“Music is always gonna be there, deep in your mind” (Juan Manuel Roura a.k.a Mamel)
At this tremendous concert, the original six members celebrated 20 years of playing together, being a band that having survived changes, still came up with interesting and original music. In all those years, and beyond, ‘Los Amigos Invisibles’ have delved into Funk, Acid jazz, Salsa and dance music.
Interspersed with the concert, Andrade conducts interviews that traces their steps from their earliest school days when the started to realize they were hooked on music, and they first met, to them getting together for fun. Funded through Kickstarter (crowdfunding), fans from all over the world got together with contributions from as far afield as India and Australia, Germany and Mexico!
The result is this charming documentary that premiered at the USA Miami International Film Festival in March 2012., and was later screened at the Buenos Aires International F Independent Film Festival in April 2012.
The unusual name, ‘Los Amigos Invisibles’, actually comes from a Venezuelan TV programme called “Human Values” by historian Arturo Uslar Pietri. He had the habit of referring to his viewers as ‘my invisible friends’ because the programme was pre-recorded and had no live audience. The lads loved this idea and took it for themselves. When asked some time later if he minded, fortunately, Pietri insisted he did not mind at all.
Catire
Andrade’s interviews are intimate and non-obtrusive, so the film reveals the characters of the individual members with sensitivity, and, in particular, the importance they all gave to teamwork, and respect for each other at all times, which was so instrumental in the long-term survival of this band.
Originating in Caracas, Venezuela, this group of friends started making music together. Each one contributing their individual styles and passions. They are all song writers in their own right, although the band has had hits with works of other musicians such as ‘AMOR ‘by Latino Life 2015 Lukas Award winner Jorge Spiteri, that was a massive hit all over the Latino world.
Another hit was ‘Tócamela’ to which all the band members contributed, being a typical track with everyone’s input.
The band finally acquired international fame when they managed to place their early album “A Typical and Autoctonal Venezuerlan Dance Band” (1995) into the international section at Tower Records in New York. The album had been a big hit in their home country, but moving into the USA was something that seemed beyond their reach.
It was truly their good fortune, therefore, that a certain David Byrne (Talking Heads) of Luaka Bop Records decided to buy the album. It caught his eye for being the only Latino record on the pile that had an abstract design on the cover, unlike all the others festooned with girls in minimal bikinis.
José Luis Pardo
However, David Byrne, and his partner Yale, had quite a job to chase down Los Amigos Invisibles, because when he phoned the band in Caracas, the lads automatically assumed it must be a hoax and did not call back. Finally, having linked up, the Luaka Bop Record label brought out the very successful “Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey into Space” which received a Grammy nomination in the “Best Latin Alternative Album” category, and won a Latin Grammy for “Best Rock Album”.
Mr Yale from Luaka Bop Records
Later, by 2017, things began to change as some of the group gradually moved into other activities. During the years that they shared their lives in New York as single men, 100 % into their music, gradually relationships developed, wives, girlfriends and partners, changing the dynamic.
One of those to leave was Mauricio Arcas a.k.a Maurimixxx , who set off on a different route opening his own studio Phat Bass Studio in Miami. This followed only a couple of years after the main songwriter and guitarist José Luis Pardo a.k.a. Cheo, and the vocalist and keyboard player Armandito (Armando Figueredo) had also left the group for different reasons.
Cheo (Pardo) was a key part of the creative songwriting team, having been a fan of Prince and Genesis since he was a kid. Catíre, (José Rafael Torres -the nickname means Blondie), is the bass player. He has remained with the band to this day. His passion for music started with the traditional cuatro and the music of the llanos of Venezuela- all of which he also brought into the group.
One of the key members who, fortunately, is also still with the band is Mamel, Juan Manuel Roura, the drummer, their very own Charlie Watts. Mamel is equally outstanding in his reliable drumming, beautifully weaving his rhythms and holding their sets together.
Juan Manuel Roura (* Mamel) Drummer
“Los Amigos Invisibles” developed a strategy of their own, in that they do not stop between the numbers. Their sets are continuous and all–encompassing. The idea was to stop disappointed revellers in the audience pelting them between the tracks! Even if this, fortunately, is very unlikely, this trick imparts has a flavour all its own and the drummer and the percussionists keep the beat at all times, with magical results.
Maurimixxx (Mauricio Arcas) was known for his passion for salsa and the Latin style beats, being influenced since he was a child by the Fania All-stars’ stable, and the greats like Willie Colón, Johnny Pacheco, among others. He was the co–composer on many of the iconic numbers like ‘Cuchi-Cuchi’ . ‘Ponerte en Cuatro’, ‘Oyeme Nena’, ‘Dulce’, ‘Mami, te extraño’ and in particular, the big hit ‘Mentiras’ that he wrote for his wife after a misunderstanding caused by a suggestive photo that appeared in a magazine, where the band players were photographed surrounded by a swarm of blonde belles, to his wife’s chagrin!
The band maintained their popularity for so many years (and eleven successful albums) thanks to the variety of their output. Nothing dull or repetitive here. Parts are reminiscent of Weather Report, and Jacobo Pastorius, others ring out of contagious dance music like ‘Amor’, or of salsa beats like Cuchi, Cuch, while some have a meditative quality, or gentle and melodic with a feel of Genesis or Prince.
Armando Figueredo (*Chulius)
In the richness of their arrangements, there is the ease of a tight-knit group, and the familiarity of these musicians who have played together for a long time and you can feel it. They survived thanks to having a deep respect for each other. If one is doing his solo, the others back off and compliment the instrumental with vocals as best they can. They do not try to all play at once, competing for attention, the downfall of so many groups.
As Pardo explains in the film: -
“In the early 1990s we played [a gig] outside Caracas. It was so far that nobody went… initially we tried to play in the British Gothic style, all twisted with elaborate lyrics that didn’t go down well with the audiences. We [realized] we are in Latin America; we shouldn’t be imitating “The Cure” but finding our own way- that’s when we decided to go for dance music and that took us into Funk and Acid jazz.”
One of the tracks is “Esto es lo que Hay”. It was based on an idea of Cheo (Pardo), when the girl he wanted to marry had parents who did not like him, thinking a musician was not good for their daughter. The lyrics ended up being composed by them all as a group of “Frankenstein” constructed in pieces- with a montuno feel. From 1995 to this day, “Los Amigos Invisibles” have won two Grammys at the Annual Latin Grammy Awards and been nominated no fewer than eleven times, which is no mean feat.
This is an interesting and revealing documentary of this much-loved band that everyone, including non-fans will enjoy. Many of the numbers are available on Spotify and YouTube.
LA CASA DEL RITMO: A FILM ABOUT LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES.
Director: Javier Andrade / Producer: Catalina Elizabeth Kulczar- Marin / Cinematographer: Chris Teague / Editors: Javier Andrade and William Zitser / Sound Recording: Ryan Billia.
Current Band Members: -
Catíre José Rafael Torres / BASS/ Songwriter
Chulius Julio Briceño / Percussion/ Songwriter
Mamel Juan Manuel Roura / Drums/ Percussion/ Songwriter
Former members:
Cheo José Luis Pardo / Guitar /
Armandito Armando Figueredo / Keyboards, Vocals/ Songwriter
Maurimixxx Mauricio Arcas
THE FILM SCREENS AT THE LATINO LIFE FILM CLUB ON SUNDAY 13TH APRIL. DETAILS HERE
