Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero form an acoustic guitar duo like few others. Having made chart-topping instrumental music since the early 2000s, they are a shining example of how music steeped in virtuosity can break through to the mainstream.
Following stints in heavy metal groups in their native Mexico City and nine months on the coast, the duo moved to Dublin in 1999 and found their signature sound in the bars and pubs of a town with a glorious history of live music. Despite having no English, they ingratiated themselves, found management and began recording.
Their famous forthright sound, which blends the power and speed of metal with the passion and soul of their flamenco roots, had found its audience by 2007, when their eponymous album topped the Irish charts ahead of Johnny Cash and the Arctic Monkeys.
This kickstarted a fruitful period of high profile performances on US talk shows and headlining spots at festivals like Glastonbury and the Nice Jazz Festival. With another album (11:11) under their belt, they were international stars by 2010, championing a versatile blend of old and new for audiences all around the world.
By the beginning of the next year they were in the studio with Hans Zimmer for writing and recording for the Pirates of the Caribbean movie soundtrack. This experience in film music was followed up in the same year by an appearance in Dreamworks’ Puss in Boots.
With an impressive and growing discography, R&G are as consistent as they are open-minded when it comes to new projects. 2012’s Area 52, 2014’s 9 Dead Alive and 2019’s Mettavolution all prove their ability to strike gold over and over, creating perfectly pitched music that connects with a broad audience on both a primal and intellectual level.
Their 2021 release The Jazz EP, is yet another example of their versatility, featuring distinctive covers of modern jazz classics by Snarky Puppy and Kamasi Washington as well as a celestial interpretation of Astor Piazzolla’s classic, “Oblivion.
”As Qwest TV’s latest Guest Curators, their personal playlist combines all manner of influences, reflecting a career that has never stood still. The duo’s Latin roots in concerts by Michel Camilo, Al Di Meola and Antonio Sanchez, share a list with music legends from all over, such as Chick Corea, Ravi Shankar and Oumou Sangaré among others.
