Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero are two fast-fingered Mexicans with a… Read Full Bio ↴Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero are two fast-fingered Mexicans with a unique sound created on acoustic guitars. Their music is difficult to define, straddling both world and rock and often imbued with timeless Hispano – classical influences. The fire in their music comes from their life-long passion for metal music. In spring 2006, “Rodrigo y Gabriela,” beat both the Arctic Monkeys AND Johnny Cash to number one in the Irish charts. Both the artists and their third self–titled album have gone on to enjoy international success since its initial release in early 2006.
Rodrigo is a deft finger-picker who can move from raging speed to sensual soul in the space of a fret, while Gabriela employs fast, rhythmic techniques. Her percussionist’s thrashing of strings and drumming of the instrument’s body inevitably raises comparisons with the flamenco style of rumba, but the band specifically denies a flamenco influence. Nonetheless, it is often referred to as "nuevo flamenco", symbolising a sort of renaissance of the traditionally Spanish music genre whose origins began in the Middle East when the Moors brought their cultural music to Europe. The duo’s repertoire flies beyond familiar Latin folk guitarists’ styles because of the metal connection: their reworkings of Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” and Metallica’s “Orion” are musts, and the presence on “Ixtapa” of the fiery Hungarian gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos is inspirational.
The Story:
Rodrigo and Gabriela met as teenagers, at the Casa de Cultura (House of Culture), in Mexico City, where Rodrigo’s brother was Director. Rodrigo was playing drums in his band Castlow - a code word he never revealed to Gabriela, and changed to Tierra Acida (Acid Earth) when she joined them on guitar. The couple drifted together through music; teenaged metal fanatics who both failed entrance to the Conservatory and moved into rock. Before joining Tierra Acida, Gabriela ran three girls’ bands, Las Brujas (The Witches), Subterraneo and Las Formigas (The Ants) at once: Terra Acida had a disciplined work ethic: “It was mental!” she recalls, “we rehearsed five hours a day, every day, with very short breaks, and not much talking!”
Tierra Acida played in Mexico City’s roughest clubs and lived off day-jobs (Gabriela taught Metallica riffs to local kids; Rodrigo at a TV station, doing music for programmes). They recorded an album but wouldn’t sign the record contract, planning instead to concentrate on learning more guitar styles. In fact, they just hung out with friends and survived by playing bossa novas in the hotel bars. “Then we decided to travel to Europe”.
Their first port of call was Dublin, Ireland. “It was the most unknown place to us”, explains Gabriela, the talkative one. “Also, a Mexican girl offered us her house there.” They landed in Dublin at night, spoke no English, and had $1,000 between them. They found a note on the door saying actually, sorry, but they couldn’t stay there after all, so the taxi driver drove them round hostels and hotels all night. Eventually they rented a place - and soon the money disappeared: “So - we had to busk”. That was 1999: “We were very exotic specimens!” They built a reputation and landed gigs in people’s homes, at wedding parties and gallery openings, playing covers and their own compositions, “We still wanted to be metal composers, but everything came out as Latin!”
Dublin was booming then, with new music venues and galleries and a thriving rock scene, and the two Mexicans jammed with local folk musicians in the bars. In winter, they moved to Denmark and started again - this time busking at minus three degrees! The brief Copenhagen experience inspired two numbers on the current album, “Diablo Rojo”, a scary roller-coaster ride in the city, and “Viking Man”, their nickname for a homeless man they befriended, who pushed them into busking on the freezing streets.
Next, they hit Barcelona, but this time, the club owners assumed they played Mariachi, and wouldn’t let them play in their own unique style, so Rod & Gab ended up jamming on Barca’s main drag Las Ramblas getting heavy duty hassle from the Catalan cops. Just in time, a call came from Ireland to come back and play the newly opened Sugar Club. Damian Rice, then a busking friend, invited them to support his shows, and in 2003, they released “Re-Foc”, and a year later, “Live Manchester and Dublin,” which both launched them onto the World Music circuit – and beyond.
The Music:
Rodrigo and Gabriela describe their style as ‘Fusion music’: “It’s mainly got Latin harmonies and rhythms but the structure is rock. It’s not jazz because it’s structured, and we don’t improvise; our solos are exactly what’s on the record, as a metal fan and guitarist you always want to hear the same f**king solo!”
Influences range from family salsa records to Gabriela’s aunt’s Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Queen, and Led Zeppelin vinyl, with Rodrigo also embracing a similar classic rock lineage. But crucially they grew up during Mexico’s ‘metal era.’ “People expected two acoustic guitarists would play classical music, but we dropped in extracts from Led Zep, Hendrix and Metallica, then we did the same with “Stairway to Heaven!” Their music is instrumental “with very lyrical themes.”
Mentions of flamenco influences raise sharp responses: “To many music fans, it sounds like flamenco, and we’re great flamenco fans, but we don’t play it” says Gabriela. “The only similarity is that our music is guitar music and it’s very rhythmic.”
This album’s producer John Leckie (Radiohead, Muse, My Morning Jacket) arrived on the scene via a demo sent to him by their Irish record label, and he called the very next day. The three agreed to record ‘live’, and Rodrigo and Gabriela were placed in the same room in a studio in Bath, England, to perform as if on stage: “We played each track over and over, and only ‘Orion’ has overdubs.” Roby Lakatos, the fiery gypsy violinist was the only outsider, and his presence on “Ixtapa” is wonderful. “We saw him on TV”, Gabriela remembers, “Playing at a concert in Amsterdam, and we sent him our music. He improvised this whole piece in two hours!” From the many, many live versions, Leckie chose ‘the one.’
The Touring
The global success of ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ (300,000 worldwide sales and counting) has been spurred on by Rod & Gab’s dedication to hard work on the road. 2006 saw three UK tours and three US tours, plus extensive European and Australian sojourns. 2007 has seen them back in the USA (once Rodrigo’s visa problems were sorted out by the State Department) and the UK for many more shows, including festival spots at Coachella, Glastonbury, V, Bonnaroo, Oxegen (Ireland), Latitude, Pukkelpop (Belgium), Lowlands (The Netherlands) and countless others. For Rodrigo y Gabriela, the road really does go on forever.
Rodrigo is a deft finger-picker who can move from raging speed to sensual soul in the space of a fret, while Gabriela employs fast, rhythmic techniques. Her percussionist’s thrashing of strings and drumming of the instrument’s body inevitably raises comparisons with the flamenco style of rumba, but the band specifically denies a flamenco influence. Nonetheless, it is often referred to as "nuevo flamenco", symbolising a sort of renaissance of the traditionally Spanish music genre whose origins began in the Middle East when the Moors brought their cultural music to Europe. The duo’s repertoire flies beyond familiar Latin folk guitarists’ styles because of the metal connection: their reworkings of Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” and Metallica’s “Orion” are musts, and the presence on “Ixtapa” of the fiery Hungarian gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos is inspirational.
The Story:
Rodrigo and Gabriela met as teenagers, at the Casa de Cultura (House of Culture), in Mexico City, where Rodrigo’s brother was Director. Rodrigo was playing drums in his band Castlow - a code word he never revealed to Gabriela, and changed to Tierra Acida (Acid Earth) when she joined them on guitar. The couple drifted together through music; teenaged metal fanatics who both failed entrance to the Conservatory and moved into rock. Before joining Tierra Acida, Gabriela ran three girls’ bands, Las Brujas (The Witches), Subterraneo and Las Formigas (The Ants) at once: Terra Acida had a disciplined work ethic: “It was mental!” she recalls, “we rehearsed five hours a day, every day, with very short breaks, and not much talking!”
Tierra Acida played in Mexico City’s roughest clubs and lived off day-jobs (Gabriela taught Metallica riffs to local kids; Rodrigo at a TV station, doing music for programmes). They recorded an album but wouldn’t sign the record contract, planning instead to concentrate on learning more guitar styles. In fact, they just hung out with friends and survived by playing bossa novas in the hotel bars. “Then we decided to travel to Europe”.
Their first port of call was Dublin, Ireland. “It was the most unknown place to us”, explains Gabriela, the talkative one. “Also, a Mexican girl offered us her house there.” They landed in Dublin at night, spoke no English, and had $1,000 between them. They found a note on the door saying actually, sorry, but they couldn’t stay there after all, so the taxi driver drove them round hostels and hotels all night. Eventually they rented a place - and soon the money disappeared: “So - we had to busk”. That was 1999: “We were very exotic specimens!” They built a reputation and landed gigs in people’s homes, at wedding parties and gallery openings, playing covers and their own compositions, “We still wanted to be metal composers, but everything came out as Latin!”
Dublin was booming then, with new music venues and galleries and a thriving rock scene, and the two Mexicans jammed with local folk musicians in the bars. In winter, they moved to Denmark and started again - this time busking at minus three degrees! The brief Copenhagen experience inspired two numbers on the current album, “Diablo Rojo”, a scary roller-coaster ride in the city, and “Viking Man”, their nickname for a homeless man they befriended, who pushed them into busking on the freezing streets.
Next, they hit Barcelona, but this time, the club owners assumed they played Mariachi, and wouldn’t let them play in their own unique style, so Rod & Gab ended up jamming on Barca’s main drag Las Ramblas getting heavy duty hassle from the Catalan cops. Just in time, a call came from Ireland to come back and play the newly opened Sugar Club. Damian Rice, then a busking friend, invited them to support his shows, and in 2003, they released “Re-Foc”, and a year later, “Live Manchester and Dublin,” which both launched them onto the World Music circuit – and beyond.
The Music:
Rodrigo and Gabriela describe their style as ‘Fusion music’: “It’s mainly got Latin harmonies and rhythms but the structure is rock. It’s not jazz because it’s structured, and we don’t improvise; our solos are exactly what’s on the record, as a metal fan and guitarist you always want to hear the same f**king solo!”
Influences range from family salsa records to Gabriela’s aunt’s Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Queen, and Led Zeppelin vinyl, with Rodrigo also embracing a similar classic rock lineage. But crucially they grew up during Mexico’s ‘metal era.’ “People expected two acoustic guitarists would play classical music, but we dropped in extracts from Led Zep, Hendrix and Metallica, then we did the same with “Stairway to Heaven!” Their music is instrumental “with very lyrical themes.”
Mentions of flamenco influences raise sharp responses: “To many music fans, it sounds like flamenco, and we’re great flamenco fans, but we don’t play it” says Gabriela. “The only similarity is that our music is guitar music and it’s very rhythmic.”
This album’s producer John Leckie (Radiohead, Muse, My Morning Jacket) arrived on the scene via a demo sent to him by their Irish record label, and he called the very next day. The three agreed to record ‘live’, and Rodrigo and Gabriela were placed in the same room in a studio in Bath, England, to perform as if on stage: “We played each track over and over, and only ‘Orion’ has overdubs.” Roby Lakatos, the fiery gypsy violinist was the only outsider, and his presence on “Ixtapa” is wonderful. “We saw him on TV”, Gabriela remembers, “Playing at a concert in Amsterdam, and we sent him our music. He improvised this whole piece in two hours!” From the many, many live versions, Leckie chose ‘the one.’
The Touring
The global success of ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ (300,000 worldwide sales and counting) has been spurred on by Rod & Gab’s dedication to hard work on the road. 2006 saw three UK tours and three US tours, plus extensive European and Australian sojourns. 2007 has seen them back in the USA (once Rodrigo’s visa problems were sorted out by the State Department) and the UK for many more shows, including festival spots at Coachella, Glastonbury, V, Bonnaroo, Oxegen (Ireland), Latitude, Pukkelpop (Belgium), Lowlands (The Netherlands) and countless others. For Rodrigo y Gabriela, the road really does go on forever.
Hola
Rodrigo y Gabriela Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Hola' by these artists:
acusticamente I used to be a little better and dancin' on…
Alex A lil' shorty ... so damn fly Feel like i wanna…
Alex Monakhov & Que Esa nena cuando baila me vuelve loco y yo pago…
Alissa Hola, Tengo algo que quiero contarte Tengo miedo de cometer …
Alnuu HOLA Alnuu Gbedeka gbe si me le yi Le mokpokpome veve sese n…
Ambkor Hola, me presento (Sí) Espero que mi sonrisa tape lo que…
Anoflex Nu' det sommertid igen Jeg kan ikk' kontrollere mig Ligemege…
Bazurto All Stars Hola quiero saber cómo estás, Quiero saber si te has vuelto…
Boza Hola, amiga como estás Te veo que no estás muy bien Lo…
Cheu-B Holà, holà, holà, holà Holà, holà, holà, holà (Mr.Meyz) (Gho…
Combinacion de la Habana Jaja ¿Tu no conocías quienes somos? Los de otra, otra más P…
Dalex Hola No sé si te acuerdas de mí Hace tiempo no te…
Dalex Chencho Corleone & Lenny Tavárez Eh Esa nena cuando baila me vuelve loco y yo pagó…
DOLLAR SELMOUNI Hola Sé que hace tiempo que no sabes de mi Espera, no…
Dollar Selmouni feat. Kvinz Hola, se que hace tiempo que no sabes de mí Espera,…
dtf Mmh, mmh, oh-oh Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh Mmh, mmh Oh-oh-oh Pas…
Edu I et prometo Que ho intento I poso de la meva part Però…
EFN Hola Dom.. Hola Hola Hola ey R4L GANG [EM] Conosco ste str…
El Chojin Okey, al lío. Les echaba de menos. Sienta tan bien estar…
El Jhota Ulalalala ehh Suavecito mami Ulalalala ehh Como te gusta Com…
El Payaso Plim Plim Hola Hola Hola, te invito a jugar Vamos, te invito a cantar…
Emmanuel Horvilleur Hola Emmanuel, mi novio es el, asi nomás me presento a su…
Erick Hervé Letra: ""Hola"" Coro Ya sólo te escribo una vez al mes, com…
Esbabyface OB TURN THIS SHIT UP BOY Hey, hola, dime cómo entra…
Estilo Chihuahua Hola Soy yo Me preguntaba si después de tanto tiempo…
Ezequiel Borra Hola, gente del día, ¡a despertar! soy un tornado o algo…
Flo Rida Alright, alright Maluma baby I just had to say Hola, hola-l…
Flor Linyera Hola, tu mirada me atraviesa Algo en tu misterio me interesa…
Goin' Through Πίσω απ΄ τα μαύρα σου Γυαλιά κρυμμένη σα μυστικό Στο κέντρο …
Grupo Bryndis Hola! Que ha sido de ti En este tempo has pertenecido…
Gustavo Enrique & Alexandra Hola, Vamos a conversar, es importar lo que tenemos que habl…
Hildemaro HOLA QUE SORPRESA VERTE OTRA VEZ YO, HACE POCO PENSABA EN…
HK La Paille S/o le flem J'peux pas t'raconter c'que j'vois alors je le…
Iacho Hola Sigo esperándote Aunque no vengas sola Te doy las lla…
Il Divo ¿Qué tal? (¿Qué tal?) Soy yo (Soy yo) Me pregunto si querría…
INSTASAMKA Hola, hola, мой стиль чистый water Hola, hola, королева блок…
Irene Rose Hola Hola Hola Como esta’s? Hello and how are you? Estoy b…
Islem-23 Я-я Я один из вышних, сюда направлен осмотреть бред (Бред), …
Ismael Rivera Hola ¿Dime cómo estás, cuánto hace que no te veo Ya tu lo…
Ivan Hola que tal,como te va? Tanto tiempo sin verte,yo sigo acá…
J Balvin Si después de lo que ha pasado piensas en mí…
Jarrys Я даже не секу, почему длинный счёт, Во мне что-то из…
Jay-z (J) uhh (A) uh-uh (Y) uh uh-uh Ah ch-ch ah, ch-ah,…
Jazz Muy Tarde Nadie quería que pasara esto No pensaste encontrarte en esta…
Joey Levine Get up on your feet and to everyone you meet Say…
Joey Montana Hola woah woah Hola woah woah Hola woah (hola) Hola,…
Junior Hola Ah aaah Hace tiempo que de ti no se na Hola Como te…
Kendo Kaponi Hola, quiero escribirte otro día más Que la paso sola Aunque…
Kifykify Hola, estoy llamando del hotel Mala, se que no me querés…
Klass-A Mli kenna sghar 7lemna bsac 3amer moula Kanchouf le9tat dial…
L Algerino - Www.Prozik.net And 33rap.Co En féfé j'ai quitté le bendo, demande pas si je…
La Brujha Uh uh uh Uh uh uh Estoy perdida en medio del asfalto No…
La Mona Jimenez Hola nos saluda A Dios por las mañanas, Hola se dicen los…
La Nueva Escuela ¡Ding Dong!×2 Llega la gente bacana con los bolsillos full d…
Leessang 리쌍 비지] Kia-ora Bro Introducin Hola Band Ye Bro Leessang Brother…
Lefa Yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah Hola, hola, hola, hola Tous les premi…
Los Ardiles Hola Que sorpresa verte otra vez Yo, hace poco Pensaba en ti…
Los Hermanos Rosario Hola porque andas sola a todas horas Sola te veo pasar Cuent…
Los Mentirosos Hola... ¡Hey! Juntémonos Porque a mi ya no me quedan ganas D…
LP Hola, la la la la la la Hola, la la la…
Luis and Maria Hola Quisiera decirte hola Y ya se acabo mi turno Hola Ya sé…
Marco Mengoni Avevo più groove e personalità una volta Senza bere Malibu p…
Marco Mengoni (feat. Tom Walker) I used to be a little better and dancin' on…
MARCO-9 Даю им шоу, прилетает на счет Погнали вот-вот отсчет пошел Ф…
Matt Paris Parece mentira después de todo lo que ha pasado No le…
Miranda Hola que tal, cómo te va Que frase mas vulgar Con la…
Monakhov & Que Esa nena cuando baila me vuelve loco y yo pago…
Mysterions Hola como estas? por favor senora perdoname.ya no un acuanto…
Nico Rengifo Tengo contadas las horas Sos mi vida y sos toda mi…
O.B One two Buckle your shoe tight ooh Three four No dey dull my…
Ozuna Mirada que refleja poca felicidad Con el aura que tiene, ell…
Panda Somos PANDA! We're back motherfuckers Gonna kick your ass Go…
Papi Santana Jag trodde du var spansk får mig säga "hola" När vi…
PRITTI-G Hola, no sabes de mí La distancia es miramiento perpetuo Un …
Rodrigo and Gabriela I still picture your smile Beneath the moonlit sky I had to…
Saiko Hola, gusto en conocerte ahora Que tal? Cómo estás? No pod…
Saint Wenz Еу здорова Эта песня из страны Про которую…
Santana MOE Fai un giro in zona I miei fratelli qui come a…
Shotta Hola Hola Ah Yeah You (you) Ah Shotta Para mi gente Uhh uhh …
Snow Tha Product Well if it ain't that hot spitta, guap getta, that's…
Sophie Tony Jr. B.I.G Ziarek One two Buckle your shoe tight ooh Three four No dey dull my…
Srta. Dayana Hola! Vi qué estás solo y resulta que Yo también estoy sola.…
The Change Sola de noche Sola de día Escuchaba voces, andaba perdida Ca…
The New York Band Hola Que solpresa verte otra vez Yo hace poco pensaba en ti…
TINI LIN Wow, я кидаю ей купюры прямо на ебло (ебло) Она хочет…
Tino el Pingüino -Soy un destroyer Mis Jams son la joya- 2x Hello! Hola me d…
Tokischa Everything Foreign (Cromo X) Hola soy yo llamándote otra ve…
Tommy Boysen Puedes mentirles a todos, pero no a ti (no a…
Underaiki A-A-A-Aiki Hola, ¿por qué estás sola? Un alma sin vida no en…
Valentino Rauw Alejandro Darell No sé qué decirte Ya pasó el tiempo 'e maldecirte, eh-eh-eh …
Velo Vela Verso 1 Escribo canciones de ti Pero hoy quiero cantarle…
Veronique Medrano Tik tok, Mi tiempo es contado y el tuyo se a…
Wisin & Yandel Hola… como estas? Solo necesito oír tu voz un día más Ya…
WJSN 더 미쳐봐 we're goin' high hola! Can you see me now? Tell…
Yaga & Mackie Se se se Se se se Se se se si... Hola amor mírame De…
Yaga y Mackie Se se se Se se se Se se se si... Hola amor mirame De…
Yuri Hola dame algo fuerte sin soda Mientras hablamos de moda D…
zion lennox Ay, ay, ay, tú siguete moviendo En cualquier esquina parece …
Бодя Мир642 & Dewensoon Hola ole-ole Градусы на ноле Девочка всех…
리쌍 비지] Kia-ora Bro Introducin Hola Band Ye Bro Leessang Brother…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Rodrigo y Gabriela:
Foc Acostat ja miram als ulls no tinguis por i vine amb mi agafa…
One KRS One Miscellaneous Only One It's time for me to get on…
Oogie Boogie's Song Well well well, what have we here? Sandy Claws, huh? Ooh,…
Orion (Instrumental)…
Stairway To Heaven (Live) I'm walking a wire, it feels like a thousand ways…
Temple Bar [Instrumental]…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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nathu100
2:20-2:50 non stop chills
Alexander Isherwood
The lead guitar on this sounds like a mysterious, dangerous liquid beauty; like pouring from the fountain of youth itself.
Undercover Bassist
Easily, and by a wide margin, my most favorite song ever.
Roxanne Bednar
wish more bands had the balls to do this
Johannes B
?
Johannes B
Play guitar?
Spice C
@Johannes B lmao I think they mean do a sort of medley but I have no clue
K332
@Debbie Leigh Driver is easy to say that, don't you think?
PopCookie
@Johannes B no i think it's the ability to play guitar fast and without the help of background drums. it's just you, another guitar, and a beat that you make.
Eve Lee
A song I play when I'm weaving through traffic. #horazero