Updated with new reviews every Monday, new features every fortnight, and news stories every day!
Band Profile
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero are two fast-fingered Mexicans with a unique sound created on acoustic guitars. Their music is difficult to define, straddling both world and rock and often imbued with timeless Hispano – classical influences. The fire in their music comes from their life-long passion for metal music. In spring 2006, “Rodrigo y Gabriela,” beat both the Arctic Monkeys AND Johnny Cash to number one in the Irish charts. Both the artists and their third self–titled album have gone on to enjoy international success since its initial release in early 2006. Read more at last.fm
Rodrigo y Gabriela Web Links
- Wikipedia
- Microblog
- BBCMusicPage
- Discogs
- SocialNetwork
- IMDb
- SocialNetwork
- Myspace
- OfficialHomepage
- Youtube
Rodrigo y Gabriela on tour
Les Ardentes 2012 at Parc Astrid de Coronmeuse
Thu 5th Jul 2012
Lineup: 50 Cent (Headliner), Marilyn Manson, The Ting Tings, Cypress Hill, M83, Morrissey, Rufus Wainwright, White Lies, and 72 more artists.
Location: Liège, BelgiumGent Jazz at de Bijloke
Thu 5th Jul 2012
Lineup: Antony and the Johnsons (Headliner), Damien Rice, D'Angelo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Bobby Womack, Melody Gardot, Tindersticks, The Bad Plus, and 17 more artists.
Location: Gent, BelgiumFrancofolies at Esplanade St Jean d'Acre
Wed 11th Jul 2012
Lineup: IZIA (Headliner), Rodrigo y Gabriela, Camille, Birdy Nam Nam, Bénabar, Coeur de Pirate, Zebda, Caravan Palace, and 17 more artists.
Location: La Rochelle, FrancePowered by last.fm
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Area 52
ATO, 2012
Everyone’s favourite thrash metal duo turned acoustic, Rodrigo y Gabriela stand out amongst their peers not only for their heavily metal-influenced Latin pieces, but also for their impeccable proficiency and astounding musicianship. Their latest album, Area 52, pairs the fiery duo alongside the ensemble C.U.B.A., the first time they’ve recorded their work with such full instrumentation.
Let me tell you, the difference is noticeable. And I’m not just talking about the uncharacteristically louder and fuller sound, though that is undeniably a factor. All of the songs are significantly rewritten from their original versions, featuring extended passages and solos in addition to the heavy embellishment from C.U.B.A. What’s more, the arrangements significantly augment the original pieces while nonetheless staying true to their original form. They’re exciting and stand well on their own, while also not overshadowing their original versions—a balance that many artists struggle to accomplish when recording new versions of their work. Though it goes against my very nature to say these versions are strictly better than their originals, they undeniably are a lot more fun to listen to. I mean, anyone who’s not currently in a coma would be hard-pressed not to get up and dance to music this intense and vibrant. The marriage between Rodrigo y Gabriela’s Latin acoustic stylings and C.U.B.A.‘s Caribbean flair is absolutely perfect, especially when you mix in the hint of heavy metal that the duo are known for.
All right, maybe it does ruin a bit of the magic of listening to a Rodrigo y Gabriela album that the music is made by such a large ensemble rather than two musicians with two guitars. And, I’ll admit, it can feel a bit of a cheat when C.U.B.A.‘s presence becomes so large that it overshadows the main duo—it does feel like Rodrigo y Gabriela get relegated to afterthoughts on occasion. But you know what? That doesn’t really matter. The music is still absolutely beautiful to listen to, even if it is of a significantly different nature than their normal fare. And I’m completely okay with that. Any band that takes the risk of significantly reevaluating their own work gets immense amounts of respect in my book, no matter how it turns out. That Area 52 is as good as it is is just a welcome bonus.
Okay, it’s not strictly new material, but who cares? If artists rerecorded pieces with this level of intensity, I’d buy them over again in a heartbeat. This album is pretty much everything you didn’t know you wanted. For any fan of Latin music, acoustic rock, or even classic rock and heavy metal, this album is a must.