January 2026
Fresh into a new year, Los Angeles based band Ozomalti was first band to rock the Crystal Bay Casino’s Crown Room in 2026, and it was a fun one! Ozomatli immediately got the party started with everyone dancing and clapping to their dynamic Latin, hip hop, funk, reggae lively beat!
OZO is currently on their 30 Revolutions Tour, and had seven band members on stage playing an impressive array of instruments! The band brought a saxophone, trumpet, electric clarinet, keyboard, melodica, a baritone ukulele, guitars, two different drum kits, and also a percussionist playing tom toms and bongos with many other different instruments.
The treat of this extraordinary evening for me was the group’s saxophonist Ulises Bella performing two different solos and showing off a catchy mastery of his craft! The group’s trumpet player, Asdru Sierra, greeted the crowd and wished everyone a Happy New Year, and asked “if we had made any new year resolutions?” Then he asked everyone “if we believed in Love and Brother and Sister Humanity? He reminded everyone to love each other.”
On that, Ozomatli has spent their 30 Revolutions Tour with $1 from every ticket sold being donated to non-profit Sweet Relief and Backline who supports mental health services for music professionals.
A local Musician, Diana Turnbloom, from Sonik Rewind, was there and she had this to say about the show:
“I knew this was going to be special and it was a culture club of Latin, hip hop and rock. The vibe [was] festive. These guys are super tight and kept bringing out more and more instruments that kept the audience interested plus their cool dance moves didn’t hurt either! The harmonizing was spot on! The finale of walking into the audience while performing was magnificent and so different from any other band I’ve seen. I’m taking notes!”
Ozomatli doesn’t get to this neighborhood very often but those who made it out to see them were rewarded with a stellar performance and memorable night. Thank you Crystal Bay Casino for bringing Ozomatli to Lake Tahoe and for keeping the music alive.
Thank you, Larry Sabo, for the magnificent photos from that evening! Check out the full Ozomatli photo gallery at: Flickr.com/albums/wackybush
