On Saturday morning, there was a segment on NPR about a guitar duo that perform as Rodrigo y Gabriela. They apparently have been performing for a while starting out in a Mexican heavy metal band, but eventually they left that band and started busking in Ireland playing acoustic guitars. Considering their musical tastes, it shouldn't be too surprising that they used to perform acoustic versions of heavy metal tunes.
I found their story and music samples too tempting to pass up. I discovered that Emusic carries them. Since I subscribe to that service (and had downloads available), I snapped them up. I've been listening to them quite a bit since then. I'm not a music expert. I'm just an enthusiast. I find their playing to be expressive, passionate, and more than proficient. I'm sure an expert on acoustic guitar would find faults (how nice for you) or not compare them favorably to traditional flamenco (or whatever). All I know is that they rock, and I find their playing exciting and interesting.
In reference to their musical roots, they have two covers on their album: "Orion" (Metallica) and "Stairway to Heaven" (Led Zeppelin). I enjoy their cover versions, but I have to agree with others in that I find their original material much more powerful and recommend the album based on that material. As a bonus for the guitar players in the audience, the CD appears to be packaged with a DVD that contains (among other things) a tutorial on their method of playing.
Links: Amazon, Emusic, NPR
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