Discovering Rodrigo y Gabriela
After more than a week-long hiatus (I was in Half Moon Bay at a work retreat), I'm back! And the first thing I want to tell you about is this amazing guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela. Thanks to my coworker Nate for the recco. They started as a thrash metal band from Mexico City and earned money playing background music at seaside resorts. Finally they decided to move to Dublin because they heard about the city's thriving indie music scene.
Now they are more of a flamenco band, but influenced by all kinds of music. Their first album debuted at number one in Ireland, and they've been slowly making their way back to the new world ever since. I never really thought I was a fan of flamenco until I went to Beijing two years ago and fell in love with the Xinjiang Boys, a Uigher flamenco band who played Gypsy Kings covers every weekend at Cheers in the Sanlitun district. I've been missing their masterful sound ever since, and R&G are promising to fill that gaping hole in my heart.
Here's an excellent cover of Metallica's "Orion."
And here's a more extended clip of Rodrigo y Gabriela playing their rendition of "Diablo Rojo" at the studio of Indie 103.1 in LA (how I miss that radio station!) and talking a little more about how they rose to stardom.
