Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Grammy Award-winning Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela achieved their first major breakthrough when their self-titled album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, reached number one on the Irish Albums Chart in 2006. The John Leckie-produced album solidified their unique blend of instrumental rock, nuevo flamenco, and heavy metal, featuring notable covers of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and Metallica’s ‘Orion.’ Their distinctive style developed through eight years of busking and performing in Dublin pubs after relocating to Ireland in 1999, following their professional start in the heavy metal band Tierra Ácida (1993). Early releases included the demo ‘Foc’ (2001) and ‘re-Foc’ (2002), leading to a signing with ATO Records in 2005. Building on this momentum, Rodrigo y Gabriela made their American TV debut on Late Show with David Letterman in 2006, and their song ‘Tamacun’ was featured in the pilot episode of AMC’s Breaking Bad in 2008.

This critically acclaimed album featured a distinctive cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Echoes.’ The duo received another Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella, for their 2021 cover of Metallica’s ‘The Struggle Within,’ released on The Metallica Blacklist. In 2023, Rodrigo y Gabriela released their sixth studio album, In Between Thoughts…A New World, which they supported with an extensive world tour including prominent performances at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That same year, the duo performed with the Austin City Orchestra on Austin City Limits, a notable collaboration marking the orchestra’s inaugural appearance on the acclaimed program.