Rodrigo y Gabriela
with Afro-Cuban All Stars
Hollywood Bowl – Hollywood, CA
Wednesday, September 18th, 2024
Review/Pics: Manuel Gay
Rodrigo Y Gabriela is one of these bands that navigates between genres and know how to blend them so well that they could appeal to anyone. Whether you like rock, flamenco, any kind of fusion music or all the above, chances are you love the Mexican duo even if you don’t know it yet. The two musicians met in Mexico City a few decades ago and bonded over their love of Metallica among other things. And it was actually their cover of “Orion” that caught my attention many moons ago, along with the addictive riff of “Diablo Rojo”. I have since followed their career and admired how they never stopped growing and evolving album after album. Although their initial recordings were very raw with a lot of acoustic riffs played over a rhythmic flamenco guitar, their compositions have become more ambitious with time and richer with more orchestration. On September 18th, Rodrigo Y Gabriela stopped by the century-old Hollywood Bowl.
Back in 2012, the duo released the album Area 52, a collection of re-imagined songs from previous albums, featuring a Cuban orchestra. It only made sense for the Afro Cuban All Stars orchestra to open the show for them. The orchestra led by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez is best known for being the subject of Wim Wenders documentary Buena Vista Social Club.
With a perpetual roster rotation, the ensemble’s drive is to shine a light on Cuban traditional musicians and promote younger talented musicians. They played five songs in their forty-minutes set with each song lasting six to ten minutes. “On The Road Again” particularly stood out as most of it was sung in French. The 2010 recorded version featuring French singer Bernard Lavilliers is worth giving it a listen.
The Afro Cuban All Stars put on a great show and each musician had their moment to shine. Also, hats down to these musicians for getting so many people to get up and dance their feet off, including forming a giant conga line that made its way through the aisles of the amphitheater.
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At 9pm, the lights turned off, announcing the time had come for Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero to claim the stage. More often than not, artists like to showcase a bit of their new material and please the crowd with a good amount of hits and fan-favorites. That is not the Rodrigo Y Gabriela-way. Indeed, the duo played their latest album In Between Thoughts… A New World almost in full and four songs from their unreleased upcoming album. They opened with “True Nature” and “The Ride of the Mind” which both incorporate western movie soundtrack element and a bit of funk too. It was a great way to start the night.
In between songs, the two bandmates alternate when it comes to speaking to the audience. Gabriela gave insights on the songs origins and gave us keys to decrypt their instrumental work. Rodrigo mentioned a few times how special the Hollywood Bowl was for them, that night being their eight-time performing there.
I must admit that the songs I liked the most were the ones from their upcoming album. After hearing what I’ve heard, it is safe to say that Rodrigo Y Gabriela have something very special brewing for us. “Monster” was one these songs and seemed to incorporate more electronic elements, though not as much of the orchestral ambient sounds from their new record.
The duo sat on stools at the front of the stage for a medley of their hits “Hanuman”, “Diablo Rojo” and “Tamacun” which deservedly so, received a standing ovation. Another new stunning piece came next, eleven minutes long “The Simurgh” left the crowd floating on a cloud. You could hear a pin drop in the few moments of silence. This magical moment was followed by a solo performed by Gabriela whose innovative techniques never cease to blow everyone’s minds. She uses her acoustic guitar as percussion while strumming the strings like a flamenco player. She also incorporates the use of a wah-wah pedal which gives her a unique sound. The band played a couple more unreleased songs and walked on the promenade to play the last couple surrounded by the crowd.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s current tour ends soon, but if you get a chance to catch them live before it’s too late, run for it. Otherwise, it is fair to assume that with a new album in the works, they should be back on the road relatively soon. Until I encourage you to dive back into their older albums.
Related Links:
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Afro-Cuban All Stars
