By: Poppy Cleere
In a time where auto-tune is as common as a drum-kit and every Next Big Thing looks exactly like the last, it’s almost too easy to fall into the deadly trap of believing that generic-sounding, chart-topping bands are real musicians. Yes, maybe they can play some chords on the guitar or keep a beat on the drums but so can millions of others, probably a lot better and -wait a second- haven’t I heard that riff somewhere before? The truth (as most of us know deep down) is that the majority of today’s chart ‘musicians’ are semi-skilled, semi-original and semi-good looking performers. Now before I receive hate mail saying “how dare you say ‘Insert Band Name’ aren’t real musicians…” I’m not applying this to everyone. There are in fact some very talented, young musicians in the chart right now, take Muse, Florence and the machine and Paramore for example. However, most of us can admit that new media such as MTV, Myspace or a nod from Simon Cowell can lead to any old tom, dick and harry making it into the top 100.
Keeping all of this in mind, it was to my great surprise and pleasure that I would come across perhaps two of the most talented musicians of our generation sitting quite happily in the specialist music section of my local record store. Allow me to introduce the fantastic Mexican guitar duo, Rodrigo Y Gabriela.
Meeting in Mexico City while playing in thrash Metal band Tierra Ácida, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero formed a musical partnership based on their joint love of metal as well as various other influences and their mutual frustration of the limited local music scene. This led the duo to up-sticks and head for Europe where they finally settled down in Dublin, Ireland. The two quickly created a stir in their new hometown with their unique multi-cultural style – blending elements of Latin, jazz, funk, folk and metal – (performed solely on their classical guitars) and their jaw-dropping, stripped down live performances, which would often include covers of bands such as Metallica. With such varied style and incredible musical craftsmanship it wasn’t long before Rodrigo y Gabriela went from playing in Temple Bar to sharing the stage with the likes of Damien Rice and Kila. This increasing exposure allowed the duo to debut their incredible skill at festivals around the UK and Europe.
By 2004 Rodrigo y Gabriela had two well-received releases under their belts (debut album Foc and live CD Live in Manchester and Dublin) but it was 2006’s third effort, self-titled album Rodrigo y Gabriela that really put them on the map; entering the Irish Album chart at #1 and beating the likes of chart-toppers Arctic Monkeys and Johnny Cash to the top-spot. The album – which includes covers of some of their key influences; Metallica and Led Zepplin as well as seven original works – was then released internationally on March13 2006 to great critical acclaim and has since sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.
Over the next two years the two toured relentlessly across the globe, gaining huge exposure in the US thanks to a feature on MTV and recorded a live CD/DVD in Japan. In 2007 they supported super-group Muse at their Wembley stadium shows, showing the magnitude of difference between their past stages such as the humble streets of Ireland.
Rodrigo y Gabriela’s much anticipated fourth album, 11:11 was released on September 7th (September 8th USA) and reached the top #100 in both America and the UK, even charting at #1 on the Billboard world-album chart. The 11-track masterpiece, recorded in Mexico and self-produced, is like no other album in the charts and will rebirth your faith in real musicianship. Keeping to their much-loved style the duo perform each track using only classical guitars to emulate a mixture of sounds and keep their metal influence throughout (the CD was mixed by Colin Richardson, best known for his work with metal bands Slipknot and Trivium). Each song is a tribute to an artist that has inspired Rodrigo and Gabriela including the likes of legends Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and David Gilmour and you can hear their influence in every meticulously crafted track.
I really cannot find the words to express just how wonderful these two musicians are and I write ‘musicians’ with as much force and meaning in the word as I would if speaking about Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page. They are a breath of fresh air in a world of music that has become increasingly repetitive and unoriginal. They have achieved greatness not through focusing on image or promotion but through focusing on their craft and ensuring it is of the highest standard it can possibly be, a route all too often forgotten in the current industry. If I could recommend only one artist or album this year it would without a doubt be Rodrigo y Gabriela and their latest gem, 11:11. I sincerely hope you take the time to listen to their work as words simply can’t do them justice. Thank God for real musicians.
Check out Rodrigo y Gabriela’s incredible live performance of ‘Buster Voodoo’ – their tribute to Jimi Hendrix from11:11 – on The Tonight Show with Conan O Brian. Make sure to watch it all the whole way through, I promise you will not be disappointed!
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Buster Voodoo on Conan OBrien
Rodrigo y Gabriela|MySpace Music Videos
Find out more about Rodrigo Y Gabriella by clicking one of the links below:
Fri, Oct 9, 2009
Articles, Featured