Aterciopelados
Aterciopelados (English: Velvet Ones), also known as Los Aterciopelados, is a rock band from Colombia, led by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago. Their music fuses rock with a variety of Colombian and Latin American musical traditions. Aterciopelados have recorded eight albums.
Aterciopelados
1992–present
Andrea Echeverri (vocals, acoustic guitar)
Héctor Buitrago (bass)
Mauricio Montenegro (drums)
The group has won four Latin Grammy Awards from eight nominations, including Best Alternative Album in 2007 for Oye,[1] as well as four Grammy Award nominations. Their song "Bolero Falaz" topped Canal Viva Colombia's list of the 1,000 most important songs of Colombian rock,[2] and several more of their songs also made the list, including "Maligno", "El Estuche", "Mujer Gala" and "Sortilegio".
Aterciopelados are internationally recognized for their socially conscious message, and regularly discuss issues including political injustice, women's rights, and environmental destruction. They were honored by the United Nations for their work denouncing violence in Colombia.
Background[edit]
Primarily a collaboration between vocalist/guitarist Andrea Echeverri and bassist/arranger Héctor Buitrago, who began collaborating in Bogotá, Colombia, in the early 1990s as "Delia y los Aminoácidos".[3] Buitrago came from a hardcore punk background, leading a group called La Pestilencia, while Echeverri had been drawn into the nascent scene through art school friends. Buitrago had been a fan of boogaloo by Richie Ray in his childhood, and later bands including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Yes, and taught himself bass guitar by ear.[3] Together they went on to open a rock club in Bogotá.
Solo albums[edit]
In 2005 and 2006, Echeverri and Buitrago made solo albums: Echeverri's self-titled Andrea Echeverri and Buitrago's ConEctor. Andrea Echeverri is centered around Echeverri's experiences of pregnancy and becoming a mother.[10] ConEctor, which translates as "with Héctor" or "connector", explores themes of contemporary spirituality, and features several guest artists including Echeverri, Alex Ubago and Julieta Venegas.[11]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Grammy Awards[edit]
Aterciopelados have received five Grammy Award nominations from the U.S. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 2006, Andrea Echeverri received her first solo nomination.