Rodrigo y Gabriela is a Mexican acoustic guitar duo known for their towering instrumental pieces melding flamenco and heavy metal. Hailing from Mexico City, Rodrigo Sánchez (born 1974) and Gabriela Quintero (born 1973) met as teenagers, bonding over their love of music and theater, and eventually becoming a couple. In 1993, Gabriela joined Rodrigo's heavy metal band Tierra Ácida, where they honed their onstage chemistry and grew tighter as collaborators. Eager for new opportunities, the pair relocated to Dublin, Ireland, in 1999, where they busked frequently and began rubbing elbows with popular musicians like Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan. In 2002, Rodrigo y Gabriela released a collection of rerecorded demos titled Re-Foc, which generated local buzz before their 2006 self-titled LP launched them internationally with dueling guitars and dizzying covers of Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” and Metallica's “Orion.” Their dramatic acoustic pieces have been featured in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Puss in Boots. And while Rodrigo y Gabriela's 2012 album, Area 52, featured an energetic backing band and dipped into cumbia and salsa, their magical sound is still best captured by the intimate guitar picking of 2019's Mettavoultion.