Area 52 (album)

Area 52 is a 2012 album by acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and the Cuban orchestra known as C.U.B.A. It is Rodrigo y Gabriela's fifth album overall, and their first collaboration with another group. Their aim was to 'do our music with a Cuban orchestra that plays in a very traditional way, a fusion'.^[7] All the songs on this album are re-recordings of songs previously released in their previous two studio albums.^[1] The duo spent 20 days recording in Cuba where 'the pianist also made the arrangements for the orchestra. We’d play along with the musicians so they could hear our energy'. Afterwards, the band overdubbed solo parts at their own studio.^[7]

For the classified military installation, see Tonopah Test Range.

Area 52
Studio album by Rodrigo y Gabriela/C.U.B.A.
Released	23 January 2012 (Ireland) 24 January 2012 (United States)[1]
Genre	Acoustic, folk
Length	53:57
Label	Rubyworks (Ireland) ATO (USA)[1]
Producer	Rodrigo Sánchez and Peter Asher
Rodrigo y Gabriela/C.U.B.A. chronology
Live in France (2009) Area 52 (2012) 9 Dead Alive (2014)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(73/100)[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Consequence of Sound	[4]
Sputnikmusic	[5]
Drowned in Sound	[6]

Track listing

All music is composed by Rodrigo y Gabriela.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Santo Domingo" (with Samuel Folmell Alfonso)	6:31
2.	"Hanuman" (with John Tempesta)	5:33
3.	"Ixtapa" (with Anoushka Shankar)	8:11
4.	"11:11" (with Carles Benavent & Carlota Teresa Polledo Noriega)	7:30
5.	"Master Maqui" (with Le Trio Joubran)	5:13
6.	"Diablo Rojo"	5:09
7.	"Logos"	4:46
8.	"Juan Loco" (with Carles Benavent)	4:09
9.	"Tamacun" (with John Tempesta)	6:55

Personnel

Rodrigo y Gabriela

• Rodrigo Sánchez – acoustic guitar
• Gabriela Quintero – acoustic guitar

C.U.B.A.

• Lazaro A. Oviedo Dilou – trumpet
• Edouardo J. Sandoval Ferrer – trombone
• Cesar Alejandro Lopez Martinez – saxophone
• Ariel Sarduy Mena – violin
• Anolan Gonzalez Morejon – viola
• Feliciano Arango Noa – bass
• Irving Roberto Frontelo Rico – violin
• Alex Wilson piano, musical director
• Otto Santana Selis – cajón, drums, percussion
• Jorge Leliebre Sorzano- flute
• Juan Kemell Barrera Toledo – trumpet
• Rene Suarez Zapata – percussion

Featured Artists

• Samuel Folmell Alfonso – drums
• John Tempesta – drums
• Anoushka Shankar – sitar
• Carles Benavent – bass
• Carlota Teresa Polledo Noriega – vocals
• Le Trio Joubran – oud

Production

• Rodrigo Sánchez – production
• Peter Asher – production
• Rafa Sardina – mixing
• Robyn Robins – masterring
• Jorge Gabriel "Benny" Benitez Herrera – engineering
• Nathaniel Kunkel – engineering
• Nicolas Rosemond – engineering
• Neil Williams – engineering
• Alex Wilson – arrangements
• Samantha Lopez – photography
• Niall Muckian – photography
• Christina Angelina – cover art