Omar A. Rodriquez-Lopez musical beginings began from his Puerto Rican roots; growing up, as he got involved in the family music, he learned to play the bass. When his family moved to the states, he was exposed to American "punk rock" and other "genres" of music. After moving from South Carolina to El Paso, Texas, he met his future band-mate Cedric Bixler-Zavala; this pair would eventually go on to form the underground-sensation AT THE DRIVE IN. The band amassed a considerable fanbase as they toured, recorded, and promoted themselves for a few years, and their supporters were crushed when a few years down the road they announced its official end. Three of the guys would go on to form Sparta, a band leaning more towards ATDI's "emo" roots; however, the unsatisfied Rodriguez and Zavala would rally a group of some of the most talented musicians in existence (Jon Theodore, Ikey Owens, Jerremy Michael Ward, and Juan Alderete, to name a few) and enlist the aid of Chili Pepper members Flea and John Fruciante to create the monumental THE MARS VOLTA, arguably the most original, talented, and high-energy band since the greats of the late 1960s and early 1970s. With their albums TREMULANT, DELOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM, and FRANCES THE MUTE, THE MARS VOLTA, and their ringleader, Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez, have propelled themselves into musical history. Rodriguez's solo album, A MANUAL DEXTERITY, is yet antoher testament to this musician's creativity and aggressiveness in pursuing undisturbed sonic territory and bringing passion and lasting meaning back to music.