Aterciopelados (English: the Velvety Ones), also referred to as los Aterciopelados on some albums and other promotional materials, are a rock band from Colombia. Led by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago, they have been one of the first rock bands from Colombia to gain international notice and is among the country's top groups. Their music fuses rock with a variety of Colombian and Latin American musical traditions. Time Magazine has written, "Aterciopelados's true skill lies in its ability to take north-of-the-border musical styles…and breathe new life into them, all while giving them a distinctly Colombian sheen."

Additionally, Aterciopelados engages audiences all over the world with their socially-conscious message. Honored by the United Nations for their work denouncing violence in Colombia, Aterciopelados speaks out about myriad issues including political injustice, women's rights, and environmental destruction. The group has also received numerous awards, such as the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 2007, for Oye (Nacional Records).

In October 2008, Aterciopelados released a new studio album, Rio, on Nacional Records. The album received rave reviews from publications like Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Billboard, and from NPR’s “All Things Considered.” As Vibe Magazine said, “For Aterciopelados, maturity has become a form of liberation.” The group toured United States in April 2009 to support Rio.

Chilean-born and California-bred, Pilar Díaz is a talented singer-songwriter whose life highlights her many interests. Moving frequently between Santiago and LA as a child, she was taught guitar by her parents, both of whom were acclaimed folkloric musicians, and her voice was soon heard on various cartoons in her native and newfound countries. Accurately reflecting her adopted hometown of Los Angeles, she spent her teenage years going to punk shows in Hollywood, and her bedroom walls had as many photos of Victor Jara and Violeta Parra as they did REM and Bjork.

She graduated from CalArts, where she majored in classical voice (specifically opera), was a member of a Bulgarian women's choir and Balkan music group, participated in a gamelan ensemble that toured Bali, and led a popular campus band with Ryan Francesconi, who currently serves as Joanna Newsom's musical director. During and after college, Díaz worked with Danny Elfman on numerous soundtracks, and her vocals appear in films like Spiderman and Sleepy Hollow. With her rock band Los Abandoned, a bilingual new wave outfit whose debut album was lauded everywhere from the LA Times to Perez Hilton, she performed on Conan O'Brien and KCRW, gigged with Sonic Youth and Neil Young, and played before a crowd of 40,000 in Mexico City. (Alexis Rivera)

Red Cortez is a re-branded band formerly known as Weather Underground out of California. They deliver songs with a varying blend of influences ranging from rock, soul, punk and blues.