| Name |
Rodrigo Y Gabriela |
| Height |
|
| Naionality |
Mexican |
| Date of Birth |
|
| Place of Birth |
Mexico City, Mexico |
| Famous for |
Singing |
Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo and Gabriela), also known as "el Rodri y la Gaby", are a Mexican musical duo who specialize in playing fast, rhythmic acoustic guitars.
The musicians gained a reputation by playing on the streets of Dublin, Ireland and gained a cult following. Reviewing one of their gigs, The Independent notes that "Rodrigo y Gabriela's secret is maybe quite simple. They are resourceful musicians, and are open-hearted, happy entertainers. That, very often, is what people want." Both live a vegan lifestyle and support animal rights. They regularly dismiss being classified in a particular genre of music, preferring to say they play a fusion of many influences.
Rodrigo y Gabriela have sold in excess of 1.2 million albums. In 2011 they collaborated with Hans Zimmer on 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' while also contributing to the soundtrack for the 'Shrek' prequel 'Puss in Boots.'
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.
Growing frustrated with the limited scope of the domestic Mexican music scene, they moved to Europe, where they were well received. They took up residence in Dublin, Ireland, after hearing it was particularly welcoming to traveling musicians. Playing live gigs in various pubs and busking on Grafton Street allowed them to practice their sound. They received their break by opening for artists like Damien Rice and David Gray. In 2002 they released a demo called re-Foc and started touring extensively in festivals around the United Kingdom and beyond.
The self-titled album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, entered the Irish Albums Chart at #1 beating Arctic Monkeys and Johnny Cash to the top spot. It was released internationally on March 13, 2006, having been given an earlier Irish release. Rodrigo y Gabriela, which 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 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.
