Word: poderoso
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Some of that same sorcery--minus the stomach-upsetting side effects--is present in the duo's terrific new CD Gozo Poderoso (BMG U.S. Latin). Aterciopelados (the name means the Velvety Ones and was borrowed from the writings of Simone de Beauvoir) formed in Bogota around 1990. Echeverri's parents were dentists; Buitrago's family ran a store in a market. The two dated, but soon their bond became a purely musical one. "That relationship is in the past," says Echeverri. "But we respect each other and we love each other...
...Gozo Poderoso (Powerful Joy) digs deep into Colombian traditions. The gently melodic songs are marinated in regional rhythms, including cumbia (a hot, syncopated dance music) and vallenato (a sweet, accordion-led genre). There are also futuristic flourishes: electronic beats, turntable scratching and tape loops. Luz Azul (Blue Light) is a song of hope directed at Colombians: "Let the emotion of the music penetrate you/Let the discord slide past you." Another track, Fantasia, is more overtly political, comparing American international influence to the tyranny of the Roman empire. But some of the best numbers are unabashed, almost old-fashioned, love songs...
...performers like Moreno Veloso are blending bossa nova with electronica; in Mexico, Nortec Collective, an organization of Mexican artists, recently released The Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1, a groundbreaking CD fusing traditional norteno (a kind of polka-esque music) with clubland techno. Echeverri and Buitrago are particularly proud that Gozo Poderoso was recorded in Colombia--and in Spanish. "Identity and roots are very important for us," says Echeverri. "We've been listening to English music all our lives without understanding all of it, so why can't it be the other way round?" Language barriers don't stand a chance against...