The most popular alternative rock group in Colombia, which laid its foundations back in the 90s, is still in force and revitalized. hand in hand Hector Buitrago and Andrea Echeverri the Argentine public will have the opportunity to enjoy those songs again as “Bolero Falaz”, “Florecita Rockera”, “Baracunátana”, “Maligno”, that took rock in Spanish to the top.
With deep lyrics and that do not overlook the problems that affect societies not only yesterday, but also today, their social and political criticism, activism for the environment and human rights, is a flag that they plant and that distinguishes them.
“There is a lot of culture and very different in Argentina, we are always delighted with the bookstores and then we return with very heavy suitcases for books (laughs). The alternative design and architecture and gastronomy, I have many memories in addition to friends, many beautiful memories. Another is when we went to the recording of the video of The city of fury that allowed us to visit it in a different way than we had done before”, says Hector Buitrago; bassist, composer and founder of the band in conversation with Filo.News on his arrival in the city of Buenos Aires.
– What reading do you make of the transition of Latin American music with the new generations?
We have been adapting to transitions because we already have a long career, we have even gone through different formats: from cassette, CD’s and now with digital platforms. The music industry continues to transform, what’s more, we are no longer with a record company but with a aggregator that makes the difference in terms of movement in the industry. Likewise, as a producer I really enjoy its evolution, the tools, sounds and how it changes.
– You inquire into various genres, without labeling yourself in just one…
That’s how it is, maybe before it was more complicated to do it and they didn’t even know what genre to put Aterciopelados’ music in, that it wasn’t rock, nor traditional, nor Latin American, they told us all that, it was something that happened to us. But today music is listened to in a more unprejudiced way than before. Festivals also promote this with great variety offers, before it was difficult for the public to accept changes in genre and now we are going to enjoy music in a different way.
– Colombia is one of the cradles of reggaeton, it could be said, how do you get along with this movement?
It is a superpower, I would tell you, and more so in Medellín, where there are many producers and artists of the genre. I think that because of our children, because both Andrea and I have children, they have brought us closer to urban music more quickly because they listen to it much more, and although I have the criteria to feel what I like and what I don’t, there are artists who really are tremendous and I like to appreciate what is good.
– Do you feel that the spirit in which Aterciopelados was born is still alive today?
Yeah. We were part of the explosion of rock in Spanish that was around 2000 And then the changes in the record companies came along with the digital platforms and rock in Spanish and its derivatives, they gave space to the new that perhaps came to replace it in the mainstream, which is urban music, for example. Due to that eclecticism that allows us to go from rock to electronics or a little bit of pop, it has allowed us to remain current because we have many audiences.
– What do you want to transmit today with your songs that are still valid, the new and the old, what is the legacy that Aterciopelados wants to leave in the world of music?
We have our peculiar way of saying things and our own poetry that has a satire, in addition to the typical songs of love, heartbreak, but then we started talking about ecology, women’s rights, defending the earth, reconnecting with the ancestral, are problems that move us. Universal themes such as ecology and human rights have become a hallmark of the band
– Going back to ecology and the ancestral, how did the song “Volver a solreir” come about?
I have focused a lot on the fight for water defense and I am part of the “Song to the water” movement where we invite people to get close to the bodies of water and meditate, to sing to reconnect with the water from the spirit, to resume those ancestral knowledge of respect and connection with the land. Every year these meetings have a slogan and the one for 2022 was “Back to Solreir” Since we had just come out of the pandemic and everything that that implied, we didn’t look at each other’s smiles, we didn’t enjoy the sun, so that’s why the play on words in the song is very optimistic and also has the collaboration of Ruben Albarrán (Café Tacvba) and Tonguealert who are also activists, it was very moving.
– What show are we going to find this Sunday?
We are going to present new songs, the classics that everyone wants and it will also be exciting to play live “In the city of fury”, the velvety version that luckily had a very good growth, seeking not a copy of Soda’s work, but a version that looked to the future and with our imprint.
This Sunday, February 5, Aterciopelaos, presented by Snow Entertainment will be presented in Palermo Groove. Tickets can be purchased here.
