Ozomatli co-founder Raul Pacheco embraces his inner Man Boy Brown on a collection of songs exploring love, life, and the importance of never losing your youthful outlook
Man Boy Brown, the solo alter ego of Raul Pacheco, vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and co-founding member of the three-time Grammy-winning L.A. band Ozomatli, releases his self-titled EP today. At the center of the collection is the title track, a semi-autobiographical look at the person behind the name and the youthful spirit that continues to fuel Pacheco's creativity.
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“The kid behind sprinkles of grey / Charming with nothing left to say / About love that's never found / No reason to be bound,” sings Pacheco, reflecting on the idea that growing older doesn't mean giving up the innocence, curiosity and sense of possibility that keep us moving forward.
“I'm saying it's OK not to be in a relationship, to be alone,” says Pacheco. “How do you embrace that and not see it as a negative? You still need to maintain that youthful outlook. To me, this song is confessional, like John Lennon or Tom Petty.”
Man Boy Brown is an opportunity for Pacheco to explore a more personal side of his songwriting after three decades with Ozomatli. Drawing from the romantic Latin ballads and Mexican corridos he grew up listening to, along with the rock music that came through his older sisters' record collections, the project finds him moving comfortably between musical styles while leaving plenty of room for melody and the songs themselves to breathe.
The self-titled EP continues a creative journey that has included the singles “Moving On,” “Dulce Cancion,” “Golden Ride,” “The Word” and “Twice.” Together, the songs offer a look at an artist reflecting on where he's been while embracing everything still ahead.
Dividing his time between an adobe home in New Mexico and his hometown of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles, Pacheco continues his work with Ozomatli while giving Man Boy Brown its own space to grow. As he puts it, “I feel like I haven't peaked yet... The best is yet to come.”