Interview with Ozomatli

Two-time Grammy winning U.S. band Ozomatli says its new album, "Don't Mess With The Dragon" which will be released in April, is its most "cohesive, joyous" record to date.

The Los Angeles-based 10 member band, which is known for its political and social lyrics, was formed in 1996 and plays Latin, hip-hop and rock music. Their first eponymous album was released two years later to mixed reviews.

Ozomatli -- a Nahuatl word for the Aztec astrological symbol of the monkey, the god of dance, fire, and music -- won a Grammy in 2002 for their second album "Embrace the Chaos".

Popularly called "Ozo", the multi-ethnic band won its second Grammy in 2005 for "Street Signs". They have shared the stage with music greats like Carlos Santana and Lenny Kravitz.

The band recently toured India and Nepal and is known for songs which deal with social and political issues.

Q: What will "Don't Mess With The Dragon" offer your fans?

A: "In our new album, we basically continue our journey singing about social issues. On this album, for the first time we actually wrote a song in homage to Los Angeles, the city where we come from.

"We also do a song about New Orleans, that's after (Hurricane) Katrina and that one's called 'Magnolia Soul'. There are a few social issues we wanted to sing and this came out as our most cohesive, joyous record to date."

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