Latin rockers mix frenzy of thrash metal with gentility of classical guitar
By Joseph Lord • Louisville Courier Journal • March 5, 2010
It was brutally fast and technically sound, showing off two pairs of swift hands flying across acoustic guitars with no other instruments muddling the guitar fury. The track came off the duo’s self-titled sophomore album via ATO Records — making them label mates with Louisville’s My Morning Jacket — and included similarly vivid covers of “Stairway to Heaven” and Metallica’s “Orion.”
“Yes, it’s not the kind of music you see on the ‘Letterman’ show,” said Rodrigo Sanchez, the group’s lead guitarist, subtly reminding readers that the duo has, indeed, appeared on CBS’ “The Late Show.” [#1Fan says, "In fact, they did appear on Letterman in December of 2006 (Letterman video performance). So, maybe it's more correct to say that it's not the kind of music you see often on the Letterman show."]
Merging pop rock, Latin-inspired classical guitars and heavy metal is no accident.
Sanchez and rhythm guitarist Gabriela Quintero played together in the thrash metal band Tierra Acida (in English, “Acid Earth”), which was active in Mexico City in the 1990s. Ready to move beyond metal — and Mexico City’s music scene — Sanchez and Quintero uprooted to Europe, where they busked in the big cities.
“When we were traveling, we just brought our acoustic guitars,” said Sanchez, who along with Quintero will play the Brown Theatre on Sunday. “It was just a much lighter way to travel. It was organic, really.”
European audiences responded to the mix of original songs and Latin-infused instrumental covers. Soon, Rodrigo y Gabriela was a new band with a record deal and hits in Ireland, which led to 2007 U.S. success.
Despite the quieter sound, Sanchez says the band hasn’t abandoned its metal roots.
Thrash metal isn’t known for its technical subtleties — but it should be, Sanchez said. Under the ear-bleeding distortion, Sanchez and Quintero were speedy, note-perfect guitarists. It becomes obvious when the notes are played cleanly on acoustic guitars.
“It’s highly technical,” he said of thrash metal. “The guitars and drums, especially. Thrash metal players can play blues and they can play jazz.”
Sanchez said he was attracted to metal and pop while growing up in Mexico City because traditional Latin music was ubiquitous — in the streets, on buses, in shops. To escape, he’d get lost in Pink Floyd and other pop and rock acts.
When time came to form a band, Sanchez and Quintero were drawn to metal. But the Latin rhythms they’d hear everywhere as kids stuck with them.
Their openness to traditional Latin rhythms and love of contemporary American and European music has led to interesting covers and homages. The songs on their latest record, 2009′s “11:11,” are each dedicated to a musician — the title track to Pink Floyd, “Chac Mool” to Mexican electronic musician Jorge Reyes, “Atman” to Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the late Pantera guitarist.
“You’d hear Latin music everywhere growing up in Mexico,” Sanchez said, explaining the dedications. “But when you were in your home, you’d want to listen to rock music from America.”
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