Aterciopelados
Encyclopedia
Aterciopelados 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."
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
).
In October 2008, Aterciopelados released a new studio album, Rio, on Nacional Records
. The album received rave reviews from publications like Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Billboard, and from NPR
’s “All Things Considered.” As Vibe Magazine said, “For Aterciopelados, maturity has become a form of liberation.” The group toured United States in April 2009 to support Rio.
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." 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." 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.
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 flamenco
-bolero
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." 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 Milanes
. 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.
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."
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." 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 of the United States in April 2009 in support of Rio.
and Julieta Venegas
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.
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
), Angelique Kidjo
(Benin
), Yerba Buena
(PanLatin), Julieta Venegas
(Mexico
), Emmanuel Jal
(Sudan
), Hugh Masekela
(South Africa
) and Rachid Taha
(France
/Algeria
).
Aterciopelados won a Latin Grammy award in 2001 following the release of their album Gozo Poderoso for Best Rock Group.
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.
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."
Oye also won the group a Premio Lo Nuestro award in 2008 for Album of the Year.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Led by Andrea Echeverri
Andrea Echeverri
Andrea Echeverri is a Colombian rock/pop singer and guitarist, born in Bogotá in 1965. She is the lead singer in Aterciopelados where she also plays the acoustic guitar. Echeverri has long captivated audiences with her potently melodic brand of feminism...
and Héctor Buitrago
Héctor Buitrago
Hector Buitrago is the co-member of the multiple Grammy winning Colombian Latin alternative band Aterciopelados. Buitrago came from a hardcore rock background, heading a group called La Pestilencia, while co-member Andrea Echeverri had been drawn into the fledgling scene through art school friends...
, 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."
Additionally, Aterciopelados engages audiences all over the world with their socially conscious message. Honored by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for their work denouncing violence in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, 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
Oye
Oye may refer to:*"Oye", the Spanish title of the Beyoncé song "Listen"*Oye: an exclamation used informally in India.*Oye, Nigeria*"Oye!", Gloria Estefan song*Oye , a 2006 album by Aterciopelados...
(Nacional Records
Nacional Records
Max Glücksmann, born was an Argentine Jewish pioneer of the music and film industries.-Biography:Glücksmann was born in Czernowitz, then part of the Austrian Empire, and emigrated to Argentina in 1890....
).
In October 2008, Aterciopelados released a new studio album, Rio, on Nacional Records
Nacional Records
Max Glücksmann, born was an Argentine Jewish pioneer of the music and film industries.-Biography:Glücksmann was born in Czernowitz, then part of the Austrian Empire, and emigrated to Argentina in 1890....
. The album received rave reviews from publications like Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Billboard, and from NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
’s “All Things Considered.” As Vibe Magazine said, “For Aterciopelados, maturity has become a form of liberation.” The group toured United States in April 2009 to support Rio.
History
Essentially a collaboration between vocalist/guitarist Andrea EcheverriAndrea Echeverri
Andrea Echeverri is a Colombian rock/pop singer and guitarist, born in Bogotá in 1965. She is the lead singer in Aterciopelados where she also plays the acoustic guitar. Echeverri has long captivated audiences with her potently melodic brand of feminism...
and bassist/arranger Héctor Buitrago
Héctor Buitrago
Hector Buitrago is the co-member of the multiple Grammy winning Colombian Latin alternative band Aterciopelados. Buitrago came from a hardcore rock background, heading a group called La Pestilencia, while co-member Andrea Echeverri had been drawn into the fledgling scene through art school friends...
, Aterciopelados has recorded eight albums since they originally teamed up in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
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." 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
Boogaloo
Boogaloo or bugalú is a genre of Latin music and dance that was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City among teenage Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other groups. The style was a fusion of popular African American R&B and soul with mambo and son montuno...
by Richie Ray
Richie Ray
Ricardo "Richie" Ray is a virtuoso pianist, singer, music arranger, composer and religious minister known for his success beginning in 1965 as part of the duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz...
and later stuff like Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Deep Purple, and Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
," said Héctor. "The first time I bought a bass guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, I'd never had one in my hands before. I began to write songs by ear." 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 flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
-bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
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." 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
Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa is a Catalan Spanish singer-songwriter.Serrat is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages...
, Mercedes Sosa
Mercedes Sosa
Haydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both...
, and Pablo Milanes
Pablo Milanés
Pablo Milanés Arias is a Cuban singer-songwriter and guitar player. He studied at a conservatory in Havana. He is considered one of the founders of the Cuban nueva trova, along with Silvio Rodríguez and Noel Nicola...
. The song broke the band on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
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
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
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
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
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.
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
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
for the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin, the tenth entry in the Red Hot Benefit Series of compilation albums, takes a post-modern look at the contemporary rock en Español scene...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
In 2006, Aterciopelados released Oye (Listen) (Nacional Records
Nacional Records
Max Glücksmann, born was an Argentine Jewish pioneer of the music and film industries.-Biography:Glücksmann was born in Czernowitz, then part of the Austrian Empire, and emigrated to Argentina in 1890....
), 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
Thom Russo
Thom Russo is an American record producer, engineer, mixer and songwriter. His works range from Anglo-American pop/rock to Alternative Latin. He is a recipient of 13 Grammy awards, most of them in recognition to his work with Latin music.-Life and education:...
(Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Juanes
Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , better known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards.Juanes has sold more than 13 million albums...
, Kinky
Kinky
Kinky may refer to:*Kinky , a five-member band from Monterrey, Mexico**Kinky , their self-titled album*Kinky *Kink , unconventional sexual practices...
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
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
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
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in support of its efforts to take guns off the streets of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
On October 21, 2008, Aterciopelados released the album Rio (River) on Nacional Records
Nacional Records
Max Glücksmann, born was an Argentine Jewish pioneer of the music and film industries.-Biography:Glücksmann was born in Czernowitz, then part of the Austrian Empire, and emigrated to Argentina in 1890....
, aggressively building upon the creative momentum of Oye. The album was recorded in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and mixed by Héctor Castillo (Brazilian Girls
Brazilian Girls
Brazilian Girls was a band from New York City known for their eclectic blend of electronic dance music with musical styles as diverse as tango, chanson, house, reggae and lounge. None of the members are actually from Brazil and the only female in the band is Sabina Sciubba. Other members include...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Gustavo Cerati
Gustavo Cerati
Gustavo Adrián Cerati Clark is an Argentine rock musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He was the frontman, lead vocalist, lead guitarist and lead songwriter of the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, one of the most influential bands of latin rock music. In the early 90s, with...
) in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. 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."
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." The album's guests range from rapper Gloria "Goyo" Martínez (of Colombian hip hop act Choc Quib Town
Choc Quib Town
Choc Quib Town is a Colombian hip-hop group. The group was formed in Quibdo, Colombia.-Discography:* Somos Pacífico * Paris - Bogotá * El Bombo * Oro *Eso es lo que hay...
) 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 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. 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 UbagoÁlex Ubago
Álex Ubago is a Spanish singer-songwriter. He is especially known for his heartfelt voice and his ballads. He rose to stardom in 2001, when he appeared as a guest on a hit TV show in Spain. Alex started to tour national radios with his guitar to sing his songs live and be interviewed...
and Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
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. 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 Bogota's river, as it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world."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.
Amnesty International
Aterciopelados have teamed up with Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and Link TV
Link TV
Link TV is a non-commercial American satellite television network providing "diverse perspectives on world and national issues." It is carried nationally on DirecTV and Dish Network. Link TV was launched as a daily, 24-hour non-commercial network in 1999...
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
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
. 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
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
(the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
has granted unprecedented access to the General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
for this project). Other artists involved include Stephen Marley
Stephen Marley (musician)
Stephen Robert Nesta "Raggamuffin" Marley is a Jamaican American musician and the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley. He is a five-time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.-Life and career:Marley was born in Wilmington,...
(Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
), Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
(Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
), Angelique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, commonly known as Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy Award–winning Beninoise singer-songwriter and activist, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Time Magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva". The BBC has...
(Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
), Yerba Buena
Yerba Buena
Yerba buena is a rambling aromatic herb of western and northwestern North America, ranging from maritime Alaska southwards to Baja California Sur...
(PanLatin), Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
(Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), Emmanuel Jal
Emmanuel Jal
Emmanuel Jal is a South Sudanese musician and former child soldier.-Childhood:Born in the village of Tonj in Southern Sudan, Jal was a young child when the Second Sudanese Civil War broke out. His father joined the Sudan People's Liberation Army and when he was about seven years old his mother...
(Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
), Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
(South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
) and Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha is an Algerian singer and activist based in France who has been described as "sonically adventurous." His music is influenced by many different styles such as rock, electronic, punk and raï.-Early life:Taha was born in 1958 in Sig , Algeria, although a second source suggests he was...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
/Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
).
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. 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. 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.Aterciopelados won a Latin Grammy award in 2001 following the release of their album Gozo Poderoso for Best Rock Group.
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
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and the Rolling Stones.
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
Nacional Records
Max Glücksmann, born was an Argentine Jewish pioneer of the music and film industries.-Biography:Glücksmann was born in Czernowitz, then part of the Austrian Empire, and emigrated to Argentina in 1890....
) and Best Alternative Song for the single "Complemento."
Oye also won the group a Premio Lo Nuestro award in 2008 for Album of the Year.
Discography
- 1994 - Con el Corazón en la Mano
- 1995 - El DoradoEl Dorado (Aterciopelados album)El Dorado is the second studio album released by Colombian rock duo Aterciopelados. It was released on October 24, 1995 through RCA International.-Track listing:# "Florecita Rockera"# "Sueños del 95"# "Candela"# "Bolero Falaz"# "No Futuro"...
- 1997 - La Pipa de la PazLa Pipa de la PazLa Pipa de la Paz is the third album from the Colombian band Aterciopelados.-Track listing:# "Cosita Seria" - 3:27# "No Necesito" - 3:44# "Quemarropa" - 3:25# "Nada Que Ver" - 3:19...
- 1998 - Caribe Atómico
- 2001 - Gozo Poderoso
- 2002 - Evolución (Compilation Album)
- 2006 - Oye
- 2008 - Rio
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.
- "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.