Rock and Roll On Colombia
The Colombia rock band Aterciopelados (meaning "velvety ones") released three of my favorite albums of the past two years. Between singer Andrea Echeverri's 2005 solo album, bassist Hector Buitrago's 2006 Conector, and last year's full-band return, Oye, Aterciopelados have evolved into a music factory reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane's late-sixties barrage of band releases and splinter projects.
Andrea Echeverri, by the group's singing, songwriting frontwoman, is a surprisingly noncloying tribute to the joys of motherhood, creation, and the sense of destiny connecting mother, father, and child. "Since you were born, I've become a better lover," she sings in "A Eme O," blissfully buoyed on a lilting African guitar figure. Buitrago's Conector is a deeper, more complex exploration of Indian and psychedelic sounds. One of its highlights, "Damaquiel," features a pair of famous Colombian traditional singers, who also appear in one of the most gorgeous videos you may ever see.
After delivering these two solo albums and at least one baby, Aterciopelados regrouped and released Oye (Listen) last year. Their sixth album since 1993's Con el Corazon en el Mano (With Heart in Hand) and first since 2000's Gozo Poderoso (Powerful Pleasure), Oye connected the dots between their punk-rock roots, wide-ranging enthusiasm for Latin American musical styles (including mariachi, cumbia, and vallenata), and forthright neo-hippie ideology. But most of all, it's simply a fine rock album, as this video of "Complemento" demonstrates.
And Aterciopelados turned out to be nothing more nor less than a solid rock group last night at SOB's in Manhattan. The club was packed with Colombians, who raised their cell-phone cameras high at every hit. The stage was decorated by three large ear sculptures. And Aterciopelados played stripped-down versions of their music to the hometown-away-from-hometown crowd. It was a good party, but I'll take their albums.