Pedro Rovetto, from the band Superlitio, took time away from eating his sandwich to be interviewed from his native Colombia. The bassist and his boys are elated after being nominated for Best New Artist at this year’s Latin Grammy Awards. Despite the loss, their American debut album got the recognition they’ve sought since they were teenagers. “For us it was just an honor,” he said. “We are still kinda riding the wave after it though. Cuz over the last few years, rock bands have slowly paved the way into the actual industry of rock music. It’s good for us as a band but also for the genre. It has made a lot of difference.”

Rovetto discovered the nomination by accident. He was in L.A. on a press tour when he was invited to attend the nomination ceremony. He went, thinking nothing of it. To his surprise, his band was the last name called out under their category. It took him a while to grasp what transpired. He phoned the rest of the guys in Columbia. By then, word had spread about their nomination.

What looked like an overnight sensation was eight years in the making. Unlike most bands, the members, singer Mauricio Campo, guitarist Alejandro Lozano, keyboardist Felipe Bravo, drummer Armando Gonzalez and DJ Dino Agudelo, are not childhood friends. But they all come from Cali, Columbia, located in the southwestern part of the country, known for salsa music. They knew each other from being in different bands. They first worked together, in their separate bands, on a compilation rock CD.

Rock music had struggled. But the scene grew rapidly in 1992. “At that time... a lot of the new heavy metal bands from the US were coming. The scene in Bogotá (Colombia’s capital) was full of bands trying to be like Korn. Some were like Rage Against the Machine. It was really heavy music. Then we came in a bit more kinda groovy, funky. It was more of a party vibe that really opened up a lot of the market for us.”

Four years later, part of the group was formed. They released their first independent CD, Marciana (female Martian), which is a hybrid of funk and rock. Their second release, 1999’s El Sonido Mostaza, elevated their international status, leading to a tour in 2001. That tour led them to sign with BMG U.S. Latin. They recorded Tripping Tropicana in 2002. It wasn’t released for two years, due to layoffs at the label. Rovetto, though not pleased, maintained his patience. “For those two years we were pretty much back home sitting with our arms crossed,” he said with a laugh. The guys used the time to perfect their performance and sound.

Tripping Tropicana combines early rock influences with soul music and Latin grooves. It’s an ambitious album, giving insight into these talented guys. “This album really portrays the collective effort of the six actual members of the band. We’re very proud of the record. We think it portrays really everything that we may have tried to do in previous records. If you listen to it, you’ll get what Superlitio is all about.”