Aterciopelados

While labeling Aterciopelados among the leading rock en español trailblazers from the mid-'90s captures an element of their reach, it understates the deeper, sustained impact this act has exerted over time. The quartet originated in 1993 around the creative axis of Andrea Echeverri, formerly the singer and guitarist of Delia y los Aminoacidos, and bassist/producer Héctor Buitrago, establishing Aterciopelados—whose name translates loosely to “the velvety ones”—as one of Colombia’s earliest rock ensembles. Over the ensuing period the band sustained its status as one of Latin rock’s most reliably inventive and far-reaching outfits, with global visibility growing even amid evident shifts in musical direction.

Their initial recordings, 1993’s Con el Corazon en la Mano and 1994’s El Dorado, delivered the group’s rawest material by merging punk rock with Latin and Caribbean forms including bolero, flamenco, ska, and reggae. Drummer Andrés Giraldo departed in 1995, succeeded by Alejandro Duque, while guitarist Charlie Márquez gave way to Alejandro Gómez Cáceras in 1997. As the sound matured, Aterciopelados folded in Colombian folk traditions such as vallenato and cumbia alongside Andean pan flutes and further regional acoustic elements layered over conventional rock guitars and drums, while simultaneously increasing dependence on electronics and synthesizer programming.

Phil Manzanera, the former Roxy Music guitarist, produced 1997’s La Pipa de la Paz, which opened the band to North American audiences, and 1998’s Caribe Atómico, cut in New York with avant-garde contributors Marc Ribot and Arto Lindsay, extended that profile even as the project had effectively narrowed to the Echeverri-Buitrago partnership. Gozo Poderoso (2000) earned the strongest critical response to date, placing Aterciopelados inside the Top Ten of the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and securing a 2001 Latin Grammy for Best Rock Duo/Group with Vocal.

After that achievement the band paused for five years, issuing only the 2002 compilation Evolucion. During the break Echeverri gave birth, and both members issued solo projects; her self-titled album, centered on the experience of motherhood, received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album together with a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. Returning in 2006 on the Nacional label—the same imprint that had released both Echeverri’s record and Buitrago’s Conector—Aterciopelados delivered Oye, which adopted a more acoustic foundation. Rio (2008) pursued fresh rhythmic territory and drew a positive notice from Rolling Stone, which described Echeverri as “a Spanish-language Patti Smith.”