Peak People: An inside look: Rodrigo and Gabriella

Monday, January 29, 2007

Rodrigo and Gabriella - Mexican Acoustic Guitar

Last week our designers – I would love to actually be able to say our designers, but unfortunately we don’t have enough money for that – so I’ll rather say the designers from iaminawe, Angella (Kuch Coppen) & Gregg (Coppen - Mr. Coppen!) came by, for what eventually amounted to an 8-hour meeting!

They are in charge of designing new logo’s and a new-look website for Peak Performances, as well as a funky new image for Peak People, my own personal little ranting & raving space!

Having worked very closely with iaminawe in the past on our own projects; and having seen much of the exciting work they have done for other companies (including designing the stage for the 10th Design Indaba) we are always very excited when their emails start arriving, giving us loads of choices by playing with different themes that they just know are up our alley!

So exciting times are ahead – after all, Peak is in its 11th year now, so it deserves a bit of spoiling!

Today I would like to introduce something a little different, but very much in the World Music genre. I found a video of an unbelievable Mexican acoustic guitar duo, Rodrigo (Sanchez) & Gabriella (Quintero), while searching for acoustic music. I was spellbound. And so its seems are many others, as they are doing pretty well on the general charts of Ireland, where they are based.

Having met as teenagers in Mexico City, Gabriella joined Rodrigo’s band Terra Acida (Acid Earth) that played at some of the roughest clubs in the city, with them having to survive off day-jobs to make ends meet. They did record one album at the time, but there were issues with the record label, and so the couple decided to head for the greener pastures of Europe in 1999.

This exotic couple immediately made an impact in Dublin, getting gigs at private parties, weddings and art exhibitions, and then headed for Denmark during the winter time to busk – being from Mexico I am sure nothing could have prepared them for busking the streets in 3 degree’s! From Copenhagen, they went to Barcelona, Manchester and then back to Dublin where they were asked to open for a busking friend at the new Sugar Club. In 2003 they released “Re-Foc” and a year later, “Live Manchester and Dublin”.

So now you know who they are – but what do they do?

They are both heavily influenced by their love for Metal, and it comes out especially in Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, but there is no one name for the style that they play. They describe it as ‘straddling both World & Rock’, but there is lots of classical acoustic, along with their Hispanic roots.

Let this little clip stream, and then watch Rodrigo’s amazing finger-picking style; he is able to get your heart to beat at full pace with the speed of his fingers, while Gabriela builds a rhythm that makes you feel like you got ants in your pants – Mexican ants full of Tequila!

So enjoy this lil bit of Southern Hemisphere solidarity and respect I have for these World music artists – they are creating sounds that are influenced by their lives and surroundings, no matter where they are, or how far from home, the result is pure music!

I am in awe.