Rodrigo y Gabriela
(Rodrigo and Gabriela) are a Mexican musical duo who specialize in playing fast, rhythmic classical guitars. The duo's members are Rodrigo Sánchez, lead guitar, and Gabriela Quintero, rhythm guitar.
The pair, now residing in Dublin, Ireland,
are from Mexico City, Mexico.
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RODRIGO Y GABRIELA TICKETS
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History
The duo met in Mexico City while playing in a
thrash metal band called "Tierra Acida". Growing frustrated with the limited scope of the domestic music scene, they pulled up roots and moved to Europe, where they have met considerable acclaim.
They took up residence in
Dublin, Ireland, after hearing it was particularly welcoming to travelling musicians. Playing live gigs in various
pubs and
busking on
Grafton Street and
Temple Bar allowed them to practice their sound. They received their break when
Damien Rice approached them to provide the support for
Oxegen. In 2005 they toured extensively in festivals around the United Kingdom and beyond.
The duo had released three records -
Foc
,
Live in Manchester and Dublin
, and
re-Foc
- before recording their self-titled album
Rodrigo y Gabriela
which was produced by
John Leckie. It entered the Irish Albums Chart at #1 beating
Arctic Monkeys and
Johnny Cash to the top spot.
[1] It was released internationally on 13 March 2006, having been given an earlier Irish release.
Rodrigo y Gabriela
includes covers of
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and
Metallica's "Orion". The duo list Metallica as being among their key influences, alongside other heavy metal bands such as
Megadeth,
Slayer,
Testament and
Overkill. The other tracks are original works inspired by the places they have been and the people they have met.
Live in Japan was released on 20 October 2008 (UK), and includes 14 tracks, and a bonus DVD containing 5 videos.
[2]
Their feature on MTV gave them a huge boost in popularity in the U.S.A.
They are featured on
Nightmare Revisited
, a tribute album to the music from
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
. The duo perform an instrumental version of "Oogie Boogie's Song".
They also supported Muse at Wembley Stadium, when Muse played there in June 2007.
They are due to perform at this years Electric Picnic Festival on the 4th, 5th, and 6 September 2009.
They will release a new album, entitled
11:11
in September 2009.
Alex Skolnick of
Testament guests on the album, as do
Strunz & Farah.
Discography
Albums
- Foc
(2001)
- re-Foc
(2003)
- Live: Manchester and Dublin
(2004)
- Rodrigo y Gabriela
(2006)
- Live in Japan
(2008)
- 11:11
(2009)
References
- Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 23 February 2006
- http://www.rodgab.com/japan.html