Yamandu Costa e Ricardo Herz

The duo’s debut album showcases the Brazil of every sound: Yamandu Costaand Ricardo Herz

For the first time, guitarist Yamandu Costa and violinist Ricardo Herz appear together on an album.
Drawing on distinct influences, the musicians have crafted a repertoire that showcases Brazil in all its corners and sounds.
Through his technique, São Paulo native Ricardo Herz brings the breathing rhythm of the accordion and the growl of the Northeastern *rabeca (traditional Brazilian fiddle)* (folk fiddle) to his instrument, alongside the beautiful melodies of both traditional and modern *choro*.
Yamandu Costa, hailing from the South, brings a clear influence from borderland music.

Thus, their collaborative work emerges from an attempt to blend these musical languages ​​without boundaries.
They achieve this beautifully through two instruments that have always complemented each other—not only in Brazilian music but internationally as well: the guitar and the violin.

According to Yamandu, “On this album we recorded, the compositions are all original—our own—with the aim of speaking about Brazil in a general sense, since composition is the result of all the influences and intentions we bring to making music.”
Herz adds, “From the moment I first saw Yamandu play, I felt this partnership would work out. Once we met in person, I was certain. Although our backgrounds are quite different—I came from classical music into popular music, while he came from popular music and increasingly performs on concert stages—we’ve arrived at a middle ground that communicates beautifully. We both try to draw on what each tradition can contribute to the other. Yamandu and I learned the music for this album by ear, improvising on the musical intent, responding through our choices of notes, counterpoints, and octaves, and creating much of the arrangement while actually playing. It all came straight from the heart!”

A guitarist and composer born in Passo Fundo in 1980, Yamandu began studying the guitar at age seven with his father, Algacir Costa—leader of the group “Os Fronteiriços”—and further honed his skills under Lúcio Yanel, an Argentine virtuoso based in Brazil.
Until the age of 15, his sole musical education came from the folk music of southern Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.
In 2010, the album *Luz da Aurora*, recorded with Hamilton de Holanda, was nominated for a Latin Grammy.
In 2012, he won the Cubadisco International Award in Cuba for the album *Mafuá* and received an ALBA Award commendation for the album *Lida*.
Yamandu Costa is currently the Brazilian musician who performs most frequently abroad, touring a wide range of countries across the globe: France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Slovenia, Russia, Lithuania, Serbia, Greece, Macedonia, Israel, Cyprus, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Angola, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, the USA, Canada, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Costa Rica.

A classical violin graduate of USP, Herz also studied at the renowned Berklee College of Music in the United States and at the Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood—a school founded by the French violinist and jazz violin legend.
He has performed or recorded with various musicians, including Dominguinhos, Hamilton de Holanda, Didier Lockwood, and Gabriel Grossi, among others.
In 2011, he founded the Ricardo Herz Trio, featuring Pedro Ito on drums and Michael Ruzitschka on 7-string guitar; in 2012, he released the album *Aqui é o meu Lá*, a project that took him to numerous national and international festivals.
In addition to the trio, Ricardo maintains two duos—one with the vibraphonist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Antonio Loureiro (from Minas Gerais) and another with the accordionist Samuca do Acordeon (from Rio Grande do Sul)—and has released CDs with both duos.
In late 2017, he released a CD in collaboration with pianist and conductor Nelson Ayres.