You might have heard of and their great single Complemento , a rocky mix of cultures and genres that s been captivating Colombia (and far beyond) for over a decade. That specific Aterciopelados sound, a solid fusion of traditional bolero with flower power rock, is about the only constant throughout their latest album . Weird instruments (from sitar to didgeridoo), different styles (ballad to funk-rock), and the incredible voice of lead singer Andrea Echeverri make each song a different experience.
After Complemento we re treated to an acoustic intermezzo with birds tweeting in the background. Que los d i as te besen , Andrea sings, one of many odes to nature on this album. Don Dinero and Cancion Protesta are cheerful protest songs, against today s money culture and against restriction of free speech: we re back in the 60s all over again!
Check the mariachi trumpets and shouting cowboys on Don Dinero , one of my favorite songs on the album.
Oye Mujer on the other hand, is quite bitter, stating most modern women are too concerned about their looks:
Objeto sexual
Pedacito de carne con complejo de Barbie
Mujer, cerra los ojos y veras
A powerful quote, but not the best song on Oye. The sour tone is continued in Insoportable , a song filled with desperation and anger but brought with sentiment and soul.
Paces is a delightfully silly, ethnically-influenced dance song. Too bad the party gets interrupted by the cheesy ballad Panal ..
but it continues in funky Al Parque . More ethnicism on Fan #1 : is that a sitar in the background?
Andrea Echeverri then effortlessly changes her wonderful, eerie singing voice to a hypnotizing hum on Majestad , an ode to Pachamama, the Inca god of earth.
Oye closes on the happy notes of Cruz de Sal , a song that manages to recapture the entire album: it s a cheerful ethnically influenced flower power, funk-rock ode to nature! If you need a last-minute Christmas present for the alternative minded, Latino or not, Aterciopelados will certainly be appreciated!
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