For the Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela — whose international career has been built over more than 20 years with an instrumental concept powered by two mighty acoustic guitars — adding lyrics and vocals to a song for the first time opens the door to a previously unexplored side of their artistry.
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In their vocal and lyrical debut with the track “Somos Como Tú” (We Are Like You), included in their new album OurHome, the Grammy-winning guitar pair decided to address themes such as migration, displacement, dignity and shared humanity, from the perspective of those seeking a path and a place to belong. And they do so singing in Spanish, their native language.
“I wrote that song when I was living in Paris in 2015, and I’ve always loved it,” Rodrigo Sánchez tells Billboard Español. “But for some reason, we could never find a version that sounded like us.”
Sánchez explains that despite their fondness for the piece — included in their new LP released Friday (Sept. 18) by ATO Records — it took them a decade to get to a recorded version that felt right for their style. “We decided to try again for this album, and it ended up becoming something we felt was very powerful and honest, and even more relevant than it was ten years ago,” he adds.
The vocal arrangement of “Somos Como Tú,” with Sánchez taking the lead vocals and Quintero responding with a rapid cadence reminiscent of his heavy metal roots, is supported by hand percussion and a fan choir. This gives the song a special place within OurHome, an album shaped by the idea that home can be something internal and not necessarily a geographic location.
“For us, OurHome is about connecting with what you love and believing in it, putting your faith in it,” says Gabriela Quintero, describing the album as a meditation on home, renewal and connection that emerged in Japan. “We can all enter this world of OurHome and reconnect with that part of yourself that doesn’t want to please, that doesn’t want likes, that is enough just as it is.”
The 11-track set was recorded in Japan and produced by Sánchez and Quintero at NK Sound Tokyo. Sánchez and Quintero note that they have always been drawn to the Asian country “because of its art, its aesthetics and its attention to beauty.” The first single, “Monster,” was accompanied by a music video created by legendary manga artist Naoki Urasawa, whose work has inspired these guitarists from Mexico City.
Quintero recalls that they were giving a concert in Japan when they dedicated “Monster” to Urasawa, a track inspired by the iconic manga series created and illustrated by the Japanese artist in 1994. Someone in the audience who knew the legendary creator told him about this, and weeks later the duo met him in person and discovered that the admiration was mutual.
“That collaboration with Urasawa comes from our soul. It doesn’t come from any industry feedback. That’s the real value,” Quintero says. “‘Monster’ is a very deep and philosophical story. It’s about a psychopathic killer, but at the same time, it’s incredibly hopeful and leaves you with a genuine sense of optimism. We had written that song without knowing that Urasawa was a fan of ours, and now he has created the video for us.”
Released about 20 years after Rodrigo y Gabriela burst onto the international scene, OurHome reflects a career marked by the breaking of musical, cultural and geographical boundaries. They achieved initial success in Ireland after leaving Mexico and managed to build a global audience thanks to a sound that is difficult to classify, oscillating between the powerful riffs of heavy metal and Latin rhythms performed with classical technique.
The collaborative universe of the duo expanded in OurHome to include former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, cellist Hiyori Okuda and guitarist/composer Yukihiro Atsumi. The album was mixed by five-time Grammy winner Dave Sardy (The Who, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and mastered by Stephen Marcussen (Nirvana, R.E.M., The Rolling Stones).
Rodrigo y Gabriela will take OurHome to the road in an extensive U.S. tour starting on Sept. 30 in Dallas, Texas, and arriving in their native Mexico City on Oct. 6 and 7. There, they will perform at the Polyforum Siqueiros, one of the most emblematic venues, which houses the extensive work of legendary muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. The tour will continue through cities such as Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco and Seattle.
To listen to OurHome in full, click here.
