I’m in love with Gabriela. Not in the Bikerboy’s wishful thinking kind of way. I’m in love with her talent. Gabriela Quintero, half of the duo with Rodrigo Sanchez is this little package that possesses an incredible big talent. She plays the rhythm guitar and Rodrigo plays the lead guitar. Before I start to wax lyrical about Gabriela’s talent I would like to point out Rodrigo is good, really good. According to Bikerboy he plays like a heavy metal guitarist but on a acoustic guitar. Playing an electric guitar with an over driven sound can mask inaccuracies where with an acoustic there is no where to hide.
I’ve been a fan of flamenco for over 10 years after watching a show that Paco Peña brought to London who’s a master of the classic Spanish guitar. In the proceeding years I’ve watched various flamenco shows some good but some that failed to light my flamenco heart. Yes…I think I must have been born in Andalusia because when I’m watching a good show I’m right there on stage with them, with the drama of love wanted, love gained and love lost. But going back to guitar playing…I feel with this experience I can say Rodrigo is a very good guitarist.
Now the thing about Gabriela is that she plays the guitar in an awesome way. She’s the percussion, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and bass drum all at the same time. There are Spanish guitarist that do this but it’s Gabriela’s speed that makes it incredible, she plays it so sooo fast. She makes one guitar sound like five different instruments playing at the same time. How does she play it that fast that accurately? She’s so young…it’s sickening to have this much talent and be so young. The two play beautifully together and when playing live you can hear when the tune goes into improvisation they are in sync. They’re so accustomed to each other’s playing you feel it’s a well oiled piece of music which only comes from spending so much time playing together. It reminds me of some great jazz musicians. They use to play in a heavy metal band together and it figures their style and their harmony.
I had been listening to their album for months before seeing them live in London last Winter. When you listen to an album over and over again and get to know the tunes extremely well there is always a slight difference when watching the act live, after all it’s hard to replicate the fine tuning of a studio, but not here. The two guitars filled out the hall as if it was a full set band playing. The energy these two youngster’s churned out through their fingers should be experienced live by everyone. Even if you don’t like this type of music I doubt you could listen to a set of theirs and not come away with respecting their talent.
It will be interesting to see what they come out with in their next album. More of the same and please what people expect of them or something different and disappoint their growing fan base. The last I heard they had contributed to the new film Pirates of the Caribbean. I hope I am lucky enough to keep on seeing them live whenever they’re close enough. It’s one of those evening where you walk back to your car and feel a buzz inside, having just experienced something exciting, something quite inspiring. If you listen to any of their music on the net please don’t do it through your laptop speakers…that tinny sound is so cruel to their music.
The Wannabe Guitarist
It’s a little wicked of me to say Bikerboy is a wannabe since he can play the guitar but it’s a struggle and has been to get to where he is now after 2 years of lessons and practicing whenever he can steal 5 minutes. He taught himself the bass guitar 12 years ago just so he could join his friends in a band playing covers. But learning guitar and learning to read music properly has been his Tour de France achievement. Learning an instrument when you’re not young is not easy plus learning it when you work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week makes things even harder, plus having a young child on top you’re asking for a lot here.
Everything Bikerboy does, motorbike riding with pulling wheelies or getting his knee down, or windsurfing, skiing, waterskiing, learning to fly a plane are things he had no problem learning and took to them like a duck to water. He has such a natural talent to fly a plane he’s instructor told him he flew it like someone who’s been doing it for years. He says he found it natural. Playing the guitar on the other hand did not and does not come naturally to him but he loves it and for that reason he pursues it and is determine to get to a standard to his satisfaction.
The Oldest Daughter
The other budding guitarist and bass player I have in the house is my oldest. Her main instrument is the piano but she’s teaching herself the bass and dabbles with her guitar, the black one in the photos. One of the things Bikerboy has always said about the kids is to encourage them to have a hobby, he believes if you get the kids interested in something they are less likely to be diverted into bad company or into bad situations, and I think he has a good point.
My tiny house, full to the brim has to accommodate this line up of guitars you see in the photos and what I didn’t take a photo of are the missing 2 bass guitars, but it’s fine, they live in the bedroom by the bay window on their stands waiting until either of them picks them up and exercises their music soul.
Bikerboy’s exit strategy from his mad working life is to open a guitar shop…just so he has the excuse of buying all sorts of different guitars.
