RODRIGUO Y GABRIELLA
July 26, 2015 - 8:30 pm

Acoustic rock virtuosos Rodrigo y Gabriela have been taking the world by storm since 2006. Blending rock, metal and world music with their own Mexican vibes, these two outstanding guitarists deliver a highly energetic performance, combining their own hits (“Tamacun”, “Hanuman”) with wonderful covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, Metallica’s “Orion” or Radiohead’s “Creep”.

THE ARTISTS

Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo and Gabriela) specialize in playing fast rhythmic acoustic guitars. Their music flits between jazz, flamenco, Latin pop, heavy metal and rock, consisting largely of instrumental duets on the classical guitar.

Both born & residing in Mexico City, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero were raised on not only the rooted sounds of Mexican flamenco, but also classic rock and heavy metal bands like Metallica. The two met at age 15 and knew they were ready to make music together.
They combined their talents for a time in the metal group called Tierra Acida, playing in the roughest clubs the city had to offer. Though they recorded some material, Tierra Acida never hit it big, and an album was never released. Instead, Sanchez and Quintero concentrated on learning more guitar styles, teaching lessons during the day and playing bossa nova in hotel bars at night
After realizing each other’s passions and skills in musically limited Mexico, they snagged a liberating opportunity to go to Dublin, Ireland, where they gained a reputation by busking on the streets and playing in the pubs and bars of the city, and despite their unusual style, gained a cult following. Among their newfound followers was fellow busker Damien Rice, who soon asked them to accompany him on tour. The Mexican duo had, by this time, developed a large repertoire of original material in a variety of styles, and they released their debut record with 2003’s Re-Foc. A concert album, Live: Manchester and Dublin, followed one year later.Rodrigo y Gabriela suddenly became the newest fixture of the world music scene, known for their nimble-fingered guitar work and diverse background (few flamenco guitarists could boast a background in metal music). Their third album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, was released in 2006 and debuted atop the Irish charts.

They continued to tour, making their way through Japan (as evidenced by their second live album, Live in Japan) and America, and their album 11:11 expanded their discography upon its 2009 release.

The duo went on a touring hiatus in September 2010 due to stress injuries to Gabriela‘s hand. Upon their return in January of 2011, they collaborated with film composer Hans Zimmer on the score for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which was released in May of that year, followed by Live in France, a document from the 11:11 tour that, like the studio album, mixed Rodrigo y Gabriela‘s dazzling nylon-string guitar chops with electric six-strings for a dueling shredfest. Following 11:11, and 3 years later, the pair released another album, Area 52, recorded with C.U.B.A. (Collective Universal Band Association) in Havana, and a number of special guests joined them both in the studio and on tour.

Their phenomenal rise has not gone unnoticed and the duo were the subject of an Alejandro Franco documentary film on their formation and early years entitled For Those About to Rock.

The Story of Rodrigo y Gabriela, which debuted at SXSW in March of 2014, just in time for their most recent studio album, 9 Dead Alive, which appeared in April 2014 and has received rave reviews.
It is the band’s first record of new material in five years and was recorded and produced by duo themselves at their studio in Ixtapa, Mexico. The mixing was handled by Andrew Scheps (Black Sabbath, Adele, Metallica, Lana Del Rey) in Los Angeles. The album sees the twosome playing face to face again, guitar versus guitar, bursting with melodic energy and rhythmic invention. This album captures the warmth and spontaneity of two great musicians locked in together; perfectly distilled into nine new songs teeming with desire, elegance and gusto.
Today after five studio albums, three live albums and one EP, extensive touring in the biggest music festivals, Rodrigo y Gabriela have established themselves as extraordinary musical storytellers, their skill and dexterity with guitars are more voluble than any lyric sheet! Don’t miss the opportunity to hear and watch two of the world’s most impressive guitarists at Byblos Festival this summer!