Rodrigo y Gabriela: Mixing Metal and Mexico

Published April 21, 2007 at 3:52 PM EDT

Rodrigo y Gabriela traded their heavy metal guitars for acoustic models.

Unlike most heavy metal bands that give up and go acoustic to reach a new audience, the Mexican metal duo Rodrigo y Gabriela called it quits in order to expand their musical palette.

Not confident that their acoustic, metal-tinged flamenco-folk would be accepted in America, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero traveled to Europe and started over as street performers.

The popular Irish folksinger Damien Rice discovered Rodrigo y Gabriela, asked the pair to tour with him, and their new career was launched.

Rodrigo y Gabriela have released a new self-titled CD. They stopped by NPR member station WXPN, in Philadelphia to talk with Linda Werthheimer about their unique blend of metal and Mexico.

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