One of the first contemporary successful rock bands in Colombia, Los Aterci… Read Full Bio ↴One of the first contemporary successful rock bands in Colombia, Los Aterciopelados is among the Latin American countries' top groups. Formed in 1992 in Bogotá, Colombia, the band has fused its own sound by combining a rock-solid approach and electronics with a variety of Latin American musical traditions including mariachi, bolero, tropical and flamenco.

Aterciopelados, whose name translates as "The Velvety Ones," was formed by former members of Delia Y Los Aminoacidos -- Andrea Echeverri, who plays acoustic guitar and sings lead, and Héctor Buitrago, who plays bass guitar. The original drummer Andres Giraldo* was replaced by Alejandro Duque in 1995 and the original guitar player Charlie Marquez was replaced by Alejandro Gomez Caceras in 1997. Also, lead singer Andrea Echeverri was chosen by Gustavo Cerati to sing "En la Ciudad de la Furia" for Soda Stereo's MTV Unplugged album.

Andrés Giraldo was also part of the Bogotá based band Bloque de Busqueda, known for their mix of artisan / folkloric music with a modern twist full of prominent beats.

Echeverri came out with a self-titled solo album in 2004, "Aemeo" is the lead song in this album.

The band recieved Grammy award nominations in 1997 and 1998.

In October of 2006 they released the album Oye, just a couple of months after Héctor Buitrago came out with his Conhector first solo album.

Esmeralda
Aterciopelados Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cuando nada suena
Serenidad
Afina mi conciencia
La eternidad
Es un huracán que me envuelve
La realidad
La rica sabiduría
Bienvenida

Sintonizo el silencio
Espejo de mi interior
Su mensaje transparente
Armadura de valor
Nunca había oído cosas así
Me elevo yo

No más palabras necias
Comunicación
El mundo es como uno lo soñó
Evolución
Dios es pura esmeralda
Reverberación
Aprendo mi lección
Liberación

Desterrando el estruendo
Veo la vida fluyendo
Con su ritmo interior
A un plano superior
Calla, no digas nada
Me elevo yo
Me elevo yo

Me elevo yo
Me elevo yo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Aterciopelados's song Esmeralda are filled with deep introspection and meditation. The opening lines of "Cuando nada suena, serenidad" (When nothing sounds, serenity) sets the tone for the entire song, as it discusses the power of silence and introspection to bring about a higher level of understanding of oneself and the world.

The lines "Sintonizo el silencio, Espejo de mi interior" (I tune into silence, Mirror of my interior) speak to the idea that in stillness and silence, we can see our true selves more clearly. The silence becomes a mirror, reflecting back to us who we really are, without the distractions and noise of the world around us.

The following lines "El mundo es como uno lo soñó, Evolución" (The world is as one dreamed it, Evolution) suggest that through this process of introspection and connection with our true selves, we can create the world we want to see, and evolve into the best version of ourselves.

The song ultimately ends with the refrain "Calla, no digas nada, Me elevo yo" (Be quiet, say nothing, I rise up), reiterating the power of silence to bring about personal growth and transformation.

Line by Line Meaning

Cuando nada suena
In moments of silence

Serenidad
I find peace

Afina mi conciencia
My consciousness becomes clearer

La eternidad
I connect with eternity

Es un huracán que me envuelve
It feels like a hurricane surrounding me

La realidad
The reality of the situation

La rica sabiduría
Brings with it a rich wisdom

Bienvenida
Which I welcome

Sintonizo el silencio
I tune into the silence

Espejo de mi interior
It reflects my inner self

Su mensaje transparente
Its message is clear