CD Review: Rodrigo Y Gabriela

If you love great acoustic guitar music, this is the album for you. Rodrigo Y Gabriela is the name of the CD and the name of the duo from Mexico City who, coming from a love of heavy metal and via Ireland, refused to compromise their musical vision, a fact for which we should be grateful. A unique, fusion of dynamic rhythm and virtuoso guitar performance, this lovely, compelling album is sure to bring a smile to all Latin and non-Latin guitar afficionados and enthusiasts.

Watch Video:

Windows
Quicktime

Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero met as teenagers, drawn together by their love of guitar and heavy metal. They tried to make it in the Mexico City music scene, but without much success and with a growing sense of frustration in the unwavering, rigid structures demanded by local devotees. So, when they had an offer to stay at a friend's house in Dublin, Ireland, they said "why not?".

The DVD in this dual disc set focuses on interviews with the two musicians, where they describe their shock at the cold weather, their struggle with the language and weeks spent as street musicians until they finally started getting gigs at local pubs and clubs. They finally got a break in 2005, when they started touring festivals in the U.K. and Europe.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela is actually their third album, although, with the the help of producer John Leckie, the first one widely distributed and the one that entered the Irish Albums Chart at #1.

With Rodrigo on lead guitar and Gabriela playing rhythm, these two artists play with facile virtuosity and fast! The nine tracks on the CD come from their metal background ("Stairway to Heaven", "Orion"), while the remaining 7 tracks are original compositions stemming from their day to day experiences. A mixture of Spanish guitar styles ala Gypsy Kings and their own, unique stylings are mixed with Mexican and Central American folk rhythms. Gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos soars with the pair on "Ixtapa", while all of the percussive sounds on the album are actually made on the guitar by R & G.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela is an album that's like no other, in many ways non-denominational (neither typically heavy metal nor Latin), yet combining the best of several worlds. World-class acoustic guitar, great album production and wonderful, original material make this album enjoyable by just about anyone.