RIO, ATERCIOPELADOS
Nacional Records, Colombia
By Carlos Reyes
How many times do we have to say it? Aterciopelados might just be the best Latin rock band of all time, but Café Tacvba is around, and so we find it impossible to decide between musical treasures. Andrea Echeverri and Hector Buitrago arrived at the right moment, with one of the most radical visions in the emerge of rock en español, and they keep delivering marvelous pieces into their transcendental discography. Ever since Gozo Poderoso (2001), the duo has taken on a search for bright themes for our earth, accentuating nature and a handful of benefits as a consequence of optimism and positivism. Andrea and Hector released solo albums a few years ago, only to comeback with the amazingly profound Oye! and now Rio, which could be read as an equally vibrant continuation.
Aterciopelados embraces social protestation with their most powerful weapons, their lyrics. Having something to say isn’t sufficient to make an artist socially conscious, but these two visionaries manifest their unconditional offerings through deep-felt beautiful poems that happen to be singed and instrumented. Many years of Guerilla resistance have imposed national and individual fear in Colombia, the music of Aterciopelados smoothens the political tension through an auditory war of its own, one of peaceful and cosmic directions. I usually don’t tolerate artists exposing their art at maximum zooming (like a photographer chasing a victim of war), even if they are well intentioned, but Aterciopelados has the sensibility to depict reality, contemplate it and provide options to form change.
First single “Rio” asks us to send our rivers some oxygen, to send prayers and hope for the fish to comeback. The song humanizes our rivers and seals a connection between nature and our bodies, both in need of clean waters. The backgrounds are particularly outstanding; Andrea Echeverri and Hector Buitrago are true mavericks of atmospheric sensibility. “Vienen las aguas del rio, corriendo, cantando! por la ciudad van soñando ser limpias, ser claras”, one of the great singles of the year. Also astonishing is “28” which shares a lot with “A Eme O” a single from Andrea Echeverri’s 2005 solo album. The title of the song refers to the menstrual cycle, “the blood didn’t arrive in the 28th day,” pregnancy had never been so poetically presented in any song before. For those complaining that their music doesn’t evolve just listen to a song like “Vals” or “Ataque de Risa”, there is no niche in their music or a comfort zone, just a direction.
They have released a video for “Hijos de Tigre”, a song for the film La Milagrosa (Rafa Lara, 2008) about the guerrilla and military repression in their country. “Bandera” is one of the great direct songs on immigration and a strong defensive song on those limiting our path towards our dream. Rio is fun and nostalgic, and in a way a sibling of another record this year, oddly not from a Latino band but from the Fleet Foxes self-titled album (one of the year’s ultimate best). Rio is charged with folk and traditional Iberoamerican lyricism that most international media would fail to fully appreciate, but their vision is so wide that the album is not only universally appealing but a charmingly persuasive document of action.
Numeric Rating: 89
♫♫♫ “Rio” (Via People en Español)
♫♫♫ “28” (Via Latina Magazine)
Buy it @ amazon
MySpace
Our great friend Jose Luis Mercado from Rock en las Americas wrote a flourishing series about Latin Rock and Latin Alternative Rock. Straight from Peru, he offered an extensive special on the changes and historical movement or Iberoamerica’s rock. The last post in the series is a top 20 list that recollects this genre in all its forms; it covers a big bunch of classics, newbies and some unexpected choices. All music videos for the following list are available at his original post here.
We don’t usually post info about new single releases, but this week has been truly amazing. It seems like some of my favorite artists wanted to uplift my spirit this week. The startling lineup of new songs is simply jaw-dropping, most of these artists will release their albums in October, let’s start saving some cash for what seems to be the best month for Latin alternative this year.
“Un dia”, Juana Molina
I was convinced Juana Molina would change Latin American music, and the new emerge of acts influenced by her music can’t prove me wrong. Careful, I’m not talking about innovations, it’s Molina’s deep-felt emotional approach to music; the power of music lies not in what’s hidden in between lyrics, treasure is found behind lyrics. Just like cinema is a visual media, music’s ultimate command is its sound resonance. “One day I will be a somebody else, I’m going to do things I didn’t do, I won’t care about what others say, neither if they will work out, I will travel, I will dance, dance dance, I want to dance!…” Starts with truly poetic lyrics, the entrance to a world of its own, one that reunites abstract vocals, sweet fairies and factories of sound loops creating new beginnings. My friends know I go nuts about her; again I can’t handle myself when taking about the single most visionary artist of Latin America. "Un dia" is available for free at Juana Molina's official website.
“Rio”, Aterciopelados
It only took me one listen to decide that this had to be the track welcoming readers to our MySpace (replacing “El Reloj” by Jovenes y Sexys). Aterciopelados is along with Café Tacvba the best rock band Latin America has ever had (you had read this statement before, I agree). Rio asks us to send our rivers some oxygen, to send prayers and hope for the fish to comeback. The song humanizes our rivers and seals a connection between nature and our bodies, both in need of clean waters. The backgrounds are particularly outstanding; Andrea Echeverri and Hector Buitrago are true mavericks of atmospheric sensibility. “Vienen las aguas del rio, corriendo, cantando!, por la ciudad van soñando ser limpias, ser claras.” One of the very best songs of the year.
“Reptilectric”, Zoe
Zoe went from the small and shy band that would replace Zurdok, to having the all-time best selling EP in Mexico to finally becoming the most popular band in Mexico nowadays. The band has yet to fully internationalize itself, but their long titled Grammy nominated Memo Rex Commander y el Corazon Atomico de la Via Lactea earned them enough recognition for their new album to travel new territories. The title of the song didn’t make any sense to me, I tried to google it and it seems Zoe has invented a word/species/new god? : reptile + electric. “Reptilectric, welcome to earth”, the song goes from confusion to illusion, seems like Zoe is waiting for the arrival of a prophet from another galaxy. Seems like they run out of patience with other gods and have transported themselves to a new cosmos; they ask for more love and less pain, to make them forget about everything that makes suffering. I like this new messiah, this “messenger of light”.
“No hay nadie como tu”, Calle 13 feat. Café Tacvba
Some months ago Calle 13 had asked its fans at their blog for suggestions on future collaborations. Calle 13 is a very appealing act that is mainly acclaimed by alternative music followers, so it came as no surprise that Los Tacubos ended as a favorite. The bad boys for the first time have overlooked reggaeton for a first single. “No hay nadie como tu” is a catchy song about so many things, about so many people and that special individual that connects them all. Here is hoping Calle 13 doesn’t loose its delicious explicit lyrics and political commentary. The song is simply triumphant and only makes us think that we’ll be getting another jewel with Los de atras vienen conmigo.
Thanks to Jose Luis from Rock en las Americas for the heads up on the new single by Calle 13 featuring Café Tacvba. We had heard a live version at the VMAs parallel pre-party hosted by MTV Tr3s, but the final outcome is finally here.
Aterciopelados also added their brand new single to their MySpace “Rio” from their upcoming album by the same name. I absolutely love the song, just like almost anything by one of Latin America’s greatest bands ever.
Los Premios MTV Latinoamerica have announced their nominees for the upcoming October show at Guadalajara, Mexico. Juanes leads the nominatioins with seven, followed by Babasonicos and Belanova with 6 nominations, Café Tacvba and The Jonas Brothers with 5 and Kuda, Miranda!, Tokyo Hotel and Ximena Sariñana with 4. Full list of nominees is available here.
Oh and yeah, in just few hours the press release for this year’s Latin Grammy Nominees.
"No hay nadie como tu", Calle 13 featuring Cafe Tacvba.