When these California musicians came together to embrace chaos, they became...

After the police cut the stage power, the musicians of Latin-Afro-rock group Ozomatli grabbed their drums and jumped into the confused crowd of 10,000. Ten minutes later, kids were hit by rubber bullets and the City of Angels embraced the chaos that was the 2000 Democratic National Convention. And the conscientious Ozomatli had a new cause to sing about.\nEmbrace the Chaos is the hybrid rock band's second full-length national release, and its supporting Stateside tour is bringing the group to Alumni Hall for a free show this Saturday.\n"It kind of became the title track," percussionist Jiro Yamaguchi says. "It's sort of about the struggle the group went through up to that point… being able to embrace the craziness that's around your life day to day.\"\nOzomatli took the DNC Staples Center stage as the second band after Rage Against the Machine, Yamaguchi says. The musicians let loose on two songs before the cops pulled the plug. "Embrace the Chaos" features sound clips found on the Internet from the protest. \nLos Angeles isn't the only place Ozomatli has taken the stage for a cause-conscious crowd. This diverse crew of 10 musicians came together to play a 1995 benefit for the Peace and Justice Center, a place in California where kids can express themselves, Yamaguchi says. Even if the band's primary focus is the music, writing for a reason comes naturally for the band, as seems the case for Ulises Bella on tenor sax, clarinet, guitar and vocals. \n"I could play the music and dig it and help different things around the world, different things I wanted to change," Bella says. \nChanging the music world, at least, might just be obtainable for these guys. They are fusing different types of music together that generally aren't even in the same section at a record store. On the band's self-titled album, each song seems to skip between hip-hop and Latin rock, with tight guitars and punctuating rhythms thrown in. On Embrace the Chaos, each song seems to pick a style and flow with that flavor, with different sounds added more sparingly for spice. Most of the lyrics are also sung in Spanish. \nThis unique sound is part of the reason Union Board is putting on the show, says Union Board concerts director Andy Proctor. He saw the band open for Santana once and feels that its message will have a positive impact on the campus. \n"In these times, especially, when you bring more of an active, positive band to the campus... if it at all inspires people to do something, it will bring a positive influence to the campus," Proctor says.\nA message is only a percentage of the guts and glory of this multiethnic and many cultured band. Yamaguchi says the reason Ozomatli's music does have some political leaning is because the members already had it in their nature. Not every song or action is political -- "Ozomatli" is an Aztec word for the monkey god on the Zodiac Calender, Yamaguchi says. "Ozomatli" represents fire, passion and harvest. \nNature and background shines through in musical influence as well. With 10 musicians, Ozomatli has a diverse background, Yamaguchi says. These influences are noticeable on the band's two albums that feature segments from all sorts of genres. But, instead of jumping around within styles on single songs like on the first album, Yamaguchi says Embrace the Chaos features a little more consistency. \n"Our first album was very exciting... based on live shows," Yamaguchi says. "Our second album is about where we've been over the past few years. I think we have grown musically.\n"I think in terms of musical styles things are always changing," he continues. "There isn't any one thing that remains all the time."\nMusic from both albums will be featured at this weekend's show, Yamaguchi says. Though this tour supports the second album, Ozomatli will still unabashedly launch into tunes from the first. As for the acceptance of the band's unique styles, Yamaguchi is optimistic.\n"Young people in general are open to hearing... different kinds of music," he says.\nSomething the band tries to do is to break down barriers, in one way by reacting with the audience more than many rock star types. Yamaguchi says the band tries to put out a positive message. \nBella says playing live is what it's all about.\n"That moment when you hit onstage, when you're ready and get going… everything else is just kind of filler."\nOzomatli will play at 9 p.m. Saturday at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free to IUB students and one guest per ID.