Area 52 features Rodrigo y Gabriela songs rearranged and rerecorded with a 13 piece Cuban band. Area 52 is the duo's first recorded collaboration with another group of musicians; a thirteen piece cuban orchestra composed of some of havana's finest young players, collectively known as c.u.b.a. On Area 52 Rodrigo y Gabriela revisit nine of their compositions and reinterpret them in a new and dramatic fashion; this is Rodrigo y Gabriela as they have never been heard before. Guests on the album include Anoushka Shankar on sitar, rock drummer John Tempesta (the Cult, White Zombie, Testament) on two tracks, jazz bass player Carles Benavent (Miles Davis, Paco de Lucia, Chick Corea) on two tracks, Palestinian group Le Trio Joubran and Samuel Formell Alfonso from Los Van Van.