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ACL: Aterciopelados
It was a good thing Colombia’s Aterciopelados played last on the WaMu stage Saturday. Almost any act that followed them would have had a hard time equaling their rapturous reception. Also, singer-guitarist Andrea Echeverri was able to cajole the crew into letting the band play past the scheduled end of the set, gratifying fans yelling “Otra! Otra!” (“Encore! Encore!”) so loudly the tent seemed like a soccer stadium.
Judging from the shouts whenever Echeverri said “Bogota,” and the fervor of singalongs to older tunes, the crowd included plenty of fellow Colombians who’d been following the band since Echeverri formed it with bassist-producer Hector Buitrago in 1993. But you didn’t have to understand a syllable of Spanish to enjoy Aterciopelados’ joyous rock infused with everything from reggae to traditional vallenato. The group’s versatile percussionist doubled on a variety of Colombian flutes, and even something that looked like a toy keyboard crossed with a hookah and emitted a piping sound.
Echeverri is a wonderful singer, with a satiny alto and refreshingly unadorned style. She’s also a natural-born rock star, even though her manner is unassuming, and her imposing cheekbones and severe eyebrows give her an austere look — until she smiles. Mostly, she was all smiles, even when introducing songs with a serious message, such as “Don Dinero” (“Mr. Money”), a deceptively ebullient number from the new “Oye.” “We all like money,” Echeverri said, “But it’s terrible. Dangerous.” “Cancion Protesta” (“Protest Song”) turned anger into positive energy.
Playing an acoustic guitar plastered with metallic speakers that gleamed in the spotlights, like the gold spangled heart decorating her aqua tunic, Echeverri beguiled the crowd with natural charisma, her most casual gesture starting a wave of clapping or singing or pogo-ing. She smooched the microphone and beamed at the crowd’s response to “Luz Azul,” with its fluid guitar lines. The band’s punk-injected hit “Bolero Falaz” had most of the crowd singing lustily in Spanish. It would have been a perfect set-closer, but its momentum just got the band and crowd jazzed for those precious 10 extra minutes.
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