Customer Reviews

Arepa 3000

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Los Amigos did it again ! This group makes a Latino proud to be a Latino. I would love to find out what their secret is or inspiration for writing and performing music with so much high energy and zest for life. This music appeals to the global partying masses. You do not have to understand or speak Spanish to appreciate their craftsmanship (though it helps).Some critics have tried to dismiss this group as another international novelty/kitsch act; THEY'RE NOT.Their lyrics border on tongue and cheek humor about partying,romance,sex and life with a slight hint of social commentary. Their sounds are a combination of retro 70's funk and disco with a strong Latin, pop-rock edge. Another highly recommended c.d. by this group is their previous release titled New Sounds of the Venezuelan Gozadera.Check 'em out;I promise you no regrets (just a lot of guilty partying pleasure) !

Musically speaking, Los Amigos Invisibles are an extremely smooth and funky band, seamlessly mixing Anglo and Caribbean Hispanic elements into their music, in a way that's accessible to many audiences. Yet in their eclecticism, their regional specificity never gets watered down-- their humor, which pervades the whole album in particular, is very specifically Hispanic Caribbean. And this is not just in the lyrics of the songs (hilarious though they are). The musical and stylistic allusions are up to it, too; for example, "El Barro", a song about a boy with a pimple in his nose, will send anybody familiar with Latin teeny-bopper boy bands reeling with laughter; "El Baile del Sobón" is a hilarious cartoonish parody of everything that's wacky about your random disposable roots Merengue song. The way they sing in general also often sounds "off-hand" in a way that I'm not sure translates across their cultural context, adding to the effect. A work of genius.

This CD is I believe the only record I own by a Venezuelan artist. I have no grasp of the language or culture from this area but going from previous reviews of this album I was intrigued to give this album a listen. It's a great funky ride with these Los Amigos Invisibles, which I'm guessing means `The Invisible Men' - Hey maybe I do grasp Venezuenalenese?! It's a great upbeat bunch of songs. Happy & uplifting for most of its course, it always puts me in the right frame of mind after a hard days work. For example `Cuchi-Cuchi' which I think is a slightly naughty number and even though I'm not conversant with the language I can still tell that there's a lot of humor to be found here. Check out `Masturbation Session' - What could that be about I wonder. Anyway the music is wonderfully realized rhythmically using nice percussion & quite subtle guitar work at times. Ranging from slushily romantic to high spirited sing-alongs some of the tracks could have come from the 60's and some from the 90's. There's even a 30 second techno track `No Le Metas Mano' + a corny boy band track `Amor' (sung in English no-less) & there's a nice interesting mix on show here. My favorite tracks are `Mujer Policia' & the horrificaly catchy `Pipi'. Get that out of your head if you can. I found this CD to be very inventive and original with a wide range of musical style's which makes for an interesting listen & variety is the spice of life. So come and have some fun in the sun with these invisible men. You'll be all the better for it believe me.

This is a really good CD, but it doesn't quite match the over the top funkyness of their previous release - "New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera". The standout track for me is Mujer Policia. Masterbation Session is great too. The main thing that makes these guys great is that they are having a ton of fun, and don't take themselves too seriously. Oh.. and they can play their instruments, which is more than I can say about most indie rock bands.

This CD deserves a resounding "Hurrah!" for breaking barriers of convention and genre. Its originality may even seem intimidating at first, but the crazy, pepped up Spanish lyrics grow on you VERY quickly. Understanding Spanish helps to appreciate the tongue-in-cheek nature of the album; still, I have many friends who don't speak a word of Spanish and adore this CD. It's a crowd and party pleaser, and even keeps me awake driving. Despite its energy, the album is cool as a cucumber... if you're looking to expand your musical horizons, this is a winner.

los amigos invisibles are just incredible! 2 cds in the year 2000 and they're both terrific and will be in my top 10 best. AREPA 3000 is a sizzler, it's kinky, it's danceable, it's F-U-N! the last 2 tracks "caliente" and the super salsa AM sounding "llegaste tarde" are classics. i wish "caliente" would be released as a maxisingle with remixes. 4 1/2 minutes isn't enough. los amigos' last cd had one bad tune and here in AREPA 3000, there is one sour song: "fonnovo". that's why here i give it 4 1/2 stars, not 5. skip that track and enjoy this great party cd by los amigos invisibles. techno, bossa nova, salsa, dance, and a little drum n' bass ("no le metas mano"=only 34 seconds) all work well here.

Arepa is the name of a food that serves as a substitute of bread in Venezuela. Arepa 3000 is the third release of the Venezuelan super-band Los Amigos Invisibles.

Los Amigos, which had already scored big time with their previous two albums (the second of which was already recorded under Luaka Bop, David Byrne's label), did it again, but spicing up their "musica sabrosa" with a great sense of humor. Although it will be even funnier to people originally from Venezuela, you'll love the sections of people (famous comedians, horse race narrators and radio talk show hosts) speaking between songs. Specially contagious are the very tropical "Mami Te Extrano" (Honey, I miss you) and "Llegaste Tarde" (You arrived late).

Still, seven years after its original release, the album retains all its flavor and fun, much like all their other works, kicking aside language barriers. With Los Amigos Invisibles, you CAN'T go wrong: from their first work, A Typical Autoctonal Venezuelan Dance Band to their 2006 release, Superpop Venezuela, they've managed to combine music and fun in a way few other bands anywhere else can. Compralo y gozalo! (Buy it and enjoy it)

Disclaimer: Unless you get easily offended by sexually-suggestive song titles or explicit lyrics, there's no way on earth you'll dislike Amigos Invisible's first 21st century musical creation: Arepa 3000.

This venezuelan band finally released their 3rd album -their 2nd USA release. After releasing their first album in Venezuela and becoming modestly known in the local pop scene, David Byrne "discovered" the album and signed them to his record label, Luaka Bop. The result, a fantastic album -"The New Sound Of The Venezuelan Gozadera", many hit singles, concerts around the world, a "Sessions at West 54th" special, etc etc etc. making them THE venezuelan band of the late 90s.

How could they follow up that album?

The answer is available now in stores! If you liked "The New Sound..." you're going to love this one too. Funk, pop, dance, latin, you can virtually find ANY music style in this album.

So if you're a fan of dance music and you're willing to experience something new, join this guys in their new journey. You'll enjoy it.

PS: If you still remember Martika ("Toy Soldiers", "More Than You Know", etc, one of the "teen queens" of the late 80s), you'll be surprised to find her singing in one of the tracks.

Although I was introduced to los Amigos Invisibles via their songs from their second album, I would have to say that this CD is even better than THE NEW SOUND OF VENEZUELAN GOZADERA. It identifies more with the dance scene. Los Amigos Invisibles have to be one of the best Latin dance groups there is right now. This CD has to be a must for anyone who enjoys the Latin musical scene, but disdains the always biased and crappy SALSA, MERENGUE, and BACHATA musical movements. Their next work, Venezuelan Zinga Son is a nice complement to this CD, so if you could buy both, I suggest you do, so that you can shake your booty all night long!

If you've ever wondered who'd provide music aboard the Venezuelan Mothership, you need look no further than Los Amigos Invisibles. "Arepa 3000" has an infectious and fun tone, blending salsa and funk roots with a strong pop sensibility. Quite simply, this album is pop, streamlined for the 31st century. A fantastic listen.