Rodrigo y Gabriela

Why you should listen

Since they left Mexico for Ireland in 1999, Rodrigo y Gabriela have established themselves as one of the most popular acoustic instrumental bands in the world. They have sold in excess of 1.5 million albums worldwide and have sold out venues like the Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Albert Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Le Zenith in Paris on numerous occasions.

Their film work includes the soundtracks to Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Puss In Boots, and they have collaborated onstage and on record with artists as diverse as Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Al Di Meola, Zack De La Rocha (Rage Against The Machine) and Anoushka Shankar. In 2010, Rodrigo y Gabriela played at The White House in Washington for President Obama.

From humble beginnings as buskers on Dublin's Grafton Street, endless touring and a great word of mouth buzz carried the band forward until their international break out with the release of their self-titled 2006 album, which spawned the hits "Tamacun," "Diablo Rojo" and their cover of "Stairway To Heaven." The duo has appeared on Jools Holland, BBC TV's Glastonbury coverage, plus Letterman and Jay Leno in America.

"11:11" followed in 2009, and the band went to Cuba in 2012 to record with local musicians for "Area 52." The band's last studio album release was 2014's "9 Dead Alive."

What others say

“[Rodrigo y Gabriela] are boldly strumming their way into unknown territory and leaving behind songs that defy genre categorization.” — ConsequenceOfSound.net, May 1, 2014