ATERCIOPELADOS

“Bailábamos la danza de la lluvia,

Fumábamos la pipa de la paz,

Hablábamos con la naturaleza,

Buscábamos la senda del jaguar… "

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“D+”

Main Decade: 90’s

Main Ages: 90's Rock En Ñ: La Era de Oro

Key Members:

Andrea Echeverri: Voz

Héctor Buitrago: Bajo

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Kay Songs:

Florecita Rockera, Quemarropa, Rompecabezas, Te Juro Que No, La Pipa de la Paz, Bolero Falaz, No Te Me Disuelvas, El Estuche, Cosita Seria, Baracunatana, Candela, Sortilegio, La Culpable, Luto, La Cuchilla, La Fe Perdida, Quieto Veneno, La Estaca, Maligno, Caribe Atómico, Luz Azul, No Necesito, Oye Mujer, Vals, Madre, Insoportable

 

For those of us who grew up in the '90s, Los Aterciopelados was an iconic band, brimming with personality, that slowly but surely made its way into the Ibero-American collective subconscious. For those of us who aren't Colombian, perhaps 90% of us will agree that our first contact with Aterciopelados was "Bolero Falaz," that quasi-innocent and lovely ballad of infidelity that started playing on the radio in mid-1995. One would have thought they were just another one-hit wonder band that was swarming around at the time, releasing good songs and then disappearing without a trace. It was a time when quality rock, both in English and Spanish, came in bunches, so it wouldn't have been surprising. "Bolero Falaz" was one of the songs of the summer, but it turns out it wasn't as lovely and innocent, nor were Los Aterciopelados "One Hit Wonders." Suddenly, some brave station dared to play the uncensored version of the album, and the lovely little ballad—in which at first you couldn't tell if the singer was a man or a woman, due to that slightly androgynous voice and the less-than-helpful look (the same thing would happen to me shortly after with Brian Molko)—changed completely. Back then, someone singing "Te dije que no, y te cagaste de risa" (I told you no, and you laughed your ass off) was taboo. Radio was still heavily censored, but that also gave the song a new dimension (which actually concealed political criticism). And suddenly, everyone was playing the song. The One Hit Wonders thing didn't last long. I remember that on one of the rock stations that existed back then, they played a song by Los Aterciopelados, saying that they didn't just play "Bolero Falaz" and that they were a much more aggressive band than the song made it seem. And boy, was it true! I fell in love with "Florecita Rockera" and the band at that moment. Los Aterciopelados weren't a mellow band at all, and soon they were also playing "La Estaca" and "Candela," and MTV adopted them as one of its favorite bands, this time with good reason. Suddenly, they were so popular that it was almost normal to hear Andrea singing with Soda on their semi-unplugged album, or Bunbury singing on a track from Los Aterciopelados' next album. With quality, rocking songs, but also a fusion of Colombian and Latin sounds, they had earned a place among the heavyweights of Rock en Ñ, with cheeky, fun lyrics, but also with substance. But I don't want to get ahead of myself.

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The group emerged in 1990 in Bogotá, when bassist Héctor Buitrago and guitarist and singer Andrea Echeverri joined forces to form Delia y los Aminoácidos. Andrea and Héctor were also a couple, and when their relationship fell apart, so did the band. They went their separate ways, but in 1992 they decided to form a band again and try their luck, as they say in English, "No hard feelings," also changing the name to Aterciopelados. They have basically been the core of Aterciopelados' various lineups, changing guitarists and drummers, but keeping Echeverri and Buitrago as its core. Andrea's mezzo-soprano voice is perhaps the band's hallmark: powerful, deep, explosive, and with a very distinctive timbre, as the band itself has explored countless styles and genres without pigeonholing itself into any one, generally playing with fusions. Their fame grew to the point where they signed a contract with BMG Ariola, and in 1993 they released their debut, titled Con el Corazón en la Mano (With the Heart in Hand), with which they became the most popular rock group in Colombia. It's the band's rawest album, in which the punk influence that Héctor had brought from his previous bands is most noticeable. It's an album with its production flaws, but the enormous potential is already evident, even with a couple of songs of tremendous craftsmanship, such as "No Te Me Disuelvas" and "La Fé Perdida" (The Lost Faith), the more alternative tracks that foreshadowed great things for the group. The album, as I mentioned, would position them as the most important band in Colombia, but it went unnoticed in the rest of the world.

 

Shortly after, lineup changes would begin, with Alejandro Gómez-Cáceres joining on lead guitar and Alejandro Duque on drums, with whom they would form the classic lineup that would lead them to success. With a bigger budget and the two Alejandros, the band returned to the studio and released El Dorado in 1995, considered by many to be the best Colombian rock album. As mentioned, "Bolero Falaz," with its acoustic feel, was the first track to catch on throughout Latin America, but the entire album soon exploded with "Florecita Rockera," "La Estaca," "El Diablo," and "Sueños del '95," showcasing a variety of genres ranging from punk to ska, bolero, alternative, son/ballenato, among others. The rework they undertook with "Mujer Gala" demonstrates the group's evolution in just two years. The album was a major success and brought the band to the forefront, expanding the range of countries usually dominated by Argentina, Spain, and Mexico. 1995 also saw several iconic Rock en Ñ bands in the midst of disbanding or declining, while the Colombians were on the rise.

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The following year they went on tour in the USA with Soda Stereo, after which Andrea would be invited to participate in the semi-unplugged, singing in the spectacular duet “En La Ciudad de la Furia”. They then traveled to Europe to accompany Héroes del Silencio on an 18-city tour, and as if that were not enough, they then traveled to London to record their third album, under the production of Phil Manzanera. La Pipa de la Paz was released in early 1997, and is in my humble opinion, the best album by Aterciopelados, with “Quemarropa”, “Cosita Seria”, “Baracunatana” and “Te Juro Que No” (a duet with Bunbury) as spearheads, but all the others are great songs of an enormous level. Los Aterciopelados showed a great range of sounds, an ability to reinvent themselves without losing their essence. The album took them on tour throughout Latin America and led them to participate in the "Rock Invasión" tour in the USA with Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Maldita Vecindad, and La Unión. It was certified gold in Colombia and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock Album. Around that time, they recorded their MTCV Unplugged, but the success of La Pipa de la Paz led them to cancel the acoustic release, despite MTV claiming it was one of the network's best. Los Aterciopelados were in heaven and were perhaps the best Spanish-language band that year, just as the Golden Age was coming to an end. They participated in the album Red, Hot & Latin with the song "Una Ja Una Raíz," accompanied by Diego Frenkel of La Portuaria and the North American artist Laurie Anderson. They later recorded "Juégale Apuéstale," a loose version of Queen's "Play The Game," for the Latin tribute album. This shift towards electronic music would begin to cause friction with Alejandro Duque.

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In 1998, they recorded "Caribe Atómico" in New York, with Andrés Levine producing, taking a turn toward more electronic sounds. Well, we can't blame them; everyone was doing it back then. The album sounds less distorted; it's a studio project of experimentation with keyboards, old vinyl loops, and all the computerized paraphernalia. They still earned a ton of nominations, but while they achieved better results than other artists experimenting with electronic music, with songs like "El Estuche," "Maligno," and "Caribe Atómico," their more incisive, rock-forward streak is missing. For the tour, drummer Mauricio Montenegro joined them, replacing Duque.

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With 2000's "Gozo Poderoso," the decline became more pronounced. Produced by Héctor Buitrago, it was even more electronic, experimental, and abstract, but still featured a gem like "El Rompecabezas." Despite everything, the album sold half a million copies, making it the band's best-selling band to date. Time ranked them the third best band of the year (globally) and the best in Latin America. Around that time, they began to diversify and appeared on the soundtrack of the Colombian film El Séptimo Cielo, directed by Juan Fisher, and with the song "Lado Oscuro," they participated in the Hollywood film "Price of Glory." They later collaborated on a tribute to Pablo Neruda with the poem "Tengo Miedo" from his book Crepusculario. They recorded the song "Penas" for the tribute to Sandro de America, and were very busy at numerous rock festivals on both sides of the Atlantic.

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After this, it seemed like they would be one of the few bands that would successfully survive the transition to the new millennium, but the band went on a long hiatus, never confirming whether or not they had split up. In 2003, Andrea gave birth and decided to dedicate herself completely to her daughter. In 2005, she released her solo debut, earning a Latin Grammy nomination. Andrea herself would describe it this way: "It's a feminine Latin chill album that contains songs written during pregnancy and after childbirth. Pure loving groove, maternal beat, and sensual high-fidelity sound. I dedicate it to my daughter, with the wonder and surprise of a miracle that flooded me with light; and to my partner, with the daily tenacity required to maintain a relationship for many years, with firm determination and the crazy hope of living life to the fullest. With gratitude for putting up with me and with the devoted promise of eternal fidelity, of perpetual romance." Buitrago would also release her solo debut in 2006, titled Conector.

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Everything suggested we wouldn't see Aterciopelados again, but in 2006 they released the single "Complemento" as a preview of their album Oye. Alejandro Gómez-Cáceres didn't return for this album, and was replaced by Camilo Velásquez. With this album, they attempted to return to basics with a more organic sound, fusing Latin styles and with much more political and direct lyrics. The 2008 album Río followed the same line, but with environmentalist and ecological lyrics. While they weren't bad, neither album seemed to contain any iconic songs. Andrea released a couple more solo albums, and they continued to perform sporadically, although with no signs of a new album.

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Aterciopelados is a band that has earned a place in the Olympus of Rock in Ñ. Although their glory days are long gone, they remain one of the most anticipated and acclaimed bands at festivals. Andrea's voice is unique, fresh, capable of going from fragility to explosion in a snap, and with a devastating character, contrasting with her petite figure. Her lyrics are intelligent, funny, more biting and critical than they appear at first glance. And above all, we must thank her for the excellent balance in this fusion of Latin rhythms and the tremendous variety of genres they cover in their discography. Although they refer to Colombian sounds and images in their music, I think they managed to go further, to encompass all of Latin America in their songs. Without a doubt, they are a serious thing!

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Thank you, Colombia, for this rock gem!

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By Corvan

Jan/16/2015

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