EGBERTO GISMONTI, NANÁ VASCONCELOS & HAMILTON DE HOLANDA – Live @ Ravenna Festival (2012)

In the composite panorama of Brazilian music, Gismonti and Vasconcelos are a bridge between folk tradition and modernity. Their collaboration was consolidated in the ’70s and ’80s with several recordings for the ECM label, including Duas Vozes (1984). Gismonti, born in Carmo, was strongly influenced by Nadia Boulanger, Jean Barraqué, Schönberg, Webern, Villa-Lobos, jazz music and the traditions of the Xingu Indians, with whom he had lived for a period of time.

Nana Vasconcelos, instead, is a native of Recife, where he came to learn all the Brazilian percussion instruments specialising in the berimbau. As the instrument’s foremost player, he collaborated with such important jazz musicians as Gato Barbieri, Don Cherry, Pat Metheny and Jan Garbarek.

Hamilton de Holanda is a Brazilian bandolinist known for his mixture of choro and contemporary jazz, and for his instrumental virtuosity. Born in Rio de Janeiro he moved to Brasilia with his family as a boy. He started playing the mandolin at 5 and appeared at his first performance at six. With his brother Fernando César he formed the group Dois de Ouro and throughout his career he has collaborated with many other significant artists such as Yamandu Costa, Mike Marshall and Joel Nascimento. He has received several Latin Grammys. He has taught at the Raphael Rabello Choro academy. He plays a custom made 10 string Bandolim.