Ozomatli’s tunes return to the Twin Cities, stoking social activism and solid dance moves

Los Angeles-based fusion band Ozomatli began their August 20 concert in Kent, Ohio, with a haunting wordless vocal from bandmember Asdrubal Sierra, which, abetted by the subtle drone of keyboards and guitar, resonated like a mixture of Tuvan throat singing and a lonely animal in the desert.

Raising his left hand into the peace symbol, Sierra left the mic and let the funky wah-wah guitar of Raul Pacheco take over. After the drums kicked in, Sierra returned with a more melodic melisma, which led into lyrics as the keyboards and bass injected the sinuous sway of a Middle Eastern raga into the groove.

In Spanish, Sierra sang, “Cada-cada día yo veo la destrucción, cada-cada día yo veo la maldición,” which translates to, “Each day I see the destruction, each day I see the curse.” Switching to