Los Amigos Invisibles Keep The Latin Groove Rolling

Los, Amigos, Invisibles, free, music, Commercial

It was 1997 when I met and interviewed a fresh-faced group of Venezuelanos, just in from Caracas and embarking on their first US performance at New York City’s SOB nightclub. The group had agreed to a photoshot for my magazine, ROAM, before the show and we all met in front of the club on Houston Street. Their publicist was less than thrilled when our photographer, Roberto D’Addona, dragged them off to a back alley and got carried away with the shoot, taking far more than the allotted time. But the band went along with the whole ordeal, each member striking a pose and answering my deliberately fun questions: all it seemed missed their girlfriends (I’m sure they got over that rather quickly). Their easy going attitude and enjoyment in what they were doing was apparent. That night the band tore up the dancefloor with their latin-disco-rock sound: clearly they were on their way up. Ten years later Los Amigos Invisibles show they have no intention of slowing down. Their latest release, the aptly titled “Commercial” is their most accessible work yet and is nominated for a Latin Grammy. They’ve come a long way since that first show at SOBs and it’s a great thrill knowing I was there when they first arrived. -J.C. Tripp

Comercial is the first album Los Amigos Invisibles have released without naming their country of origin — Venezuela — in the title. Whether this, along with the title they did choose, implies they’re aiming at a more universal audience than just those inclined to check out a South American disco-funk band, remains to be seen. The simple fact is, just about anyone who hears this album will like something about it. Their songs are melodic, funky as hell, and are pretty much guaranteed to get dancefloors pumping. Their retro ’70s and very early-’80s grooves may seem campy at first glance, but this is no winking exercise like Deee-Lite or the Scissor Sisters. Los Amigos Invisibles are serious about getting the party going and keeping it going. “Vivire Para Ti” should immediately be incorporated into the repertoire of any self-respecting cruise-ship dance band, and they even sing in English on “In Luv with U.” This album falls somewhere between the minimalist funk of Prince‘s hardest tracks and the lush disco appropriations of Daft Punk‘s Discovery; “In Luv with U” could easily have come off that album, while “Mentiras” features razor-sharp guitars and synth lines that are straight from the Paisley Park playbook. This is a killer album; throw it on and watch your neighbors get drunk and dance embarrassingly. (review courtesy of iTunes)

FREE MUSIC FROM LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES:

Los Amigos Invisibles
“Mentiras” (mp3)
from “Commercial”
(Nacional Records)

Buy at Napster
More On This Album

Los Amigos Invisibles
“Vivire Para Ti” (mp3)
from “Commercial”
(Nacional Records)

Buy at Napster
More On This Album

Los Amigos Invisibles
“Diablo” (mp3)
from “The Venezuelan Zinga Son Vol. 1”
(Luaka Bop)