Los Amigos Invisibles, the Venezuelan funk band from Caracas that relocated to Brooklyn, N.Y. more than eight years ago, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2011. But the party has already started, with the band enjoying an ever-growing following throughout Mexico, South America and in its adopted home base country.
In the last three months, band's sixth studio album, "Commercial," was released simultaneously in six Latin American countries and in the U.S.; it headlined a 13-city tour throughout Venezuela, the first ever in its home country; closed out a packed and sweaty tent at the Austin City Limits festival; and was nominated for a Latin Grammy, its fifth chance at the elusive trophy.
And there's more to come. The Amigos recorded a Sept. 10 concert at Mexico City's renown Teatro Metropolitan -- where they played to a sold-out crowd of 2500 and featured a guest spot by Natalia Lafourcade, Mexico's answer to Norah Jones -- for a future DVD release. "American Troglodyte," a track the band recorded with Norman Cook and David Byrne, will appear on that duo's forthcoming album. And the group is starting to prepare for a summer 2010 concert collaboration with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra, part of an upcoming festival curated by friend and fellow Venezuelan cultural ambassador, the L.A. Phil's newly inaugurated musical director Gustavo Dudamel.
"A lot of people are turing their eyes on Venezuelan musicians because of him," say Jose Luis Pardo, the Amigos' guitarist and band leader. "It's like the way people started thinking about Brazilian music when Gilberto Gil, Tom Jobim and all the Tropicalia first emerged on the international stage.
"People ask if we're part of El Sistema all of the time. There's a lot of awareness right now and I think all Venezuelan musicians will be able to thank Gustavo for that for quite a while."
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