They may have come a long way since their early days busking around Dublin over a decade ago, but Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero still approach their music with the same fire that has seen their reputation grow immeasurably since then.
Performing under the moniker Rodrigo y Gabriela, the Mexican duo’s high energy, duelling acoustic guitar sound saw them quickly adopted by the Irish music-loving public and unsurprisingly their fanbase has spread rapidly abroad.
Their unique musical direction adopts the silky rhythms of the classical Spanish folk guitar alongside percussionist flamenco beats, expertly combined with strong contemporary rock and heavy metal influences. Their cover of the Led Zeppelin classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’ remains a fan favourite and the duo list Metallica as one of their key influences.
In fact, the two met as teenagers in Mexico city as members of metal band Tierra Acida, playing in some of the city’s roughest clubs and developing their guitar playing and learning more styles. Seeking a new direction they decided to travel to Europe.
Dublin was their first stop, as ‘the most unknown place to them’, and they began to build their reputation busking on Grafton St and Temple Bar, eventually landing a range of gigs in various places playing a mix of covers and their own compositions.
They became involved in a burgeoning Dublin music scene which saw them jamming in the capital’s bars with artists like Damien Rice. And after moving on to first Copenhagen and then Barcelona, it was Rice who enticed them back to Ireland, offering them a supporting slot on some of his shows.
It wasn’t long before Rodrigo y Gabriela were swapping the small pubs and clubs for renowned venues such as Dublin’s Olympia, and the four studio albums the duo have released since first arriving on Irish shores in 1999 have steadily seen their worldwide fanbase multiply.
Their 2006 self-titled album jumped straight to number one in the Irish album charts, topping the Arctic Monkeys and Johnny Cash. Their latest album, ‘11:11’, released last year, upped the ante and saw their star soar across the Atlantic, spending 10 weeks atop the Billboard world music album charts.
Since then they have appeared on talk shows with Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Craig Ferguson as well as appearing on Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny and at last year’s Electric Picnic festival.
And last month they joined global superstar Beyonce playing at a White House state dinner for President Obama, his wife and guests, including the Mexican president.
And Rodrigo y Gabriela bring their frantic Latin instrumental rhythms to Kilkenny’s Hub at Cillin Hil for what promises to be one of the performances of the summer on Monday, July 12. The venue, which has already played host to acts such as Mercury Rev, Mary Black, Sharon Shannon and Shane MacGowan, is set to host one of the city’s most memorable performances to date.
Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster online or from Rollercoaster Records from €32 plus booking fee. The show is fully seated.
