Echoes of the Land: Rock en Español

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Aterciopelados

Colombian rock band Aterciopelados has been on the verge of a major U.S. crossover breakthrough for oh, about six years now.

The buzz started with the band's acclaimed 2001 album, "Gozo Poderoso." That record reached the Top 10 of Billboard's top Latin albums, spawned the upbeat hits "Luz Azul" and "El Álbum," and earned Aterciopelados a coveted spot on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" – a rarity for a rock en español act.

The band – which revolves around the duo Andrea Echeverri and Hector Buitrago – released a "best of" collection on BMG U.S. Latin in 2002.

But rather than follow that up with a major album on a major label, Echeverri and Buitrago took some time off and worked on their own solo, indie projects. Echeverri had a baby, Milagros, who was the inspiration for many songs on her self-titled solo debut. The album, released on independent label Nacional Records in 2005, won critical praise and received nominations for a Grammy and a Latin Grammy.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Putumayo - Radio Latino

On Radio Latino, Putumayo, returns to its Latin roots with this collection of contemporary musicians standing at the forefront of the thriving "Rock en Español/Latin Alternative" movement. Most of these musicians are household names within their home countries, but have yet to realize their full potential in the rest of the world. While acknowledging their heritage by intertwining traditional rhythms and instrumentation with elements of popular music, Latin musicians are demonstrating that you don't have to sacrifice your cultural roots to appeal to a mainstream audience.