Brazil MPB 2010s ▶ 117K subscribers

Hamilton de Holanda

Hamilton de Holanda is a Brazilian bandolim (mandolin) player, composer and improviser known for blending choro with contemporary jazz. He plays a custom 10-string bandolim, adding a pair of low strings to the traditional eight-string instrument.

Origins

Born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Brasília, he began playing the bandolim as a small child and made his debut at six. With his brother Fernando César he formed the duo Dois de Ouro, and he helped found a choro school in Brasília in the late 1990s.

The sound

His music starts from choro and samba and opens into jazz improvisation, with fast solos and dense counterpoint. He has recorded tributes to Pixinguinha, Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento and Jacob do Bandolim, and collaborated with Yamandú Costa, Stefano Bollani and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

Legacy

He has won the Latin Grammy for Best Instrumental Album three times, for Samba de Chico, Maxixe Samba Groove and Tembla with C4 Trío. His album NOVA, with Salomão Soares and Thiago Big Rabello, was nominated for Best Instrumental Album at the 2026 Latin Grammys.