There is something about attending a concert on a weekday; these are the type of concerts where you know hardcore fans will be in attendance. And, since I’m one of those hardcore-crazy fans; I was ready to head over to The New Parish, to check out my girl Raw-G and Chilean sensation Anita Tijoux, as well as the other bands on the bill. The crowd started gathering, some people outside the venue, others on the dance floor, by the bar and even by the patio. Some of the performers were even walking around and mingling with the crowd. I spotted Raw G, Steelo and DJ Julicio. There were different DJ’s spinning in between sets (DJ Ethos, DJ Julicio, DJ Nima Fadavi.) If you like hip-hop, then this night was the night to be at The New Parish.
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| Hordatoj |
There was a Chilean rapper named Hordatoj who had one of the first sets and also came on stage with Anita - there was also 2Mex from LA who blew my mind! This guy freestyles like no one’s business! And, he combined his lyrics with known tunes, like music from Beastie Boys & Weezer.
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| 2Mex |
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| DJ Julicio |
Then it was time for Raw G to come on stage, this was my second time seeing her perform (remember when she opened for Ozomatli?) She was on stage with a full band, one which was her son, along with DJ Julicio and Steelo. Raw-G never disappoints, her flow with her lyrics in Spanish is jaw-dropping (I don’t think I could ever be a rapper, I probably wouldn’t know what to say after the first three words.) Raw-G delivered a fantastic performance! The crowd cheered on as she finalized her set.
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| Raw-G |
When Raw-G’s performance was over, people were eager to check out Anita Tijoux. She has become one of the most respected female rappers in the Latino music, there aren’t many like Anita- she is unique in her own way. As soon as she came on stage, I noticed something different, she was glowing, and I couldn’t figure out what was this glow about. I was looking straight at the stage from the back of the venue, and when I finally got a clear glimpse I realized what her glow was about – Anita Tijioux is PREGNANT! And she was glowing, and her stage presence was that much stronger. Anita is not one to be jumping up and down on stage, she expresses her enthusiasm with her lyrics, that’s just how powerful her performance was.
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| Anita Tijoux |
Anita has always been known for her support towards the undocumented community, her lyrics speak politics, suppression, and rebellion. She introduced songs from her sophomore release titled "La Bala" – she made sure to address the audience in Spanish and also sharpening up her skills speaking in English, as well. She also confirmed that she was “very pregnant” and thanked the audience for being in attendance on that special night. Anita’s tour continued in San Jose, Portland, Seattle and now back in her native Chile.
Head over to my facebook page to check out more pictures from the show.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
Ozomatli have been together for almost two decades now, and in their 17-year career, they were yet to visit Oakland. But all that changed, when the band played at The New Parish this past March 28th.
This show was more than being the first show that Ozo would play in Oakland. It was also a show with a truly special cause. The night of the show, a raffle took place, and the donations were all going to Noah Stout. Noah is a cute toddler, son of former Ozo MC – Kanetic. Little Noah was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010.
We all know how loving & compassionate the guys from Ozo are, not only do they support the arts, are pro-immigration, but they also have love and respect for former members. The show at The New Parish turned out to be beyond remarkable.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
The opening set was in charge of a little firecracker MC who goes by the name of Raw-G. I had never seen her live but have heard terrific things about her set. And boy, was I in awe! Raw-G has swag, flow and unbelievable stage presence. She was spitting lyrics in English and Spanish like no one’s business. I was actually shocked to find out that she was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico – let me tell you, she represents Oakland big time!
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
By the time Ozo hit the stage, The New Parish was to capacity, everywhere you looked, there were people standing, sitting, hanging by the stage, by the bar. All the fans were ready to see Ozo in action. Their set was by far one of the absolute best that I have witnessed in the past few years. There is something about Ozo and their dynamics on stage that just makes you want to sing and dance – the guys made sure to give the Oakland fans a performance that they would talk about for months to come!
If you missed this phenomenal show, Ozo will be playing at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz on April 19th. Also, the guys continue to take donations for little Noah- if you would like to donate, check out: www.iheartnoah.org.
Credits: Cycle Media
