Rodrigo y Gabriela, best known for their lightning fast acoustic guitar playing, are working on a new album in Cuba.
The Dublin-based, Mexico-born duo recently returned from 10 days in Cuba, where they recorded with producer Peter Asher, who first worked with them on the music for “Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides.”
“We became friends and they asked me if I would help them with this record,” Asher says. “The idea is to redo some of their existing hits, favorite songs, but instead of just being the two of them, which is amazing, obviously, we wanted to give something different so we went off to Cuba.”
In Havana, the pair re-recorded many of their well-known songs incorporating Cuban rhythm sections and horns. Among the guest players are some members of seminal Cuban rock band Los Van Van.
The pair is finishing the album in Los Angeles. Asher says it will be out next year. Rodrigo y Gabriela”s most recent set, “Live in France,” came out July 19. Its last studio album, “11:11,” included production by John Leckie, best known for his work with Radiohead and Muse. Leckie also produced the group’s second studio album, which was self-titled.
Asher recently finished producing “Listen To Me: Buddy Holly,” a tribute album, out Sept. 6, to Buddy Holly featuring Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, The Fray, Zooey Deschanel, Cobra Starship, Train’s Pat Monahan, and others singing tunes written by Holly. It follows another Holly tribute album, “Rave On,” which came out earlier this year. Holly would have turned 75 on Sept. 7.