Sheridan Opera House: Ozomatli, 2/22; Joshua Radin & Lissie, 2/24!

14 Feb Sheridan Opera House: Ozomatli, 2/22; Joshua Radin & Lissie, 2/24!

The Sheridan Arts Foundation presents Grammy-Award winning Ozomatli live at the historic Sheridan Opera House on Friday, February 22. Doors open at 8 p.m.; show time is 9 p.m. $40 GA loor; $55 reserved seats in the balcony.

That same weekend,on Sunday, February 24, the Opera House hosts Joshua Radin & Lissie with special guest Lily Kershaw. Doors open at 7 p.m.; Concert at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 GA seated on the main floor; $45 reserved seats in balcony.

Tickets floor both shows are available online at www.SheridanOperaHouse.com or by calling 970.728.6363 ext. 5. (A $5 ticketing fee is charged at all ticket outlets).

Please scroll down for a teaser of the both acts in action.

OZOMATLI:

Since its inception in 1995, innovation and creativity have defined Ozomatli.

Hailing from Los Angeles, Ozomatli found a way to represent the city’s eclectic culture through music that appeals to the local community as well as the world beyond. The group’s style spans a variety of genres from classic to modern Latino, urban, hip-hop and other world styles. But regardless of what forms it is embracing in the moment, Ozomatli or the “Dioses del Baile” or “Gods of Dance” have created one of the most exciting, captivating and flat-out fun live shows touring today, one that keeps fans on their toes and the world dancing.

Ozomatli’s most recent album, Non-Stop: Mexico to Jamaica, is a mix of classic Mexican hits re-imagined with a reggae feel. Released in May 2017, it pays homage to the band’s Latin roots, allowing everyone to personalize songs that defined their youth and, in turn, become part of Latin and Pop music lore.

Produced by drum & bass reggae legends Sly & Robbie (Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Madonna, No Doubt) and featuring various high-profile guest vocalists, the album recreates the magic of classic Latin hits with a reggae dance hall vibe that only Ozomatli could make feel as natural as waves rolling in the Caribbean sands.

Originally conceived as a tribute to mariachi and Norteño, the band decided to expand upon its original concept, include old and new artists and cover more eras all under a reggae umbrella for a 20th anniversary hit.

Prior to paying respects to a classic Latin catalogue, Ozomatli was creating its own, unique repertoire embraced by fans and critics alike.

The band catapulted to the top of the live music scene with its first, self-titled album. The impact of the then 10-piece band’s album was felt throughout the music world and earned the group the opportunity to open for Carlos Santana on his “Supernatural” tour. Following the success of release #1 and touring with Santana and Mana, Ozomatli next released Embrace the Chaos, which earned them a Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. The follow-up, Street Signs, won both the same award and a Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2005.

Ozomatli takes firm stances on various social justice issues too.

Its work focuses on giving voice to Latino culture, opportunities for children, fighting for workers’ rights, and promoting global unity and peace among people, cultures and nations.

In 2006, Ozomatli was named Cultural Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department as the first musical group to speak at the TED Conference in San Francisco. The band performed for President and First Lady Obama at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 32nd Annual Award Gala.

In addition to politics and social issues, Ozomatli emphasizes the importance of family and children.

Ozomatli has strived to make music that could be shared through the generations and havs even recorded music specifically targeting children and families. Their 2012 release, Ozomatli Presents OzoKidz, features all original children’s music that captures the innovation and liveliness that Ozo fans have become accustomed to, while educating children on the values of nature and knowledge.

The band continues to perform the album at special OzoKidz concerts, where parents and children alike dance and play along on OzoKidz kazoos.

With Non-Stop, Ozomatli continues creating music for entire families and communities. By recreating these classic Latin songs, Ozo redefines their meaning and rei-magines their beauty for generations to come. As Ozomatli percussionist and MC, Justin Poree, puts it:

“Anyone who is eight or 80 will recognize ‘Sabor a Mi’ or ‘Besame Mucho.’”

These rhythmically and melodically rich songs bridge the generational gap, captivate all who listen, and beautifully mesh a variety of rich cultures.

JOSHUA RADIN & LISSIE WITH LILY KERSHAW:

Love and the complications surrounding it have long proven to be Joshua Radin’s songwriting forte.

Though Radin never intended to become a live performer, there was little choice when the first song he ever wrote, “Winter,” was featured on an episode of “Scrubs.” The resulting fervor around the song soon led to a record deal and, over the last decade, Radin has toured the world countless times, sold hundreds of thousands of records, topped the iTunes charts, earned raves from Rolling Stone to The Guardian, performed on “The Tonight Show,” “Conan,” and more, played Ellen DeGeneres’ wedding at her personal request, and had his songs featured in more than 150 different films, commercials, and TV shows.

In April 2016, Radin, who was born in Cleveland and is now living in Los Angeles, released a double live CD featuring all of his most popular tunes.

Lissie grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, near the Mississippi River, speaking her mind and writing songs from an early age. In March 2018. Lissie released her fourth studio album, Castles.

The new music follows the release of her 2016 album, My Wild West, which received widespread critical praise. Written predominantly from Lissie’s new home in Northeast Iowa, Castles marks a spiritual as well as musical development.

The release is a portrait of an artist who has always been on the move and is finally has a sense of permanency, a chance to catch her breath and reflect. Of the record, Lissie says this:

“The album title, Castles, and the themes of the music itself suggest a striving and a heightened vantage point. I can stand above myself in the tower of my mind and reflect on my relationships and life. There is a maturity, experience and self-awareness to these songs that feel like a natural progression within the context of my work to date.”

Lissie’s album, My Wild West—the follow up to Catching a Tiger (2010) and Back to Forever (2013)—peaked at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and Top 10 on the Independent Album chart.

Lissie also appeared in the most recent season of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” with NME saying of her “intense” performance: “Closing the episode with the Stevie Nicks-esque ‘Wild West,’ Rock Island’s most exciting troubadour more than earned her Lynch-commissioned screen time.”

Go here for a view of two in concert.

The Sheridan Arts Foundation was founded in 1991 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization to preserve the historic Sheridan Opera House as an arts and cultural resource for the Telluride community, to bring quality arts and cultural events to Telluride and to provide local and national youth with access and exposure to the arts through education. The Sheridan Arts Foundation is sponsored in part by grants from the Telluride Foundation, CCAASE and Colorado Creative Industries.