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Biography

Los Amigos Invisibles are comprised of vocalist Julio Briceño, percussionist Mauricio Arcas, keyboardist Armando Figueredo, guitarist José Luis Pardo, drummer Juan Manuel Roura and bass player José Rafael Torres.

1991 In answer to the many rocker and dark acts frequently found in theaters in Caracas, a group of friends decide to form the best or rather the only Venezuelan dance band. In a crusade to convince the owne rs of forgotten discoteches that dance is not only salsa and merengue and that electric guitar is not the same as Punk, Los Amigos Invisibles start to conquer the club scene in Caracas thus offering their friends a way to party.

1995 Many hangovers after and with all the band members consolidated, Boris Milan, friend of the band and owner of a recording studio in Caracas persuades Los Amigos Invisibles to start recording their first album. With the intention of releasing it independently, the money needed to record the album is found through an anonymous friend who decides to lend the money to the band, but halfway through the recording, the said friend decides to marry, leaving Los Amigos Invisibles with a recorded album and a video but no way to distribute it. Fortunately through Caplis (friend of the band and bass player to Desorden Público a local Ska Band) they contacted EMI Venezuela, who offers a distribution deal thus releasing "A typical and autoctonal Venezuelan dance band".

1996 Thanks to ex President Caldera's economic policies, Los Amigos Invisibles decide to try their luck with 20 CDs under their arms in New York. They manage to book a couple of shows in S.O.B.'s and through their future manager Alberto Cabello they place the 20 copies of their CD in a record shop in New York. Destiny throws the dice and David Byrne decides to buy one of their CDs in that very same store, and noticing a phone number in the back cover of the CD he decides to call and find out what the band is doing. By pure chance the band was out of the record deal with EMI and after a few conversations Los Amigos Invisibles, they become a part of Luaka Bop.

1997 It is time to record "The new sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera." With the help of producer Andres Levin and sound engineer Fernando Aponte, Los Amigos Invisibles record their second album half in Caracas and half in New York. From now on music is now longer a hobby and becomes the profession of the band members, they start to tour around the world and to listen to new acts and new styles of music; in between we find of course Masters at Work's "Newyorican Soul" which becomes a permanent addition to their CD holster.

2000 Maybe the reason why it took so long to produce their third album was the endless touring and the new workpace, but finally feeling comfortable to record again, they decide to try their luck with producer Philip Steir and move for a couple of months to San Francisco to create "Arepa 3000 a Venezuelan journey into space". The fruit of many long arguments between the band and the producer, this LP accomplishes a nomination to the Grammy and another to the Latin Grammy, consolidating the bands name worldwide.

2001 Taking into account the many work opportunities and convenience to travel worldwide, Los Amigos Invisibles decide to move to New York, going back to Venezuela every once in a while to play, promote the album and pay attention to the crowd that made them in the first place. They manage to contact several important personalities of the Dance Music worldwide and start to make remixes for different artists, they meet amongst others "Little" Louie Vega from Masters at Work with whom they become friends and start a strong working relationship.

2002 Masters at Work and Los Amigos Invisibles start working together and they record the single "Bruja" on sale as 12 inch through MAW Records, both sides excited decide to start recording Los Amigos Invisibles next production "Venezuelan Zinga Son" which will be out late August this year.

*Courtesy of Luaka Bop/ Virgin Music



AUDIO CLIPS  
TITLE (label) ARTIST
Las Gorditas De MarioLos Amigos Invisibles
Una Disco LlenaLos Amigos Invisibles