Bassist José Torres, percussionist Mauricio Arcas, singer Julio Briceño and guitarist José Luis Pardo, of Los Amigos Invisibles, pose with the Latin Grammy they won for “Commercial.” (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty)

WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. – Latin funk-soul pioneers Los Amigos Invisibles have had their fans moving to their music in more than 60 countries for the past two decades.

Venezuela’s iconic sextet has withstood the test of time, as the music of bassist José Rafael Torres, keyboardist Armando Figueredo, percussionist Mauricio Arcas, guitarist José Luis Pardo, singer Julio Briceño and drummer Juan Manuel Roura has made its way across the globe.

“To many people in Venezuela, we are like the flag,” Torres said. “We are like the Olympic team that’s going for the gold medal, and that to us is beautiful and it fills us with pride.”

Briceño, Pardo and Roura started the band in high school, adding members through the years. The band got its name from the Venezuelan TV show “Valores Humanos” (Human Values), in which host Arturo Uslar Pietri greeted viewers by saying “Hello, my invisible friends.”

Los Amigos Invisibles have become the most international of Venezuelan bands, with legions of fans in Europe, Australia, The United States and of course, Latin America.

Singer Julio Briceño and Los Amigos Invisibles will sing most of the songs on their seventh album in English. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

“It’s a great accomplishment [being together for 20 years],” Torres said. “But at the same time all these years we have all been very focused on making records, going on tours, and time goes by really fast.”

Los Amigos Invisibles focuses on touring as much as possible since it’s the best way to expose their music to the masses. After all, when the band takes the stage in a country where Spanish is not the main language, fans often don’t know the words to their songs, Torres said.

“When we go to a new country where they don’t know our songs or lyrics, if people are dancing we know they like our music,” he said. “We know we are doing something right.”

The 2009 Latin Grammy committee reassured Los Amigos Invisibles they were doing something right. The band won a Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Album for “Commercial,” their latest album.

“Commercial” is the band’s sixth album, but the first under Nacional Records, an ADA/Warner-distributed independent record label based in California.

Singer Julio Briceño and Los Amigos Invisibles are recording their seventh album. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Seventh album on the way

“We wanted it to be basic… at the end it was an album that was accepted by the fans and others,” Torres said. “[The Grammy] was a combination of having a good album and good timing.”

Los Amigos Invisibles are working on their seventh album, expected to be released next year.

But it hasn’t stopped them from touring.

“On our spare time we put things together,” Torres said. “We don’t have the luxury to stop touring to compose, at least not right now.”

But fans should expect a major difference in their next album: The majority of the songs will be in English.

The reason? The band has spent the past decade living in the U.S.

“We think in English and most of our daily lives are in English so it’s a natural consequence,” Torres said. “Our main goal is to make music…and make it last as long as we can.”