Bio:
Yamandu Costa, 7-string guitar virtuoso, was born in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where he began his guitar studies with his father Algacir Costa, band leader of "Os Fronteiriços", when he was 7 years old. Later, he perfected his technique with Lucio Yanel, Argentine virtuoso who was then settled in Brazil.
Until the age of 15, Yamandu´s only music school was the folk music from the south of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Nevertheless, after he heard Radamés Gnatalli´s work, he decided to get in contact with the music of other renowned Brazilian musicians, such as Baden Powell, Tom Jobim, Raphael Rabello, among others. When he was 17, he played for the first time in São Paulo at "Circuito Cultural Banco do Brasil" (BB Cultural Tour). The event was produced by "Estúdio Tom Brazil" (Tom Brazil studio), and from then on he was recognized as one of the most gifted guitar players of Brazil. The music documentary by Finnish film maker Mika Kaurismaki, called “Brasileirinho” on “choro music” also featured Yamandu Costa, which gave him additional international attention.
Yamandu has created his very particular style of compositions, somewhere between the typical music from the south of Brazil, Choro and Samba with finger acrobatic like passages, high tempo and yet very delicate and melodious pieces. For the audience his music is somewhere between breathtaking and breathholding, accompanied by Yamandu´s way of melting with his instrument and being one for the duration of the concert.
Yamandu is embracing the range of root-Latinamerican music with a clear basis on South Brazilian swing.
One of the greatest geniuses of Brazilian music of all times, Yamandu deserves the highest praise. Whenever he is on stage, he fills with joy the most select audience since his impressive performance shows the deep intimacy between Yamandu and his guitar. The recognition he has earned throughout the years reveals what he can offer the audience - recreation of the magic of music - once from his fingers the music he plays travels through his body and soul and is almost miraculously transformed.
Yamandu is a guitar player, composer and arranger that does not fit into a single music style, yet he creates his own when he combines all of them playing his 7-string guitar. Yamandu fully deserves his beautiful name which in "tupi-guarani", the native language of Brazilian Indians, means "the precursor of the waters of the world".
So far, Yamandu has recorded 25 albuns and 4 DVDs, Solo, in Duo, Trio, Quarter, with the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mato Grosso and the OCTSP-São Pedro Theater Chamber Orchestra.
He has also performed with several Brazilian orchestras, from the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra to the “Youth Camerata” from the Social Action for Music and outside Brazil with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by conductor Roberto Minczuk, with the “Orchestre National de France” conducted by conductor Kurt Masur and Debora Waldman as well as “Orchestre de Paris” by conductor Kristjan Järvi and Alondra de Parra , with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, with the National Orchestra of Belgium by conductor Roberto Minczuk,, with the Adelaide Art Orchestra by conductor Brett Kelly, with the MDR Symphony Orchestra by conductor Kristjan Järvi, with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Monte Carlo by conductor Alondra del Parra, with the National Orchestra of Argentine Music - Buenos Aires, with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra by conductor Alondra del Parra and with the Talinn Chamber Orchestra.
His guitar style has inspired many young musicians who are following his new school of guitar playing. He is performed among others also with Bob McFerrin, Melody Gardot, Baden Powell, Sergio Assad, Richard Galliano, Stefano Bollani, Shelly Berg, Vicent Peirani, Daniel Mille, Sylvain Luc, Stochelo Rosenberg, Sebastien Giniaux, Alfredo Rodriguez, Edmar Castañeda, Fito Paez, Antonio Zambujo, Pepe Romero, Romero Lubambo, Slava Grigoryan, Juan Falú, Luis Salinas, Lucio Yanel, Pedro Jóia, Carlos Nuñez, Doug de Vries, Gerardo Núñez, Vladimir Sumin, Vladimir Markushevich, Mayra Andrade, Carminho, Susana Travassos, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Seu Jorge, Hermeto Pascoal, Mario Adnet, Paulo Jobim, Toquinho, João Bosco, Zeca Pagodinho, Ney Matogrosso, Marisa Monte, Roberta Sá, Naná Vasconcelos, Dominguinhos, Renato Borghetti, Hamilton de Holanda, Armandinho Macedo, Elba Ramalho, Guinga, Ricardo Herz, Baby Consulelo, Henrique Cazes, Robertinho Silva, Época de Ouro, Trio Madeira Brasil, Guto Wirtti, Nina Wirtti, Grazie Wirtti, Rogerio Caetano, Alessandro Penezzi, Nicolas Krassik, Bebê Kramer, Danilo Brito, Zé Nogueira, Edu Ribeiro, Tiago Espírito Santo, Jazz Cigano Quinteto, Luis Carlos Borges and Alegre Côrrea.
Besides numerous concerts throughout Brazil, Yamandu has toured in France, La Reunion, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monte Carlo, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Slovenia, Russia, Lithuania, Serbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Australia, USA, Canada, Greece, Macedonia, Israel, Cyprus, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Iran, Kuwait, Turkey, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Violonista e compositor nascido em Passo Fundo em 1980, Yamandu começou a estudar violão aos 7 anos de idade com o pai, Algacir Costa, líder do grupo “Os Fronteiriços” e aprimorou-se com Lúcio Yanel, virtuoso argentino radicado no Brasil. Até os 15 anos, sua única escola musical era a música folclórica do Sul do Brasil, Argentina e Uruguai. Depois de ouvir Radamés Gnatalli, ele começou a procurar por outros brasileiros, tais como Baden Powell, Tom Jobim, Raphael Rabello entre outros. Aos 17 anos apresentou-se pela primeira vez em São Paulo no Circuito Cultural Banco do Brasil, produzido pelo Estúdio Tom Brasil, e a partir daí passou a ser reconhecido como músico revelação do violão brasileiro. Um dos maiores fenômenos da música brasileira de todos os tempos, o jovem Yamandu confirma e merece todos os elogios que recebe quando toca seu violão. Sozinho no palco, é capaz de levantar em êxtase platéias das mais especializadas e de emocionar o grande publico aos mais apurados ouvidos. Suas interpretações performáticas conseguem remodelar cada música que ele toca e revela uma profunda intimidade com seu instrumento. Todo reconhecimento que recebe é apenas um reflexo do que ele leva ao seu público, recriando a magia da música em seu toque, passando pelo seu corpo e transformando-se quase milagrosamente. Yamandu toca de choro a música clássica brasileira, mas também é um gaúcho cheio de milongas, tangos, zambas e chamamés. Um violonista e compositor que não se enquadra em nenhuma corrente musical ele é uma mistura de todos os estilos e cria interpretações de rara personalidade no seu violão de 7 cordas. Yamandu faz jus ao significado de seu belo nome “o precursor das águas”.
Considerado um dos maiores talentos do violão brasileiro, Yamandu Costa é uma referência mundial na interpretação da nossa música, a qual domina e recria a cada performance, inclusive em suas composições. Quem o vê no palco percebe seu incrível envolvimento, sua paixão pelo instrumento e pela arte. Sua criatividade musical se desenvolve livremente sobre uma técnica absolutamente aprimorada, explorando todas as possibilidades do violão de 7 cordas, renovando antigos temas e apresentando composições próprias de intenso brilho, numa performance sempre apaixonada e contagiante.
Revelando uma profunda intimidade com seu instrumento e com uma linguagem musical sem fronteiras, percorreu os mais importantes palcos do Brasil e do mundo, participando de grandes festivais e encontros, vencedor dos mais relevantes prêmios da musica brasileira. Em 2010, o CD Luz da Aurora com Hamilton de Holanda foi indicado para o Grammy Latino.
Em 2012 ganhou em Cuba o Prêmio Internacional Cubadisco pelo CD Mafuá e uma Menção do Prêmio ALBA pelo CD Lida.
Yamandu Costa é na atualidade o músico brasileiro que mais se apresenta no exterior, abrangendo os mais diversos países do globo: França, Portugal, Espanha, Bélgica, Alemanha, Itália, Áustria, Suíça, Liechtenstein, Monte Carlo, Holanda, Suécia, Noruega, Finlândia, Estônia, Eslovênia, Rússia, Lituânia, Sérvia, EUA, Canadá, Austrália, Índia, China, Japão, Coréia do Sul, Grécia, Macedônia, República Tcheca, Israel, Chipre, Zimbabwe, Cabo Verde, Angola, Moçambique, La Reunion, Emirados Árabes, Kuwait, Tunísia, Iran, Equador, Cuba, Colômbia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguai, México, Paraguai e Costa Rica.
Apresentou-se e compôs com renomados artistas como: Bob McFerrin, Melody Gardot, Richard Galliano, Vincent Peirani, Anat Cohen, Daniel Mille, Sylvain Luc, Alfredo Rodriguez, Antonio Zambujo, Pepe Romero, Juan Falú, Luis Salinas, Richard Scofano, Elodie Bouny, Pedro Jóia, Carlos Nuñez, Doug de Vries, Gerardo Núñez, Vladimir Sumin, Vladimir Markushevich, Mayra Andrade, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Hermeto Pascoal, Toquinho, Jõao Bosco, Ney Matogrosso, Roberta Sá, Dominguinhos, Naná Vasconcelos, Renato Borghetti, Hamilton de Holanda, Toquinho, João Bosco, Armandinho Macedo, Elba Ramalho, Mario Adnet, Robertinho Silva, Época de Ouro, Trio Madeira Brasil, Alexis Cadenas & Recoveco, Alessandro Penezzi, Ricardo Herz, Gabriel Grossi, Nicolas Krassik, Mestrinho, Rudi Flores, Luis Carlos Borges e Alegre Côrrea.
Em 2018, foi vencedor do Prêmio da Música Brasileira nas categorias Melhor Álbum Instrumental e Melhor Solista, com o álbum Quebranto, com o violonista Alessandro Penezzi e gravou com o mesmo violonista o programa especial Sounds of Brazil para a TV NHK, do Japão. Recebeu duas indicações ao Grammy Latino, de Melhor Álbum Instrumental, com o disco Recanto (Bagual), e, ao lado de Renato Borghetti, e Melhor Álbum de Música de Raízes em Língua Portuguesa, com Borghetti/Yamandu (Estação Filmes).
The Recôncavo is an almost invisible center-of-gravity. Circumscribing the Bay of All Saints, this region was landing for more enslaved human beings than any other such throughout all of human history. Not unrelated, it is also birthplace of some of the most physically & spiritually uplifting music ever made. —Sparrow
"Dear Sparrow: I am thrilled to receive your email! Thank you for including me in this wonderful matrix."
—Susan Rogers: Personal recording engineer for Prince, inc. "Purple Rain", "Sign o' the Times", "Around the World in a Day"... Director of the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory
I'm Pardal here in Brazil (that's "Sparrow" in English). The deep roots of this project are in Manhattan, where Allen Klein (managed the Beatles and The Rolling Stones) called me about royalties for the estate of Sam Cooke... where Jerry Ragovoy (co-wrote Time is On My Side, sung by the Stones; Piece of My Heart, Janis Joplin of course; and Pata Pata, sung by the great Miriam Makeba) called me looking for unpaid royalties... where I did contract and licensing for Carlinhos Brown's participation on Bahia Black with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock...
...where I rescued unpaid royalties for Aretha Franklin (from Atlantic Records), Barbra Streisand (from CBS Records), Led Zeppelin, Mongo Santamaria, Gilberto Gil, Astrud Gilberto, Airto Moreira, Jim Hall, Wah Wah Watson (Melvin Ragin), Ray Barretto, Philip Glass, Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd for his interest in Bob Marley compositions, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam and others...
...where I worked with Earl "Speedo" Carroll of the Cadillacs (who went from doo-wopping as a kid on Harlem streetcorners to top of the charts to working as a janitor at P.S. 87 in Manhattan without ever losing what it was that made him special in the first place), and with Jake and Zeke Carey of The Flamingos (I Only Have Eyes for You)... stuff like that.
Yeah this is Bob's first record contract, made with Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd of Studio One and co-signed by his aunt because he was under 21. I took it to Black Rock to argue with CBS' lawyers about the royalties they didn't want to pay. They paid.
MATRIX MUSICAL
The Matrix was built below among some of the world's most powerfully moving music, some of it made by people barely known beyond village borders. Or in the case of Sodré, his anthem A MASSA — a paean to Brazil's poor ("our pain is the pain of a timid boy, a calf stepped on...") — having blasted from every radio between the Amazon and Brazil's industrial south, before he was silenced. (that's me left, with David Dye & Kim Junod for U.S. National Public Radio) ... The Matrix started with Sodré, with João do Boi, with Roberto Mendes, with Bule Bule, with Roque Ferreira... music rooted in the sugarcane plantations of Bahia. Hence our logo (a cane cutter).