ALL A POLYPHONIC 10-STRING BANDOLIM CAN DO

A master of the Brazilian bandolim, Hamilton de Holanda is determined to show the world what the instrument can do.

De Hollanda plays an instrument called the bandolim. It evolved from the mandolin, brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers, and its acknowledged master was a man named Jacob do Bandolim. De Holanda says do Bandolim's genius lay in his ability to blend music brought by the Portuguese with that of African slaves to create a perfect balance.

"He created a Brazilian way, with a lot of emotion," he says. "You hear in his music a little bit of the fado nostalgia, but also the joy of Brazilian music, and African music too — and with such care in the refinement of a sound and the arrangements."

Normally, the instrument has eight strings, just like the mandolin. De Holanda had one built with 10 strings. "I wanted to create a polyphony in my instrument, and be able to play the melody, the accompaniment and the rhythm, all at the same time," he says. "Just as you see in a piano soloist or a guitar soloist, I wanted to express some polyphonic ideas in the bandolim — the same way a piano works in a jazz trio."



SOURCE: LEHIGH VALLEY COMMUNITY PUBLIC RADIO