Rodrigo y Gabriela kick off their Spring 2012 tour tonight April 3rd at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA. The duo will be bringing the band C.U.B.A. on the road in order to showcase the thrilling and dynamic hybrid of metal, latin and jazz featured on their new album Area 52.
The upcoming shows in North America, and their recent gigs in Europe mark the first time in their careers that Rodrigo y Gabriela have toured and performed with a backing band. Fans can also catch the band on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno this Friday, April 6th, and later this Fall on Austin City Limits (Run Date TBA).
“Being able to produce the level of complexity required live is really something else, and it’s done flawlessly. ‘Santa Domingo’ – the opening track to the new album – also has a particularly exceptional style to it, with the Cuban contingent in full flow and that tropical edge flitting in and out of the layering.”
– State Magazine (Ireland – Review of Dublin 2/20/12 gig)
Rodrigo y Gabriela’s new music video for “11:11” from Area 52 features the work of photorealistic artist Barry Jazz Finnegan. In the time-lapse video, Finnegan applies his talent to a photo of Rodrigo y Gabriela, meticulously re-creating the image on paper. It provides an apt analogy to the album Area 52, which pulls many parts together to form a cohesive whole.
Area 52 contains nine of Rod and Gab’s favorite songs from their own catalogue re-arranged and recorded in Havana with legendary producer Peter Asher and a 13-piece Cuban orchestra comprised of some of the country’s finest young players. The album was mixed by Rafa Sardina, one of the leading studio musicians in the Latin music world, and arranged by London-based pianist, composer and arranger Alex Wilson. Recording took place in the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba, at Abdala Studios, founded by the Cuban folk hero Silvio Rodriguez, as well as at Rod and Gab’s studio in Ixtapa, Mexico. Other players on the record include: drummer John Tempesta (The Cult, Testament, White Zombie), sitarist Anoushka Shankar and drummer Samuel Formell (Los Van Van).
Watch the trailer for Area 52
Listen to “Juan Loco” from Area 52 on SoundCloud
For more information visit: www.rodgab.com
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