Rodrigo Y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. - Area 52 Review

Who knew Area 52 was in Cuba?

Rodrigo Y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. - Area 52 (2012) – 6.4 / 10.0
ATO Records

My previous experience with Latin music goes no further than episodes of Dexter, Robert Rodriguez films, and trips to my local Mexican dives. On Area 52, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, the duo of rhythmic acoustic guitar players Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero, inject nine songs from their past catalog with extra flare courtesy of the 13 piece Cuban orchestra known as C.U.B.A. The added spice of extra musicians broadens the musical palate of the duo’s previous offerings more than their acoustic guitars could allow. However, this begs the question, is MORE better?

That may depend on your personal opinion of Rodrigo Y Gabriela. Much of their popularity is derived from their dynamic guitar playing. Though they’re often credited as belonging to the flamenco music genre, they credit Metallica as their main influence. Like Area 52, Metallica played with similar experimentation on their S&M album where they were accompanied by the San Francisco Symphony to create a metal meets orchestral music album. Surprisingly, that album was well received with most critics agreeing that the symphonic accompaniment breathed new life into many of Metallica’s classic songs. Instead of serving as background collaborators like the San Francisco Symphony, C.U.B.A. often takes the forefront, upstaging the songs’ original creators.

If you previously thought that Rodrigo Y Gabriela were lacking an alluring musical presence, Area 52 could be the album that changes your mind. World music and instrumental fans will likely appreciate these bold new interpretations of past songs. Adding pianos, horns, strings, electric guitars, and a SITAR (!), C.U.B.A. adorns each song with a grandiose abundance. “Hanuman” is executed with such thrilling mastery and art that it packs as much drama and suspense as any film score.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela fans disappointed by the duo’s relegated backseat status should probably view this collection more as an interesting aside to their proper albums. This is a redux of old songs rather than an album of new material. If anything, it showcases the depth of Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s original songwriting and some of the many ways that their songs can be explored.



Rodrigo Y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. - Area 52