “Patsy Cline Challenge,” and plays a gentle, fun set featuring guitar, violin, ukulele, and voices on May 31 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the AAA Kindness Care Home, 3811 Dominion Road, Santa Maria. More info: 937-6444 or aaakindnesscarehome.com.
Primal jams
The Maverick Saloon presents rock group Primal Tribe in concert May 27 at 9 p.m., followed by Late Night DJ at 11:30 p.m. “Concert on the Deck” is May 28 at 3 p.m., Sean Wiggins and Lone Goat perform their country music at 8:30 p.m., followed by Late Night DJ at 11:30 p.m.—all at the Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. More info: 686-4785.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamaria sun.com.
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 2, 2011.