Nov 22, 2018

RhoDeo 1846 Roots

Hello, .

Today's artists are a Mexican classical guitar duo whose music is influenced by a number of genres including nuevo flamenco, rock, and heavy metal. The duo's recordings consist largely of instrumental duets on the flamenco guitar. Currently residing in Mexico City, they began their career in Dublin, Ireland, during an eight-year stay. They have released five studio albums, three live albums and one EP..   ......N'Joy

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Rodrigo Sánchez (born 1974) and Gabriela Quintero (born 1973) grew up in middle-class families in Mexico City. Their parents listened to flamenco, jazz, and rock music, but they were both exposed to heavy metal, like Metallica, which proved influential to Rodrigo and Gabriela. Rodrigo and Gabriela met at the age of 15, at 'la casa de la cultura' (House of Culture) in Mexico City, where Rodrigo's brother was the director. Quintero was in a drama class and at the suggestion of his brother, Rodrigo met up with her. She remembers "this 15-year-old boy there, dressed in a black ... with messy hair. Yet he was different to the other metal-heads his age: he seemed very serious and didn't drink or smoke". The two bonded over their interest in music and they soon became a couple.

Before they became the most visible flamenco duo of the early 2000s, guitarists Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero had bonded over heavy metal while growing up in Mexico City. They combined their talents for a time in the metal group Tierra Acida, playing around D.F. 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 novas in hotel bars at night. Bored and frustrated with their chances in the Americas, the two decided to try their luck in Europe instead.

Rodrigo y Gabriela traveled to Dublin, where a friend had offered them a place to stay. The musicians spoke no English, carried little money, and upon their arrival found that their offer of European hospitality had vanished. The pair soon turned toward busking on the streets of Dublin, a move that enhanced their reputation and helped land them several contacts. Among their newfound friends was fellow busker Damien Rice, who soon asked them to accompany him on tour. He also introduced the duo to Niall Muckian, who became their manager. In the first half of 2001 they recorded a 9-track demo called Foc of their own material supplemented by some covers, also featuring an appearance by Zoe Conway.

As interest in the band grew, it was decided to re-record the songs on the demo as re-Foc in 2002 with a number of friends, including Lisa Hannigan who provided vocal stylings and Conway, who by now also was a feature of the live set-up of the duo. The album appeared on Muckian's own Rubyworks Records as he found that "because it is all instrumental, we found it hard to get major-label interest or any radio-play, so I put it out myself". As interest grew, the duo were offered further support-slots, which resulted in an eight-track live-album recorded in Dublin and Manchester, released in 2004

Rodrigo y Gabriela became the newest fixture of the world music circuit, 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, beating out Arctic Monkeys for the number one spot. The album was produced by John Leckie, includes covers of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Metallica's "Orion". The duo lists Metallica as being among their key influences, alongside other heavy metal bands, the other tracks are original works inspired by the places they have been and the people they have met.


The duo had their national American TV debut on Late Show with David Letterman on December 18, 2006, performing "Diablo Rojo". Their song "Tamacun" featured in the pilot episode of AMC's Breaking Bad in January 2008. They continued to tour, making their way through Japan (as evidenced by their second live album, Live in Japan) and America. Their feature on MTV gave them a huge boost in popularity in the United States. This led to a feature on Nightmare Revisited, a tribute album to Danny Elfman's music from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The duo performed an instrumental version of "Oogie Boogie's Song."

They released a new album, 11:11, in September, 2009. Alex Skolnick of Testament guests on the album, as do Strunz & Farah. Upon the release of the new album, they received much mainstream American popularity and were the featured music on Monday Night Football on October 12, 2009, as they celebrated Latino Heritage Month. Their song "Santo Domingo" was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week for November 10, 2009.

On January 20, 2011, Rodrigo y Gabriela entered the studio with Hans Zimmer to write and record sessions of the score from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The soundtrack was released on May 17, 2011, three days before the film's general release.On July 25, 2011, Rodrigo y Gabriela released another live album entitled 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.

Since their inception, the pair had always envisioned working in Cuba. They recruited pianist and arranger Alex Wilson to come up with charts for a new set of songs. Wilson and the duo worked out a set of tunes, rhythms, and charts in three days in Mexico City, then Wilson went on to Cuba to hire a band. From June through September, the duo recorded with Wilson and C.U.B.A. (Collective Universal Band Association) in Havana, with producer Peter Asher. A number of special guests joined the proceedings as well, including Anoushka Shankar, flamenco and jazz bass legend Carlos Benavent, former Testament and White Zombie drummer John Tempesta, Le Trio Joubran, and Los Van Van drummer Samuel Formell Alfonso. The resulting album, Area 52, was released in January of 2012, and the duo toured the globe in support. They 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 next studio album, 9 Dead Alive, which appeared in April.

Both Rodrigo and Gabriela play Yamaha NX series electro nylon string guitars exclusively. Rodrigo plays the slimmer neck NTX1200 and Gabriela plays the more traditional sized NCX2000 and NCX1200.

The pair dated for many years before ending their relationship (but not their musical partnership) in 2012. "We're now better friends by far," said Quintero. "We no longer behave like 15-year-olds and it's allowed us to grow up." They both live a vegan lifestyle and support animal rights


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In the first half of 2001 they recorded a 9-track demo called Foc of their own material supplemented by some covers, also featuring an appearance by Zoe Conway.



  Rodrigo y Gabriela - Foc   ( flac  366mb)

01 Foc 3:58
02 Georges Street 3:48
03 Temple Bar 4:26
04 Syf 4:02
05 Amuleto 3:32
06 Paris 3:25
07 30 De Marzo 4:28
08 Stroget 4:54
09 Sangre Y Ritmo 3:38

 Rodrigo y Gabriela - Foc   (ogg    92mb)

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re-Foc is the first widely available album by Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, released in 2002. Some songs are re-recorded versions of those that appeared on Foc, a 9-track demo put together by the band in April/May 2001. The demo was "recorded at home, without microphones - everything was played through the guitar pick-ups. This meant that some of the percussion on the strings sounded very quiet". Others were written for the album, which features contributions from the violinist Zoë Conway and bodhrán player and percussionist Robbie Harris.



Rodrigo y Gabriela - Re-Foc    (flac  255mb)

01 Diem 4:51
02 New One 6:10
03 Foc 5:39
04 Georges Street 2:24
05 The Tartar Frigate 1:55
06 30 De Marzo 4:15
07 Paris 3:52
08 Take 5 (Foc-ing Version 9) 6:44
09 Temple Bar 4:28

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Re-Foc   (ogg  107mb)

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For those not already acquainted with Rodrigo y Gabriella, this album smacks you right in the face from the first instance with what you're letting yourself in for. Within the first few seconds, it becomes very apparent that here are two hugely talented guitarists with a different take on flamenco that probably anything you've heard before. The album was recorded by the duo on minidisc and then later transformed into this sublime album during two of their gigs having moved to Europe. At the beggining of the second track, the pair's past is explained a little (and expanded on during the hidden track at the end of the album) before a unique rendition of Metallica's One. However, midway through the track, the classic heavy metal track transforms into an equally-classic jazz number - Dave Brubeck's Take Five. It is here that Rodrigo y Gabriela really shine.

Every track exudes style, substance and passion in a way that only Spanish flamenco can and in a way that has introduced so many listeners unaccumstomed to a new genre. The first half of the album (recorded in Manchester) is simply the pair playing together, although you may struggle to believe it by simply by listening, such is the magnificence of Gabriela's rhythm guitar incorporating some spectacular drumming into the numbers. For the Dublin section, they are joined by some fantastic violinists, adding further to the mix of classical music on offer here. I would defy anyone not to be impressed by what is on offer and many that are caught by this album then explore the genre and artist further; surely there can be no greater compliment than that.



Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live Manchester and Dublin (flac  210mb)

01 Tamacun 3:25
02 Diablo Rojo 4:56
03 Vikingman 4:03
04 Satori 5:04
05 Ixtapa 5:13
06 Stairway To Heaven 4:44
07 Orion 7:44
08 Juan Loco 3:27
09 PPA 4:14

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live Manchester and Dublin    (ogg  91mb)

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While Rodrigo y Gabriela's self-titled third album is an utter and complete joy to listen to -- actually, it's more of a riotous celebration -- it's more than difficult to describe exactly what they do. This Mexican guitar duo met while in a heavy metal outfit together and soon found the local scene wanting. Both had roots in flamenco and other folk and rock music; they dropped the electric guitars -- and bandmates -- to travel light. They headed off to Europe, and ended up busking in Ireland, where their renown spread as instrumentalists who had to be seen to be believed. They re-recorded an album, toured the U.K. with everyone from David Gray to the Buena Vista Social Club, and then cut a live disc in Dublin and Manchester. That was the story until they hooked up with producer John Leckie. He was able to help them record a studio album that captured the sheer orgiastic excitement of their live gigs, hence this self-titled puppy that debuted in the Irish charts at number one. Uh-huh. It's true that Ireland's not a big place, but when, when, have you ever heard of an instrumental recording by a Mexican duo hitting the number one spot in such a place? What's more, the disc has a buzz on Yank shores as well and with good reason.

These nine cuts have nothing to do with nuevo flamenco or any of that new agey stuff: this is smoke and fire music, it burns across genres and traditions like a demented passion spirit that takes no prisoners -- and we can thank the gods for heavy metal in this instance at least. This set slashes like a stiletto; it's fine and precise; it leaves no scars. The dynamic range of this music is startling. It is both ancient and futuristic, carnally frenetic and romantically seductive, artfully -- and even spiritually -- played yet drenched in the vulgarity of street life. It is the work of two young masters who are still striving to learn and incorporate more without sacrificing beauty, pathos, and tradition. On "Ixtapa" they utilize rock & roll dynamics to perform a song about the place they decided to flee from Mexico City to before leaving for Europe. Roby Lakatos, the incredible violinist, joins the duo here (he's a fan and offered his services). Take in "Diablo Rojo," or "Satori," where metal chops, flamenco, and tango music become entwined in a musical ménage à trois. There are no gimmicks in this music, it's exactly what you hear in the immediate present that somehow comes out of the Latin historical past, is infected by rock & roll and forwards the secret histories of both. Informed by this, listen closely to the pair's covers of Metallica's "Orion" and, more importantly, the song that would be easiest to dismiss -- a reading of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" that takes the appropriate liberties and makes them both sound fresh and new. In encountering this record, all doubt and cynicism should removed; what is happening here is that the canon for the acoustic, classical guitar is being rewritten. This music is the sound of passion as interpreted by and spoken for in a new rock & roll language.



 Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela ( flac  265mb)

01 Tamacun 3:25
02 Diablo Rojo 4:56
03 Vikingman 4:03
04 Satori 5:04
05 Ixtapa 5:13
06 Stairway To Heaven 4:44
07 Orion 7:44
08 Juan Loco 3:27
09 PPA 4:14

  Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela (ogg   111mb)

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