Artist Profiles: Yamandu Costa

Yamandu Costa was born in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in 1980. There, 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, an Argentine virtuoso who was then living 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 Radam’s Gnatall’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 “Estudio Tom Brazil” (Tom Brazil studio), and from then on he was recognized as one of the most gifted guitar players of Brazil.

Considered by some 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 audiences, since his impressive performance shows the deep intimacy between Yamandu and his guitar.

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 Costa’s diverse styles include chorinho, bossa nova, milonga, tango, samba and chamamé.

A 2021 Latin Grammy winner for Best Instrumental Album, Costa has collaborated with Bobby McFerrin, Richard Galliano, Doug de Vries, Gilberto Gil, Toquinho, João Bosco, Ney Matogrosso, Marisa Monte, Renato Borghetti, and many more.

In 2023, Yamandu Costa released De Vida y Vuelta, an album created with Domingo Rodríguez Oramas, known as Domingo El Colorao, a leading traditional timple (a diminutive five-string guitar) player from the Canary Islands, Spain.

The 2024 album Inner Spirits by pianist Jan Lundgren from Sweden and Yamandu Costa presented the remarkable musical chemistry of the two maestros, mixing jazz, Western classical, and South American styles. Both acclaimed artists first connected in Malmö in 2019. Their collaboration blossomed at Lundgren’s Ystad festival and culminated in recording this album in February 2024 at Emil Berliner Studios. The album, produced by Andreas Brandis, highlights their seamless interplay and mutual focus on melody, featuring compositions like “Para Aprender A Amar,” “Fresu,” and “Diplomata,” along with personal dedications by Lundgren. Their empathy and exceptional musicianship make Inner Spirits a standout in piano-and-guitar recordings.

Discography:

Dois Tempos, with Lúcio Yanel (Bagual Produções, 2000)
Yamandu (Eldorado, 2001)
Yamandu ao Vivo (Bagual Produções, 2003)
El Negro Del Blanco, with Paulo Moura (Biscoito Fino, 2004)
Brasileirinho (Rob Digital, 2005)
Tokyo Session (Koala Records, 2006)
Lida (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
Lado B, with Dominguinhos (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
Ida e Volta (GHA Records, 2007)
Mafuá (Biscoito Fino, 2008)
Yamandu Costa e Rogério Caetano (2011)
Live, with Hamilton de Holanda (Adventure Music, 2011)
Continente (Biscoito Fino, 2013)
Tocata à Amizade (Biscoito Fino, 2015)
Recanto (Bagual, 2017)
Borghetti Yamandu (Estação Filmes, 2017)
Yamandú Costa, Ricardo Herz (Maximus Midia Digital, 2018)
Vento Sul (Maximus Midia Digital, 2019)
Festejo (2020)
Caminantes, with Martín Sued, Luís Guerreiro (2021)
Cosa De Hermanos… with Luiz Carlos Borges, Rudi y Nini Flores (Ramos Generales, 2021)
Jazz Cigano Quinteto E Yamandu Costa (2022)
De Vida y Vuelta, with Domingo El Colorao (2023)
Prenda Minha, with António Zambujo (Universal Music Portugal, 2024)
Inner Spirits, with Jan Lundgren (ACT, 2024)

DVDs:

Música do Brasil Vol.I (2005)
Yamandu Costa ao Vivo (2005)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.