Booking Rodrigo y Gabriela

Rodrigo y Gabriela Biography

The Mexican acoustic guitar duo known as Rodrigo y Gabriela was established in 2003 by Gabriela Quintero and Rodrigo Sanchez. Both musicians grew up in the 1970’s and 1980’s in Mexico City, meeting as teenagers, bonding over music and eventually becoming a couple. Rodrigo y Gabriela moved to Europe and began performing in pubs around Dublin, until a chance meeting with the musician Damien Rice brought them to their first manager and producer.

Rodrigo y Gabriela released a self-titled debut in 2004. The album quickly raced up the Irish Albums Charts, all the way to the number one spot, and launched an international release two years later. Later that year, Rodrigo y Gabriela performed the song “Diablo Rojo” on the Late Show with David Letterman, and despite the fact that their music is rather niche — consisting mostly of instrumentals via the flamenco guitar — the duo found themselves immensely popular with the mainstream American audience.

Since that time, Rodrigo y Gabriela have performed on many American television programs and even performed for President Barack Obama at the White House in 2010. In 2008, they provided the song “Tamacun” for AMC’s Breaking Bad, and in 2011 they worked with Hans Zimmer for music on both the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides soundtrack and the Puss in Boots soundtrack.

Although Rodrigo y Gabriela were a romantic couple for many years, they separated in 2012, despite continuing to perform together. Both musicians say that their relationship is much stronger as a result, and their mutual respect and interests – veganism and animal rights, for example – have kept them extremely good friends.