Interview with Hamilton de Holanda on Baden Powell

MPS Records is a label that has always also set a focus on world music sounds. In the 60s and 70s Baden Powell recorded several albums with producer Joachim Ernst Berendt and brought the Brazilian jazz sound to MPS.
So it is no wonder that from 2014 on this sound is a part of the new MPS releases as well. Over 40 years later Hamilton de Holanda follows Powell's footsteps. Albums like "Trio", "Samba de Chico" and "Casa de Bituca" which he released on MPS are clearly influenced by the same feeling and origin. We met Hamilton de Holanda for an interview in Berlin and among other things talked about Baden Powell.

Baden Powell during the recordings of Tristeza On Guitar

The guitarist, composer and singer Baden Powell already became one of the most important Brazilian musicians of the 20th century in his own time.

Baden Powell's MPS record "Tristeza On Guitar" from 1966 was his international breakthrough and is a must-have in every record collection. It impressively shows the unmistakable style of this young guitar virtuoso. One year later and thanks to an invitation from Joachim Ernst Berendt he played the Jazzfest Berlin. This concert marks a turning point for him in Europe where he toured another year later, followed by Japan, and left cheering fans all over.

Besides "Poems On Guitar" with Charly Antolini on drums and Eberhard Weber on bass, he recorded “Canto On Guitar" and "Images On Guitar" with his Brazilian band. On "Images On Guitar" Janine de Waleyne appears as a guest singer. She adds classical and jazz elements to the traditional sounds of the guitar and percussions and therewith shows Baden Powell's musically open-minded attitude. He perfectly understood to combine different styles to something completely new.

Well known for his breathtaking guitar play and his musical freedom Baden Powell was also the composer of numerous samba and bossa nova classics like "Samba Triste" and "Berimbau". Both pieces can be heard on the very last concert played by Baden Powell released by MPS on DVD, CD and vinyl.

Hamilton de Holanda - ©Marcos Portinari

Hamilton de Holanda, a super star in Brazil already, knows just too well to enthuse his audience with the play of his 10 string mandolin, called bandolim.
You can hear that on every of his MPS records. We picked the latest three of them: "Trio", "Samba de Chico" and "Casa de Bituca".
On his album "Trio" he gets these incredible nuances out of his instrument proving his enormous talent in improvisation. Not for nothing he already won the Latin Grammy and the German ECHO Jazz Award.
While honouring the Brazilian legend Chico Buarque on "Samba de Chico", "Casa de Bituca" is a tribute to the world-famous singer and songwriter Milton Nascimento who turns 75 in October this year.
The cultural heritage of his home country Brazil is of big importance to Hamilton de Holanda. And each of his records is an impressive proof thereof.