Concord Records Signs Grammy Award-Winning Ozomatli; Band's First DVD Project Expected in Late 2003; New CD Coming Winter 2003/2004.

Entertainment Editors

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 28, 2003

GRAMMY(R) Award-winning Ozomatli (pronounced Oh-zoh-mot-lee) has joined the artist roster at Beverly Hills-based Concord Records. Described as one of the best bands ever to come out of Los Angeles, Ozo has won both critical acclaim and a loyal fan base for its unique blend of funk, hip-hop, Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms with social commentary and political rap. Indeed, it was the band's social activism and ideologies that first piqued the interest of Concord Records' co-owner Norman Lear.

Ozo's infectious and distinctive sound has also caught the attention of other notables, including The Dave Matthews Band, Lenny Kravitz, and legendary Latin rocker Santana, who invited the band to contribute to his 2002 GRAMMY Award-winning project "Shaman." In addition to being featured on numerous movie soundtracks ("Mod Squad," "EDtv" and "Real Women Have Curves," to name a few), Ozomatli has appeared on such hit TV shows as "Crossing Jordan," "American Family," "Sex and the City" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." The group's first two CDs, the self-titled "Ozomatli" and the GRAMMY winning "Embrace the Chaos," have sold close to half a million copies worldwide.

Concord Records (www.concordrecords.com), one of the largest independent record labels in the United States, will release multiple CDs as part of its deal with Ozomatli (www.ozomatli.com), with the initial CD expected in winter 2003/2004. A DVD project, the first ever for the band, is also scheduled for later this year to coincide with Concord's 30th anniversary celebrations.

"Concord Records has long been home to some of the most innovative and admired names in Latin and contemporary jazz, from the late Tito Puente and Ray Brown to today's standard bearers such as Poncho Sanchez and Chick Corea," comments Concord Records president Glen Barros. "Ozomatli's innovative fusion of musical sounds builds upon our renown in the jazz world and catapults it onto the world stage. The band will certainly play a vital role in the growth of our label as we evolve, expand and explore new musical genres."

About Concord Records: Concord Records is widely regarded as one of the preeminent record companies in the industry today, committed to offering the adult music audience inspiring, innovative and high quality recordings of jazz and popular music. With a family of labels that now includes several partnerships and imprints (Peak Records, Stretch, Playboy Jazz, Concord Picante and more), Concord has amassed a catalog of over 1,000 albums by an ever-expanding roster of world-class vocal and instrumental artists. The label's roster includes: Karrin Allyson, Patti Austin, Ray Brown, Charlie Byrd, Peter Cincotti, Rosemary Clooney, Robben Ford, Gene Harris, Barry Manilow, Nnenna Freelon, and Tito Puente, among others.