For nearly three decades, the alt/Latiné fusion of LA-based band Ozomatli has wafted from summer to summer, house-party to house-party, Zip Code to Zip Code, rising from backyard barbecues and Quinceañeras, lifting over the rooftops and freeways to land anywhere the vibe feels right.
And beginning October 4th, the music of three time-Grammy winning Ozomatli co-founder songwriter, vocalist, keyboardisto, and trumpet master Asdru Sierra promises to get audiences up on their feet to shake that groove-thang for the world premiere of “¡Pasaje!,” an original two-act musical making its debut at Sierra Madre Playhouse.
Named for the Aztec astrological sign of the monkey, the companion of Xochipilli, god of dance and music, Ozomatli continues to electrify listeners with kinetic cuts like Una Mas and After Party. Singing in Spanish, Spanglish and English, Ozomatli will next take the stage at The Greek Theatre October 25, sharing the bill with WAR, El Chicano, Tierra Legacy and others.
We caught up with Sierra on the fly as “¡Pasaje!” goes into final rehearsals, and he told us “We wanted to capture the feeling of growing up in South El Monte, even though I’m from Glassell Park myself.” Describing the play as a “very brand-new story,” “¡Pasaje!” was initially conceived in 2008 when a group of South El Monte High School drama students and alumni were inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning “In the Heights.”
J. Quiroz, writer of the new musical, was among the original student group who wrote the script in 2011. “¡Pasaje!” is Quiroz’ first major production credit. He and others involved with the project reached out in 2019 to Sierra.
Over pizza, the Grammy-winner / artist producer agreed to write the show’s music.
“The story travels along with the main character named Andy who doesn’t know who he is. In the play, Andy is about to turn 18 when he discovers the lies he’s been told all along about his identity. So the passage referenced in the title is not only Andy’s passage into becoming a man, but also discovering and accepting who he is culturally speaking,” says Sierra.
And the passage has been quite a journey so far. “I got involved just as COVID hit us, and my union informed us that playing trumpet was considered a superspreader, as was singing,” he says. “You know, all of that airborne spit.”
In spite of the setback, Sierra pushed on. “Each of the major characters in this story has their own very specific, identifiable musical motif,” he says. “This is one way that we establish emotional connection with the audience. They hear a certain motif and go, ‘Oh, that’s Andy,’ or ‘Oh, that’s Marcelina.’ Recognizing the melody, rhythm and sound form a more powerful emotional connection than lyrics.” He recalls a band-gig in Japan where “…all of these Japanese people were singing our lyrics in Spanish! I suppose some of them learned the language, but not all of them. But the music made them feel something anyway.”
He laughs and adds that “I think we’re up to draft number 34 on the script. This production has been our creative playground, and there’s no real stopping-point as far as making adjustments. In film, you can lock it down, but this is live entertainment.”
Ozomatli is known for integrating hooky elements of reggae, hip hop and other pop genres into their hard-rocking, spicy sound-stew, and the Sierra Madre Playhouse production promises to offer more of the same. “It’s a big mix, with Salvadoran feels, frontera flourishes, and lots of other colors. What’s most important is that this production reflects the community that created it. We want people in the audience to smell the tacos, you know?”
He recalls his own creative journey as an aspiring musician at age 18, the age of the play’s protagonist. “It was around 1990, and I was playing backup to Tito Puente. I was so nervous because at the time, I couldn’t sight-read music too well and I screwed up every note. And my horn was right behind Tito’s head. But he was such a sweetheart. He turned to the band and said, ‘Give the kid a solo, so he can relax.’ And later he told me to take my sight-reading more seriously.”
“It’s hard to meet your heroes,” he recalls. “But I’ve been lucky. I’m really just a guy from North East LA.”
DEETS
- Sierra Madre Playhouse Presents “¡Pasaje! “
- Book by J. Quiroz, music by Asdru Sierra
- Performances:
- Friday, October 4, 8:00 PM
- Saturday, October 5, 8:00 PM
- Sunday, October 6, 4:00 PM
- Friday, October 11, 8:00 PM
- Saturday, October 12, 8:00 PM
- Sunday, October 13, 4:00 PM
- Friday, October 18, 8:00 PM
- Saturday, October 19, 8:00 PM
- Sunday, October 20, 4:00 PM
- Friday, October 25, 8:00 PM
- Saturday, October 26, 8:00 PM
- Sunday, October 27, 4:00 PM
- Friday, November 1, 8:00 PM
- Saturday, November 2, 8:00 PM
- Sunday, November 3, 4:00 PM
- Tickets and information: www.sierramadreplayhouse.org
- 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre
- 626-355-4318
