Revolucion Leaders

Right now, in the Burbank studios of NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” Andrea Echeverri should be experiencing a bad case of stage fright. She should look pale, maybe sweat a little. She should be making the sign of the cross and looking at her bandmates for moral support.

Instead, the lanky, bohemian-looking chanteuse from Colombia looks cool and collected as she waits patiently backstage for Leno to introduce her band, rock en espanol favorites Aterciopelados, to mainstream America.

Julio Correal, the group’s manager, paces backstage. “I’ve never been so nervous in my entire life,” he says, noting that the band has flown 12 hours from Colombia expressly for a mid-May engagement that will last 31/2 minutes. “That’s how much this means to us,” he adds.

Those 12 hours could be a worthwhile investment. Aterciopelados’ appearance will mark the first time a Latin rock act has been booked on “The Tonight Show.” (Mexico’s Mana did appear with Carlos Santana, but the group is widely regarded more as pop than rock en espanol .)

If other rock en espanol movers and shakers were on hand, Correal might not be alone in his nervousness.

A strong appearance by Aterciopelados could not only help the group, but also serve as a door through which other quality Latin rock acts such as Cafe Tacuba, Fabulosos Cadillacs and Los Amigos Invisibles might enter the American mainstream.

The rock en espanol invasion, already predicted a number of times, has been agonizingly slow to arrive, but there is so much enthusiasm about Aterciopelados and its fifth album, “Gozo Poderoso” (Potent Delight), that two labels have joined forces in a rare joint promotion.

While BMG Latin attempts to sell the record to a Latino audience in the U.S. that traditionally prefers the more conservative Latin pop and regional Mexican styles, Arista Records has joined the campaign, charged with the challenge of marketing the Spanish-language album to a non-Latino audience.

Executives with both labels believe that Aterciopelados’ sound--an exotic, refreshing combination of British-influenced electronica and Latin American folklore--could woo the same U.S. consumers who favor alternative pop-rock acts such as Dido (on the best-selling plateau) and Stereolab (on a more modest level), or crossover world-music artists such as Brazilian diva Bebel Gilberto.

“What’s incredible about the universal language of music is that it touches your soul, regardless of the language it’s in,” says Jerry Blair, executive vice president with Arista. “So, we are focusing on the music and coming up with a universal game plan. I won’t be happy until we win a gold record--and possibly a Grammy.”

There are already signs that the media will be there to help. Numerous magazines, including Rolling Stone and Spin, have published glowing reviews of the new record, which arrived in stores earlier this month. “A terrific new CD,” writes Time magazine’s Christopher John Farley, adding that “language barriers don’t stand a chance against this CD’s powerful joy.”

“What’s happening right now is huge for Latin rock,” offers Correal, moments before his band is brought to Leno’s stage. “We are here representing the entire movement, so that American people get a taste of our music and understand what rock en espanol is capable of.”

Judging by Echeverri’s attitude at “The Tonight Show,” you wouldn’t think the invasion of North America is high on her priority list at the moment.

Dressed in a flowing, multicolored traditional dress from the Guajira region of Colombia, the singer, 35, greets friends and well-wishers in the band’s dressing room with the warm, casual demeanor for which she has become famous in the Latin rock community.

Instead of fretting about the upcoming performance, Echeverri worries about getting a big enough supply of an herbal medicine that she thinks would benefit her ailing father in Bogota.

And when it comes time to face the audience, Echeverri’s stage presence is strikingly cool as she performs “Luz Azul,” one of the most powerful tunes from the new album. Her serene, elongated face looks unusually beautiful in the studio’s monitors.

For the biggest rock group in the history of Colombian music, the members of Aterciopelados are unusually low-key.

Sitting at a restaurant on an earlier visit, Echeverri and the group’s bassist, Hector Buitrago, her songwriting partner and ex-boyfriend, talk unassumingly about “Gozo Poderoso” and its potential for crossover success. Both regard with detached amusement the buzz that has been generated around them.

“They always tell us the same thing,” says Buitrago, 35. “Every time we come up with a new record, they tell us that this is going to be the one, that they’re going to do this and that with it. And we already know nothing’s really going to happen. They’ll probably be telling us the same thing the next time around too.”

“At least it’s nice to see the record company excited about our product,” argues Echeverri. “It’s good to see that they want to put some effort into it.”

Echeverri and Buitrago--the creative core of Aterciopelados, which has generally included an additional four musicians--appear more focused on the little details of everyday life than on massive sales. They talk gleefully about an upcoming visit to Aron’s Records in Hollywood, where they’ll look for some new electronica releases.

And when Buitrago observes Echeverri’s almost untouched plate of food, he looks at her with a worried expression.

“Is that all you are going to eat?” he asks, respectfully but with a hint of reproach.

It’s obvious that their relationship is at the core of what makes Aterciopelados work.

The two formed the band in the early ‘90s out of the ashes of the punk group Delia y los Aminocidos. The new band was originally going to be called Aterciopelada Flor de la Pasin (the Velvet Flower of Passion), a moniker that reflects the pair’s affection for kitsch. They shortened the unwieldy name to Aterciopelados, which translates as “the velvety ones.”

Aterciopelados’ first hit single, 1995’s “Bolero Falaz” (Deceitful Bolero) embraced the old-fashioned bolero aesthetic while at the same time giving it a postmodern kick through the use of dark irony and profane language.

Produced by ex-Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, 1996’s “La Pipa de la Paz” (The Pipe of Peace) was a more sophisticated effort. Recorded in London, the album showcased Buitrago’s compositional skills as well as Echeverri’s haunting vocals, particularly on “La Culpable,” a rootsy Colombian joropo (a celebratory dance form).

But it wasn’t until 1998’s “Caribe Atomico” (Atomic Caribbean) that the band found its true voice. At the time, Echeverri had fallen head over heels in love with the burgeoning trip-hop movement. She spoke with fervent admiration about groups such as Portishead, Massive Attack, Esthero and Lamb.

But “Caribe” went beyond being a mere trip-hop en espanol experiment. The electronica element was loud and clear, but it was balanced by the increased presence of the band’s Latin roots.

In fact, the two take every opportunity to emphasize their devotion to Latin America.

“We’re very happy in Colombia,” Echeverri says vehemently. “We love our houses and our significant others. It’s nice to come here, but staying in Latin America is key to us.”

Aterciopelados’ current promotional campaign has stirred a debate within the rock en espanol community.

Fans with a good memory recall that “Caribe Atomico” was also hailed as the album that would push the band beyond its Latin fan base.

It ended up being a disappointment even by Latin rock standards--according to BMG Latin, it has sold 20,000 copies in the U.S.

The tricky aspect of “Gozo” is that it lacks the artistic innovation of “Caribe.”

“Gozo” continues to explore the same sonic territory as “Caribe,” a cross between the landscapes of electronica and Latin music. But the mood is less edgy and intense this time around, and some of the songs lack the catchy, powerful hooks that made “Caribe” such an instantly appealing proposition.

But “Caribe” was produced by Andres Levin, one of the most innovative producers in Latin rock. “Gozo” was produced by the band and recorded in Buitrago’s home studio without any outside interference.

Some insiders have already expressed their reservations about “Gozo” and its failure to live up to the brilliant parameters established by its predecessor.

“As a longtime fan of Aterciopelados, it is very encouraging for me to see a general market push being finally done for this deserving band,” says Tomas Cookman, the most respected manager of rock en espanol acts in the U.S.

“But I would have rather seen [this push being done] for ‘Caribe Atomico.’ In my opinion, it is a stronger album, one that I keep returning to and finding fresh [elements] worthy of my continued attention.”

Even those who have doubts about the artistic caliber of the new record, however, still regard Aterciopelados as one of the most vital bands in its genre.

They all agree that “Gozo” is the most joyful of all five Aterciopelados albums, boasting a warmer, more relaxed approach and a positive outlook on life.

On songs such as the title track and “Luz Azul” (Blue Light), Aterciopelados offers a smile in the face of the adversity that’s currently part of life in Colombia.

That determination to support a homeland in the grip of civil war is reflected in the duo’s decision to record there rather than a city such as London, and to enlist Colombian artists for the collection’s powerful cover art rather than turn to designers at their U.S.-based record labels. In that respect, Echeverri sees this album as a definite improvement.

“When we did ‘Caribe,’ we were perfectionists to the point of obsession,” she explains. “Everything had to be just perfect, and the entire process ended up being difficult for us. Eventually, we realized that we had followed the wrong path. We suffered a lot.”

Whether the new record manages to find a new audience or not, Echeverri looks at the band’s future with optimism--and the wisdom that only years of hard work can bring.

“On this record, communication became our highest priority,” she says. “Sure, we wanted everything to sound good, but we also made a conscious decision to let things flow. That way, the entire album has a more human feel to it.”

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* Aterciopelados, with El Gran Silencio and El Haragan, plays July 7 at the Greek Theatre, 2700 Vermont Canyon Road, L.A., 7:30 p.m. $24 to $55. (213) 480-3232.