Yamandu Costa San Francisco Debut April 29, 2012

Considered to be one of the greatest Brazilian musicians of all times, 7-string virtuoso, composer and arranger Yamandu Costa performs diverse styles like chorinho, bossa nova, milonga, tango, samba and chammy, advancing Brazilian music for a contemporary world audience. Inspired by the remote, rural region of southern Brazil where he was born, and northern Argentina, Costa adores jazz and classical music, but composes most of his performance repertoire, favoring what he calls “gaucho” rhythms, setting his sound apart from that of other great Brazilian guitarists. His unique style has won awards at the 2001 Free Jazz Festival, Guitar Festival of Chile, Prêmio Visa Instrumental edition, and Trophy of Instrumental Music Revelation of Rio Grande do Sul.

Costa began to study the guitar at age seven with his father, Algacir Costa, leader of the group Os Fronteiriços (The Frontiersmen) and mastered the instrument under Lúcio Yanel. At seventeen, he performed in São Paulo for the first time at the Cultural Circuit Bank of Brazil, for an event produced by the Study Tone Brazil. Costa came to be recognized as the premiere musician to revive Brazilian guitar music.

Costa appeared in Mika Kaurismäki's 2005 documentary film "Brasileirinho" about traditional Brazilian choro music, nominated for the 2007 Best Documentary Jussi Award. He records for Biscoito Fino, and has 14 albums to his credit.

Official Website: http://goo.gl/Aw4qd