Latin music has been going through a sort of reformation in the last few decades, adding in shades of other styles to create the need for subgenres in Latin music. The duo of Rodrigo y Gabriela is one such group. Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero first met when they were teens in Mexico City and bonded over a mutual love for metal. Quintero joined Sanchez's band, which they renamed Tierra Acida. They had both played with other bands prior to coming together and were committed to making the new collaboration work. Tierra Acida got gigs in some of the roughest venues in Mexico City and recorded an album that they never released.

It was then that the duo had a great idea in 1999 and decided to go to Europe to gain a following there. They were supposed to stay with a Mexican woman in Dublin, Ireland, but when they arrived the offer was no longer there. With only $1,000 dollars and speaking no English, the duo stayed in hostels until their money ran out and then started performing on the street. They started taking any gig they could get and from there did the same thing in Denmark. They tried to play a gig in Barcelona, but were not allowed because the club owners didn't like their nontraditional style of play. Rodrigo y Gabriela played in the streets instead.

By this time, their reputation had grown enough in Ireland that they were invited to play at a new club. From there, they started touring with friend Damian Rice. Their debut album came in 2003 with Re-Foc. A Live album from Manchester and Dublin followed the next year. Their self-titled album came in 2006 and put them on the map in the United States. They released another live album from Japan in 2008.