By: Sam Christian

Never before have I danced in public until this very moment as I listen to the final track of Rodrigo y Gabriella’s newest album Area 52. It is sincerely impossible to sit still while listening to this Latin jazz/rock album. This album is a collaboration of the guitar duo Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero who hail from Mexico City, Mexico and along with them is a plethora of Cuban musicians of whom on the album cover are dubbed C.U.B.A. This is a Cuban orchestra doing the backing tracks for this album; they are under the direction of Alex Wilson, and bring so much to the table.

This album incorporates so much in only nine tracks. The major feel of the album is fast paced Latin guitar duets with a Cuban orchestra backing them. There is the usual brass section, strings, the occasional woodwind instruments, and of course awesome percussion. This album does not only have those elements—that’s only the tip of the ice berg—this album also includes such instruments as the Indian Sitar in the track “Ixtapa”, and also in the song “Master Maqui” there is, in prominence, the instrument known as an oud, which is a precursor to the lute, and is used in many types of middle eastern music.  Because of that this album is an ethnomusicologists dream, because of the fact that so many areas of the world are represented, not only in one album, but also for many instances the same songs.

Over all I love this album from start to finish; it’s upbeat in the right places and somber when it needs to be.  There are times in this album that remind me of listening to Carlos Santana, and wondering how it was possible for two guitarists to not only surpass him alone, but together Rodrigo Y Gabriella really put everything they could to this album.  This album is a must for anyone who loves listening to guitar.

9.5/10

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