Rodrigo y Gabriela Set for Austin City Limits, Airing 1/12

Austin City Limits (ACL) features acoustic rock duo Rodrigo y Gabriela making their ACL debut in a new episode airing January 12. The Mexican duo are renowned for their super-charged acoustic style of instrumental music and diverse musical background that fuses traditional flamenco music with heavy metal and rock. Rodrigo y Gabriela perform a head-spinning live set, showcasing their fast and rhythmic guitar work, in a full-hour show. The episode airs Saturday, January 12 on PBS (check local listings).

With their thrilling and dynamic hybrid of metal, Latin and jazz, guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela have become an international sensation with their flawless live performances. For their debut ACL performance, they are backed by C.U.B.A., a 6-piece Cuban orchestra with whom they recorded their latest record Area 52. Rodrigo y Gabriela are a joy to watch-jumping across the stage, making eye contact with their fans and encouraging the audience to provide rhythms through applause. The duo conquered the crowd at The Moody Theater with their passion, groove and stunning technique.

"Every season has its 'sleeper' show that's not to be missed, and I think this is it for this year," says ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. "They may not be exactly household names, but there's a reason we gave them the full-hour episode. I guarantee you've never heard two people play guitar together quite like Rodrigo y Gabriela!"

Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero first met while playing together in a thrash metal band in Mexico City, though it wasn't until they relocated to Dublin, Ireland and began playing their blistering acoustic guitar workouts in pubs around town that the duo achieved a cult following. The pair makes the most of the contrast between their styles - Rodrigo rips out nimble-fingered classical guitar work that betrays his metal roots while Gabriela flails at her guitar with flamenco-based rhythms, often using a wah-wah pedal to send her riffs into outer space. Backed by the Stellar C.U.B.A., the duo enthusiastically mixes Afro-Cuban grooves, jazz fusion harmonies, Latin melodies and the occasional rock flourish into a blazing storm of tuneful technique.

Rodrigo y Gabriela Setlist:
"Santa Domingo"
"Hanuman"
"Savriti"
"Rodrigo's Solo"
"Hora Zero"
"Gabriela's Solo"
"11:11"
"Tamacun"
"Diablo Rojo"