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'. All the songs on this album are re-recordings of songs previously released in their previous two studio albums. 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.

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