I caught the Mexican duo playing on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien a few months ago and was suitably impressed with their skills. Funny, my ear even picked up on a little tip of the hat to Hendrix in the song they played, and then I investigated them online and find that, voila, the track they were playing was “Buster Voodoo,” off their latest disc, “11:11” – a song dedicated to Jimi Hendrix.
Trivia time: Hendrix’s original nickname was Buster (after the Flash Gordon actor Buster Crabbe from the 1930’s films), and he wrote "Voodoo Chile"… hence the title “Buster Voodoo.”
“11:11” is the duo’s third studio album (fifth overall, including two live releases), and it features 11 new tracks dedicated to 11 musicians who inspired them – the list includes people like Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan), John McLaughlin, and Pink Floyd.
Guitarists Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero grew up as fans of heavy metal in Mexico City; they worked together for a short time in a thrash metal band, Tierra Acida, and even recorded an album (was never released) before heading out (literally) on their own. The duo landed in Dublin, began working the pubs and streets, and gained a fan in Damien Rice, an Irish singer/songwriter who snagged them to play with him at Ireland’s Oxegen Festival in 2005 (they returned as headliners on the second stage in 2007). From there, Rodrigo y Gabriela hit the festival circuit across Europe, gaining new fans on the continent and in Japan, where they would later record one of their two live albums.
Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11 - Buster VoodooRodrigo y Gabriela – Buster Voodoo
The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson - Oct 28/09
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela - Stairway to HeavenRodrigo y Gabriela – Stairway To Heaven
(studio version is on band’s 2006 self-titled album)
