In this interview with Sam Fuqua on MSA, Uli from Ozomatli discusses the band’s 30th anniversary and the launch of their 30 Revolutions Tour, which kicks off in Boulder, Colorado. Uli reflects on the group’s longevity, attributing it to a collective mindset, equal sharing of responsibilities, and healthy conflict resolution. He also highlights how their sound has evolved through years of global travel and musical exploration. Known for blending music with activism, Ozomatli continues to carry messages of social justice and unity, aiming to inspire through music during challenging times. The band plans to release new music in July and promises a mix of fresh tracks and classic hits on tour. (Interview: 5/29/25)
Sam Fuqua: As we mentioned earlier, Ozomatli is in town to play the Boulder Theater tomorrow night, and Uli from Ozomatli is with us now by phone. Good morning.
Uli: Good morning. How are you?
Sam Fuqua: I’m doing well, enjoying listening to some music together with the KGNU audience. You guys are out on tour. You’re up early to talk to us—we appreciate that. Thirty years of the band, is that right?
Uli: Yes, 30th anniversary of the band, and we’re really proud to announce that we’re doing a 40-day tour called the 30 Revolutions Tour. We’re starting it all off in Boulder, Colorado.
Sam Fuqua: I didn’t know that, Uli—this is the first night of the tour? Wow! Well, congratulations, and thanks for bringing your music back to Boulder, where I’ve enjoyed your concerts several times. I assume they’ll be moving some chairs in the theater to make room for a dance floor, because it’s great music to move to.
Let me congratulate you and the rest of the band on still being around after 30 years. I mean, is there an essential strategy for keeping a band together that long? That’s not easy, I imagine.
Uli: Most bands—it’s hard to see them lasting three years, four years, five years, ten years, let alone thirty. None of us, when we first started, thought it was gonna last this long, but it’s been a blessing and a gift for us to be able to still play music for the people.
Sam Fuqua: Is it a chemistry thing? I’m still curious as to how you did it.
Uli: I think it’s a lot of factors. One of them is that from the beginning of the band’s inception, we split everything evenly—whether it was publishing, royalties—everything. We thought about it as a collective.
The second thing is, I think we learned early on to try to resolve conflicts in a healthy way, so they didn’t just linger and fester.
Sam Fuqua: That’s super important in any long-term relationship, and it’s great to hear that a band is trying to work that way.
You have a lot of records out, and the music has evolved over 30 years. In what way?
Uli: I think the sound has evolved in obvious ways from the base blueprint—foundational influences of what Los Angeles is, right? All the music that comes from here that we grew up listening to, and all our travels.
We’ve traveled to more than 50 countries, and we’ve been to a lot of places that bands don’t go. We’ve been able to experience a lot of different musical traditions. Just being exposed to that always adds a different element to the Ozo sound.
Sam Fuqua: And tomorrow night is the kickoff of the tour—Boulder, Colorado, Boulder Theater. And then I think you’re also up in Fort Collins the next night, is that right?
Uli: Yes.
Sam Fuqua: We have listeners up there too, so we’ll let folks in the Fort know that Ozomatli is coming to their town as well. Looking forward to more music from you as you go into your next 30 years. Are you gonna do it until you can’t do it anymore?
Uli: That’s hard to call, right? There are a lot of factors that could end it—it could be physical, the band could split up, a lot of different things. As of right now, we’re trudging along and still creating new music.
In July, we’ll be releasing some new music—some of which we already play live. Whoever shows up to the show will get a little treat of up-and-coming music. And of course, we always have to play the classics—the tunes that Ozomatli is known for.
Sam Fuqua: And finally, you’ve always been a band—at least in my knowledge of your work—that is open and encouraging of activism. I know you’ve been outspoken about the right to vote and immigrant rights. Are you bringing any specific message to this 30th anniversary tour in regard to your activism?
Uli: Well, the world—there’s a lot going on, right? Whether it’s the Trump administration, what’s going on in Gaza, the current situation with the working class in this country. I think now more than ever, we have to find our tribe and the people that we resonate with and celebrate life together.
It can feel really dark at moments. It can feel really hopeless. And I think through music and dance and finding like-minded people, we can find inspiration to keep moving.
Sam Fuqua: Well, Uli, thanks for your time this morning. We look forward to hearing you tomorrow night at the Boulder Theater and in Fort Collins the night after that. Tickets are still available. Thanks a lot, and good luck on this 30th anniversary tour.
Uli: Thank you so much. And we’d love to welcome all the people of Boulder and Fort Collins—especially Boulder, because that was one of the first places we played outside of California when we first started touring.
It’s cool to go back to where it all started.
Sam Fuqua: I love that you’re starting the tour in Boulder—a place where you had fans from the beginning. People will see you out there tomorrow night at the Boulder Theater. Take care.
Uli: Thank you.
