Aterciopelados

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Rock group

The Grammy Award-nominated group Aterciopelados is one of Columbia’s top rock acts, "easily the best rock band to hail from Columbia ever," according to critic David Espinoza in a review at the Metroactive website. Aterciopelados, which means "the Velvety Ones" in Spanish, blend traditional Latin American music with rock ‘n’ roll; the group approaches mariachis, boleros, rancheras, and flamencos from a rock perspective. Although the band is very popular in South America and is accustomed to playing arena-sized venues, Aterciopelados pack more intimate venues in the United States.

Acoustic guitarist and lead singer Andrea Echeverri hails from Medellin, Colombia, where she grew up listening to the traditional boleros and rancheras her mother would sing and later discovered the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. She decided to pursue rock music after studying fine arts in college. Espinoza described Echeverri’s music and style as "a cross between Perry Farrell and Ani DiFranco," with their common "raw, punk-influenced attitude that is balanced by their earthy, almost artsy, personas." At the OC Weekly website, writer Gustavo Arellano called Echeverri’s voice "unconquerable, beautiful, smart." He continued: "It’s better suited to the Mississippi Delta circa 1930, coming out of the mouth of a woman intimate with the everyday evils of men."

Bassist Hector Buitrago grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Yes. He played with the legendary Colombian hard-core band La Pesitilencia before meeting Echeverri. The two opened one of the few rock bars in Bogota and also played together in the group Delia Y Los Aminoacidos, a popular band in the Bogota music scene. "Hector was an essential revelation in my personal and musical life," Echeverri said in an interview at clicMusica.com. "He brought new aesthetics, unsuspected rebellion, and truckloads of music." Aterciopelados released its debut album, Con El Corazon en la Mano, in 1993. It features distorted guitars over a driven, punk-rock drumbeat. "At first what we were doing was very elementary," Echeverri told clicMusica.com, but over time, playing live and making records allowed them to develop musically, making up for their lack of formal music training.

With their second album, 1995’s El Dorado, Aterciopelados had their first notable success. The record was built on the more traditional sounds of rural Colombia as well as the flamenco-bolero sound of the rock ballad "Bolero Falaz," the group’s first hit single. The song was played on MTV Latino, and it made them Latin American rock stars. The band’s third album, La Pipa de la Paz, was released in 1997. The group hired Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera to produce, and the album was recorded in London. The album includes the songs "Cosita Seria," "Chica Dificil," and "Baracunatana," which garnered the band even more

fans. They toured the United States and Spain on the success of La Pipa de la Paz and recorded an MTV Unplugged appearance in 1997. La Pipa de la Paz was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Alternative Album.

Echeverri and Buitrago are the only two permanent members of Aterciopelados, and they share the song-writing responsibilities for the group. Most of their songs are politically driven, and the band is committed to human rights and environmental causes. The group’s artwork for the 1998 album Caribe Atomico features photos of trash-strewn Colombian beaches Echeverri and Buitrago saw while on vacation. OC Weekly writer Arellano called the album an "apocalyptic yet irresistibly grooving collection." The album earned the group its second Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Alternative Album.

Echeverri and Buitrago also oppose America’s imperialistic tendencies. One early song, "Colombia Conexion," includes the line "Gringo, go home!" "There are many problems in Colombia due to U.S. repression," Echeverri told Arellano. Among them, she counts deforestation of the Amazon rain forests and the relocation of indigenous peoples. She went on to suggest that the United States’ efforts would be better spent on Manáging Americans’ drug consumption rather on controlling the supply coming from Colombia.

The group appears frequently at benefit concerts and rallies, including a Bolivian concert celebrating the anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and a fund-raiser in a Mexican village to protect a local coral reef. "If we are invited to a worthy cause, we are there," Echeverri told Arellano. "Only by respecting Mother Earth and the rights of everyone can the world truly live in harmony." Echeverri and Buitrago are very concerned for Colombia, which has been torn asunder by ecological disasters and the war on drugs. "Music has medicinal powers," Echeverri told Ernesto Lechner of Interview magazine. With 2001’s Gozo Poderoso, she continued, she and Buitrago wanted to make a record "to give people hope and make them feel good about our country."

To this end, Echeverri and Buitrago stayed at home to record the album and handled the production responsibilities themselves. Echeverri, who has exhibited her ceramic work in Bogota, even crafted one of the band’s drums herself. They used only local musicians and hired 15 Colombian artists to create Gozo Poderoso’s packaging. All of the songs on the album bear the mark of the group’s Latin American musical influences. While Echeverri acknowledged loving the electronic trip-hop sound of Caribe Atomico in the Interview article, she admitted that sometimes an artist has to ignore outside influences and "focus on the music that’s playing inside of you."

At any given time in their career, the music that plays inside Echeverri and Buitrago can be very different from what their fans expect. "One thing about Aterciopelados is that we haven’t wanted to stay in a formula," Buitrago told clicMusica.com. "This has been complicated at times, because from record to record, we have changed drastically." Their fans adapted and their numbers grew, especially in the United States. Aterciopelados toured the United States in 2000 as part of the Watcha tour with leading Latin alternative bands Cafe Tacuba and Molotov.

Entertainment Weekly critic James Sullivan called Gozo Poderoso "endearingly scatterbrained," a mix of "Bronx beats, Soweto guitars, lazy Mediterranean melodies." A clicMusica.com critic wrote, "It’s a new lounge sound for people who like their electronica with a little bit of tropical edge." Though the love songs "Rompecabezas" and "El Album" appear on Gozo Poderoso, most of the album is a "personal search for identity and the band’s own postmodern spirituality," according to clicMusica.com. The tracks on the album explore such concepts as using music to unify people, forsaking selfishness and seizing all that life has to offer, and paying tribute to indigenous peoples and their sacred cultures.

Selected discography
Con El Corazon en la Mano, International, 1994.
El Dorado, RCA, 1995.
La Pipa de la Paz, RCA, 1997.
Caribe Atomico, RCA, 1998.
Gozo Poderoso, RCA, 2001.

Sources
Periodicals
Entertainment Weekly, May 18, 2001, p. 80.
Interview, April 2001, p. 72.

Online
"Aterciopelados," clicMusica.com, http://www.clicmusica.com/biography_page.asp?artist_id=35&lang=eng (April 16, 2002).
"Atomic Drop," Metroactive, http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/12.16.99/aterciopelados-9950.html (April 16, 2002).
"Los Aterciopelados," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (April 16, 2002).
"Sound Bites," Backstage Pass, http://www.time.com/time/backstage/preview/sound_ater.html (April 16, 2002).
"The Velvet Voz," OC Weekly, http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/01/30/music-arellano.php (April 16, 2002).
  • Genres: Latin

Biography

Calling Aterciopelados one of the most important rock en español innovators since the mid-'90s would be an accurate summation, but it only scratches the surface of this band's longstanding influence. Formed as a quartet around the songwriting duo of former Delia y los Aminoacidos singer/guitarist Andrea Echeverri and bassist/producer Héctor Buitrago in 1993, Aterciopelados (whose name translates loosely to "the velvety ones") was one of the first rock bands to emerge from Colombia. In subsequent years, they remained one of the most consistently adventurous and influential Latin rock groups, their worldwide popularity increasing steadily even as they underwent noticeable stylistic transformations.

Aterciopelados' earliest music, represented on albums such as 1993's Con el Corazon en la Mano and the following year's El Dorado, was also their fiercest, incorporating punk rock with Latin and Caribbean styles like bolero, flamenco, ska, and reggae. The band's original drummer, Andrés Giraldo, was replaced by Alejandro Duque in 1995, and guitarist Charlie Márquez was replaced by Alejandro Gómez Cáceras in 1997. As Aterciopelados evolved, the band's mix took in more traditional Colombian folk styles such as vallenato and cumbia, and they introduced Andean pan flutes and other regional acoustic instrumentation to the standard combo of rock guitars and drums. Simultaneously, they exhibited an increasing reliance on electronics and synthesizer programming.

1997's La Pipa de la Paz, which was produced by former Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, broke the band in North America, and 1998's largely electronic Caribe Atómico, recorded in New York with assistance from avant-garde musicians Marc Ribot and Arto Lindsay, furthered the band's reputation, although by this point Aterciopelados had essentially centered around the core lineup of Echeverri and Buitrago. Gozo Poderoso (2000) was their most acclaimed album yet and landed Aterciopelados in the Top Ten of the Billboard Top Latin Albums sales chart. It also won Aterciopelados a 2001 Latin Grammy in the category of Best Rock Duo/Group with Vocal.

Aterciopelados took five years off following that success, releasing only the compilation Evolucion in 2002. Echeverri had a baby during the hiatus, and both she and Buitrago released solo albums, with Echeverri's self-titled release (whose songs focused on the mothering experience) receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album and a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. In 2006, having moved from RCA International to the Nacional label (which also released both the Echeverri album and Buitrago's Conector), Aterciopelados returned with Oye, which introduced a more acoustic-based sound. 2008's Rio explored a different direction, focusing on unique rhythms and earning a favorable Rolling Stone review, which deemed Echeverri "a Spanish-language Patti Smith. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, Rovi
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Aterciopelados
Origin Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Genres Rock en español, Latin pop
Years active 1992–present
Labels Warner Music, Sony BMG, Nacional Records
Associated acts Delia y Los Aminoácidos
Website Aterciopelados
Members
Andrea Echeverri
Hector Buitrago

Aterciopelados (English: The Velvety), also referred to as los Aterciopelados on some albums and other promotional materials, are a rock band from Colombia. Led by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago, they have been one of the first rock bands from Colombia to gain international notice and is among the country's top groups. Their music fuses rock with a variety of Colombian and Latin American musical traditions. 'Time magazine has written, "Aterciopelados's true skill lies in its ability to take north-of-the-border musical styles…and breathe new life into them, all while giving them a distinctly Colombian sheen." [1]

Additionally, Aterciopelados engages audiences all over the world with their socially conscious message. Honored by the United Nations for their work denouncing violence in Colombia, Aterciopelados speaks out about myriad issues including political injustice, women's rights, and environmental destruction. The group has also received numerous awards, such as the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 2007, for Oye (Nacional Records).[2]

In October 2008, Aterciopelados released a new studio album, Rio, on Nacional Records. The album received rave reviews from publications like Rolling Stone,[3] the Washington Post,[4] Billboard,[5] and from NPR's "All Things Considered." [6] As Vibe Magazine said, "For Aterciopelados, maturity has become a form of liberation." [7] The group toured United States in April 2009 to support Rio.[8]

Contents

History

Essentially a collaboration between vocalist/guitarist Andrea Echeverri and bassist/arranger Héctor Buitrago, Aterciopelados has recorded eight albums since they originally teamed up in Bogotá, Colombia in the early 1990s as "Delia y los Aminoácidos". "Héctor was an essential revelation in my personal and musical life", said Andrea. "He brought new aesthetics, unsuspected rebellion, and truckloads of music." [9] Buitrago came from a hardcore rock background, heading up a group called La Pestilencia, while Echeverri had been drawn into the fledgling scene through art school friends. "When I was young I listened to boogaloo by Richie Ray and later stuff like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Yes", said Héctor. "The first time I bought a bass guitar, I'd never had one in my hands before. I began to write songs by ear." [9] Héctor and Andrea went on to open one of Bogotá's only rock clubs, and their relationship is one of Latin rock's most successful artistic partnerships.

Music and Albums

Aterciopelados' first album, Con El Corazón en la Mano (With my Heart in my Hand), features crashing, distorted guitars and a loud punk drumbeat.

With their second album, El Dorado (The Golden One), Aterciopelados began to expand their horizons, including traditional llanera rhythms of the Colombian countryside as well as the flamencobolero sound of their first big hit, "Bolero Falaz." "At first what we were doing was very elementary", said Andrea. "But since we've played out a lot, learned to compose, and made a few records, even though we haven't had a lot of formal training in music, we've just learned how to develop. We've done it in a very instinctive way, but I think it's very valid."[citation needed] The hit song "Bolero Falaz" not only had a strong rock-ballad feel, but it showcased Andrea's powerfully seductive voice, one influenced by her mother, who sang boleros, rancheras, and tangos, and the great legends of nueva canción, Iike Joan Manuel Serrat, Mercedes Sosa, and Pablo Milanés. The song broke the band on MTV Latin America and made them stars all over Latin America.

Their third album, La Pipa de la Paz (The Peace Pipe), was recorded in London with legendary Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera producing. The album's signature songs, "Cosita Seria", "Chica Difícil", and "Baracunatana" were hard-driving Latin rock classics that defined Echeverri's coy, new-feminist attitude by teasing macho men. After releasing La Pipa de la Paz, Aterciopelados was able to tour in the U.S., recording an MTV Unplugged appearance in early 1997.

The following year Caribe Atómico (Atomic Caribbean), which was recorded in Manhattan with guest appearances by guitarists Arto Lindsay and Marc Ribot, further expanded Aterciopelados' sound into the world of electronica.

Gozo Poderoso (Powerful Joy), their fifth album, is a melodic, moody manifesto for the vibrantly eclectic Latin alternative movement. It is world music for a new world. Recorded in Bogotá and produced by Héctor Buitrago, this album led the way to independence and development of their own true sound. Following the album's release, Aterciopelados won a Latin Grammy award for Best Rock Group.[2]

A couple of years later came Evolución, a collection of greatest hits.

In 1996, Aterciopelados performed "Una Hoja, Una Raiz (One Leaf, One Root)" along with Diego Frenkel and Laurie Anderson for the AIDS benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin produced by the Red Hot Organization.

In 2006, Aterciopelados released Oye (Listen) (Nacional Records), a return to the more organic, rock sound reminiscent of their earlier work on albums like La Pipa de la Paz. Produced by Héctor Buitrago and mixed by Thom Russo (Johnny Cash, Juanes, Kinky and Illya Kuryaki), the album's first single, "Complemento", is an upbeat declaration of love from someone who has found her soulmate; the person who complements her. The album also features Aterciopelados' trademark social and political commentary on songs like "Don Dinero" ("Mr. Money"), which questions the idea of money as the solution to all problems, and "Oye Mujer" ("Woman, Listen") which asks of women, "Are you a human being or the erotic fantasy of some guy?" The band continues to win over audiences around the globe playing shows in Mexico, Central and South America, Europe and the U.S.

Aterciopelados' single and video "Canción Protesta" ("Protest Song") from the album Oye continues to make waves for its outspoken social and political commentary against war and injustice. The video features the group using guitars fashioned out of former machine guns – the special guitars were given to Aterciopelados by the United Nations in support of its efforts to take guns off the streets of Colombia.

On October 21, 2008, Aterciopelados released the album Rio (River) on Nacional Records, aggressively building upon the creative momentum of Oye. The album was recorded in Bogotá and mixed by Héctor Castillo (Brazilian Girls, David Bowie, Gustavo Cerati) in New York City. It is an impassioned, socially conscious record with the group's signature organic rock sound. The album's opener and title track is a call to action that finds Aterciopelados at a new level of creativity and musicality. It coincides with a proposed Colombian constitutional referendum that declares that access to clean drinking water is a fundamental right for all Colombians and provides for maintenance and preservation rights. "Musically and lyrically, the track 'Rio' is unlike any previous Aterciopelados song", Echeverri says. "I'm even singing in a different way than in the past. With this one, we reached an entirely new place." [10]

In "Bandera" ("Flag"), Aterciopelados speak out on immigration, another issue close to home. "We have toured across the world many times, yet every time, certain countries give us so much trouble when entering", Echeverri explains. "My problems with traveling are so small compared to others across the world but I thought I could give all these people a voice." [10] The album's guests range from rapper Gloria "Goyo" Martínez (of Colombian hip hop act Choc Quib Town) on "28", to the Andean group Kapary Walka on "Madre" and "Aguita", and even include Echeverri's daughter on "Ataque de Risa." Aterciopelados will do an extensive tour [8] of the United States in April 2009 in support of Rio.

Solo albums

In addition to their many albums as "Aterciopelados", in 2005 and 2006 Echeverri and Buitrago made individual albums, Echeverri's self-titled Andrea Echeverri and Buitrago's Connector. Andrea Echeverri is centered around Echeverri's experiences being pregnant, giving birth, nursing, and loving.[11] Connector, which translates both as "with Héctor" and "connector", connects musicians, ideas, paths, and results in a potent inner perspective of contemporary spirituality. It features several guest artists including Echeverri, Alex Ubago and Julieta Venegas [12]

Projects

Referendum for Water in Colombia

Aterciopelados’ album Rio, released October 21, 2008, coincides with a proposed Colombian constitutional referendum that declares that access to water is a fundamental right for all Colombians and provides for maintenance and preservation rights. "When I was growing up, the Bogotá River was considered a mythic and iconic place, and now it's a tiny stream," says Echeverri.[10] With Rio, Aterciopelados takes an increasingly forceful stand on the environment. Buitrago notes, "While on previous albums, we may have simply declared many of the world's problems, we now strive to work in a more active way. In this case, it is with the recovery of Bogotá's river, as it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world."[10]

Echeverri sings that, "The waters of the river come running, singing / They go through the city dreaming to be clean, to be clear." This theme is carried throughout the album. In the song 'Aguita' (‘Water’), Echeverri sings that "the water belongs to everyone / Not to the highest bidder." In August, the band promoted awareness of the issue by traveling down the Bogotá River gathering signatures for the referendum. By September 15, over two million signatures had been collected, propelling the referendum to its next phase of the lengthy process.[13]

Amnesty International

Aterciopelados have teamed up with Amnesty International and Link TV for a human rights project featuring a re-worked version of "Cancion Protesta," the hit single from their 2006 album, Oye. The song and music video will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was re-written to address issues of human rights and is now titled "The Price of Silence." The video will take place in the United Nations General Assembly (the United Nations has granted unprecedented access to the General Assembly for this project). Other artists involved include Stephen Marley (Jamaica), Gilberto Gil (Brazil), Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Yerba Buena (PanLatin), Julieta Venegas (Mexico), Emmanuel Jal (Sudan), Hugh Masekela (South Africa) and Rachid Taha (France/Algeria).

Destierro y Reparación

In Colombia, Aterciopelados is involved with the Destierro y Reparacion (Displacement and Reparations) project, which addresses the issue of displacement of native peoples — a huge issue in Colombia as well as many parts of the world.[14] Promoted by the Museum of Antioquía, its goal is to generate social conscience concerning the dimension and implications of the forced displacement phenomenon as a reality affecting everyone and weakening social stability.[15] Additionally, the project aims to identify possible methods and forms of reparation that would insure the application of fundamental rights that would include the recuperation of the culture of the affected communities. The project features discussions, workshops, exhibits and concerts and includes the participation of more than 20 institutions. Aterciopelados contributed the song "Errante Diamante" (Wandering Diamond) in support of the project.

Recognitions

In 1997 and 1998, they received Grammy nominations.[citation needed]

Aterciopelados won a Latin Grammy award in 2001 following the release of their album Gozo Poderoso for Best Rock Group.[2]

In 2001, Aterciopelados was recognized by the writers of Time magazine as one of the top 10 contemporary global bands (those bands located outside of the United States.) The list included U2 and the Rolling Stones.[16]

In 2007 they won the Latin Grammy award for Best Alternative Album for Oye. They had received two Latin Grammy nominations that year, including Best Alternative Album for Oye (Nacional Records) and Best Alternative Song for the single "Complemento." [2]

Oye also won the group a Premio Lo Nuestro award in 2008 for Album of the Year.[17]

Discography

Quotes

  • "We're opposed to the cliche about rockers, that all the songs sound the same, the poses and the lyrics — we have been inspired by all of world music, by rock, by electronica, and especially Latin American popular music, which hasn't been difficult because those were the sounds that we grew up listening to..." —Héctor Buitrago of Aterciopelados.[9]
  • "If we are invited to a worthy cause, we are there. Only by respecting Mother Earth and the rights of everyone can the world truly live in harmony." —Andrea Echeverri of Aterciopelados.[18]

References

"Aterciopelados Nominated for Two Latin Grammy Awards" (Press release). Nacional Records. August 2006. 

"Aterciopelados Biography: Contemporary Musicians (Enotes.com)". http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/aterciopelados-biography. Retrieved 2008-01-08. 

"Aterciopelado telúrico (Semana.com)". http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?IdArt=94475. Retrieved 2008-01-08. 

"Héctor conexión, Héctor mensajero (visionchamanica.com)". http://www.visionchamanica.com/Arte/conector.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-08. 

"The National Geographic Music Interview: Aterciopelados". http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/article/content.article/aterciopelados_interview. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 

"Aterciopelados discuss the new album "Rio"" (Video Interview). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Ycszp98iA. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 

Footnotes

  1. ^ Miranda, Carolina (2006-10-27). "Colombia's Hottest Rock Band". Time. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1551674,00.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25. 
  2. ^ a b c d http://www.grammy.com/Latin/Winners_Search/Results.aspx
  3. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/23321366/review/23589102/rio
  4. ^ "RECORDINGS Quick Spins". The Washington Post. 2008-10-21. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/20/AR2008102002572.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25. 
  5. ^ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/magazine/reviews/albums/e3ifcb24c059ef1f1a6d7e2b026bcd5324a
  6. ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96222642
  7. ^ http://julioenriquez.blogspot.com/2008/08/aterciopelados-ok-so-today-is-rock-en.html
  8. ^ a b ATERCIOPELADOS ANNOUNCE EXTENSIVE SPRING 09 TOUR ACROSS THE U.S. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=38193715&blogID=468131985
  9. ^ a b c Nacional Records (August 2006). "Aterciopelados Nominated for Two Latin Grammy Awards". Press release. Retrieved on November 2007.
  10. ^ a b c d Aterciopelados to Release New Studio Album Rio October 21 on Nacional Records. Press release. Retrieved on October 2008.
  11. ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007CYEXK
  12. ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FFOZZ6
  13. ^ http://ecofondo.org/mambo/index.php
  14. ^ http://www.destierroyreparacion.org/
  15. ^ http://www.artnexus.com/NewsDetail/19561
  16. ^ Butler, Rhett, "And Our Winners Our...", Time Magazine] 15 Sep, 2001,http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1000784,00.html.
  17. ^ http://latinmusic.about.com/od/concertsevents/a/ARTPREMIO2008.htm
  18. ^ Nacional Records (September 2008). "Aterciopelados to Release New Studio Album Rio October 21st on Nacional Records." Press release. Retrieved on October 2008.

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Mentioned in

El Dorado (1995 Album by Aterciopelados)
Andrea Echeverri (Latin Artist, 2000s)
Oye (2006 Album by Aterciopelados)
Phat Global, Vol. 1 (2000 Album by Various Artists)