Cinescapade - Los Amigos Invisibles

Los Amigos Invisibles - Arepa 3000.

Don't let yourself be fooled by Los Amigos Invisibles' double-entendres, bogus Latin-lover attitude and 70s disco shows. Beneath the self-mockery and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, you will find an inspired sextet with a wide stylistic range, a knack for flavoring whatever they are playing with a sexy Latin tinge and a straightforward desire for the audience to have a good time. Boldly entitled The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera, which means enjoyment, LAI's second album was a breakthrough on the Caracas music scene, grabbing David Byrne's attention along the way. With the latest CD Arepa 3000, the band's career took off on an international level, and made it to the Grammys. This funky sextet, a self-labeled "party band", is bringing a new life to the Latin sound of dance music.

Back in 1988, Juan Manuel Roura, Julio Briceño and Jose Luis Pardo, then still in high school, started LAI. They were later joined by salsa band rebounds Armando Figueredo and Mauricio Arcas, and then by Jose Rafael Torres, who quit his rock group to tag along. This varied musical background certainly accounts in part for the wide scope of LAI's styles, ranging from house to funk, disco to salsa, drum and bass, mambo, merengue, bossa nova and lounge music, all of these in turn influenced by joropo, which is traditional Venezuelan music. Yet at the same time, their songs aren't a stylistic hodge-podge. "Our idea is not to fuse or blend these styles. If we are going to play house, it's going to be a house tune in the best way we can play it," says singer Briceño, 29.

Their new album displays pure salsa and merengue tunes as well as some very good funk, while their trademark remains a retro disco style infused with Latin influences. Based mainly on guitar player Pardo's compositions, LAI's Latin roots are present throughout the band's music, be it a jazzy tune or a pop-rock number. The band is constantly on the lookout for new sounds. Keyboard player Armando Figueredo, 26, estimates that each new Amigos album is influenced by more than 200 new CD's. "We like playing the music we listen to, and we are not afraid of experimenting" he says. Although the lyrics are full of insider jokes and sexual innuendo, songs like "El Disco Anal" or "Masturbation Session" are tempered by a self-mocking, facetious tone that begs not to be taken too seriously.

In the same playful spirit, Arepa 3000 refers to arepa, which is typical homemade Venezuelan bread that looks like a flying saucer. This spaceship motif appears on the CD's cover, perhaps in reference to the astounding lift-off of their career. And indeed the story of their success somewhat resembles a fairytale in the making. The band started as a reaction to the rock groups playing in Caracas in the early 90s, who displayed a more intellectual and politically involved music. On the other hand, Los Amigos wanted to be a fun, entertaining band with a wacky sense of humor, giving their audience a good time, which for South-Americans usually means lots of dancing. Playing in old, out-of-fashion disco clubs, they developed such a following that the next logical step was to record their music. Leaving Caracas to promote their album, A Typical & Autoctonal Venezuelan Dance Band, in New York, they performed in such places as CBGB. The CD somehow ended up in David Byrne's lap, who in turn offered them a record deal with his company Luaka Bop. The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera, an instant hit back home in Caracas, resulted from this collaboration.

Unaware of their newfound success, LAI followed-up on this recording by touring the US with Soul Coughing, a rock-funk fusion band. When they returned home, their over-night Venezuelan stardom took them by surprise. As a bewildered Figueredo puts it, "We couldn't understand what had happened. The places we played were packed and everybody was singing along." The peak of their Venezuelan success came when they opened for Sting's concert in Caracas.

Now based in New York, LAI has a special fondness for this new home, the first non-Venezuelan city they've ever played in. Their latest concert at the Bowery Ballroom in February was a sold-out event that they thoroughly enjoyed. "The crowd got the groove right away," says Briceño. New York is a favorite for concerts says Figueredo because "the New York crowd is always ready to listen before they judge." You may want to check out their groove yourself at Los Amigos' up-coming show, either just to be a part of the phenomenon or simply because you love to dance.

Los Amigos Invisibles are playing at the Bowery Ballroom on March 9th.