・ The return of FRF experience with Ozomatli!

The L.A. music collective, Ozomatli, was the most Fuji Rockin' band of FRF '00. In other words, they symbolized the fun, true spirit of the festival. Therefore, we interviewed them for "Around The Fest" Their show on the14th at Shinjuku Liquid Room was like a flashback of FRF. Like before, Ozo blew the mind of the audience by beginning the show in the lobby - not on the stage. They started playing there, then headed over to the stage parading across the floor. This style was exactly the same as FRF 2000 in the Field of Heaven.

Furthermore, there was another episode which occured at the record shop in Shibuya before the show. In response to a staff-member question about if four members were enough for a promotion, they insisted "Ozomatli isn't Ozomatli if we are not all playing together."

They were ready with a guitar and amp, and then many people gathered around to see what they were doing. Ozomatli was so powerful. In fact, they maintained such power through the day that it drew out people from the record shop that day onto the live venue that night. At FRF '00, everyone called Ozomatli "The Pied Piper of Hamelin". Ozo is more than that, because their rhythm section draws as many people to them as any pipers.

The Japanese member of Ozo, Jiro Yamaguchi, who grew up in the states from the age of 9, yelled out to the audience in faltering Japanese. I was glad to hear him say:"Anyone at Fuji Rock?" or "How about Asagiri?" People became crazy and yelled back. It was completely like a reunion of FRF.

"Ozomatli... against...War"

Jiro's message made the peace-lovin' Fuji Rockers happy, and also Ozo members started a song shouting "Ichi, ni, san, shi (which means one, two, three and four in Japanese)". This made some people squeal with delight.

In the last part of the show, they played a punky rock tune. It was then that I realized their musical roots all over again. And the very end of the show, they jumped down from the stage to the floor, and played a well-known song from a Japanese comedy group called the Drifters. Itgoes something like: "Karasu naze naku no? Karasu no katte desho? (Why are you, a crow, caw? Who knows?" This reminded me of FRF two years ago. That's why I reviewed them like this.

For your information, according to the latest rumor Fujirockers.org heard, they are planning to hold a surprise free show on the street of America-mura in Osaka on the 16th. We definitely have no choice but to go there. On top of that, they will drink the night away at BIG CAKE. All this information makes me feel itchy to go to Osaka!

I also heard that Fuji Rockers in Osaka are getting psyched-up for the coming festival, so let's get together and revel the Fuji Rockin' atmosphere of Ozomatli live! Everybody come join us!

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Well, we feel so bad about uploading this now and this should have been done on the 15th of March... as the original article in Japanese was written then.

If you knew this and came up to Big Cake on that night, you'd have had a incredible session party that night there with the guys of the Ozo as they started picking up some musical instruments and played loud with people there.

Of course there is no doubt that their gig at Shinsaibashi Quattro was like a storm and everyone was rockin' with big smiles on their face.

But we haven't got enough staff and need more people helping us! If you are capable and willing to do a slave work for the rockers.org, please contact us.

This site is run by volunteer staff and we need someone completely bilingual in between Japanese and English, or Spanish, Chinese and Korean... as we are having lots of people coming for FRF from all over the world. A volunteer staff should be, of course, nice and co-operative and genki and willing to work for nothing but love of a festival and music and people! If you are such a lovely but stupid, means nice though, person like us, please contact us!

reported by ORG-master and translated by ORG-jason  (March 27, 2002)