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Mike Marshall & Hamilton de Holanda North Meets South: From Brazil to Bluegrass Two of the world's most accomplished mandolinists celebrate the sheerjoy and wonders of pure music-making.Mike Marshall, considered one of America's premiere mandolinists,teams up with Brazil's finest, Hamilton de Holanda.Watching these two virtuosi on stage is like witnessing two gladiators coming together to defend their great mandolin states. After two notes, however, the rhythmic joy ride that these two create and common, quickly wins the day and you will experience the mandolin event of the century. Mike and Hamilton had their first musical encounter in France last Oct and have since performed together in Europe, Brazil and California. They have just completed a new CD that will be released in 2006, on Mike's record label, Adventure Music. MEET HAMILTON DE HOLANDA In the legacy of such great mandolinists as Jacob do Bandolim, Joel Nascimento and Armandinho, the young Hamilton de Holanda stands out like a beacon for the future of Brazilian music today. Considered one of the greatest virtuosos to ever play the instrument, Hamilton was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1976. He very quickly revolutionized the state of the art form and created a new standard of musicianship and creativity that is unparalleled today. De Holanda has developed a thorough polyphonic playing technique, as well as an enriched timbral and percussive palette on his extended range mandolin (he has an added low C string).  Hamilton's charismatic and communicative enthusiasm on stage, his flawless playing and his sophisticated harmonic and rhythmic sense make him one of the most remarkable musicians of the new generation of performers and composers. In just a few years of touring and recording, Hamilton has already performed with some to the top names in acoustic music and jazz. He has worked with Mike Marshall, Hermeto Pascoal, Joao Bosco, Marco Pereira, Richard Galliano and Cesarea Evora to name a few. Benefited both from a stimulating musical ambience in his family (where his father and brothers were all outstanding musicians) and an in-depth academic training, Hamilton finished his studies at the music university by composing a concerto for orchestra and bandolim which he has performed with the Symphonique Orchestra of the National Theater and the Philharmonique Orchestra of Brazilia. Each year the Brazilian government awards a grant to one student to study abroad for one year. Hamilton was awarded this grant and moved to Paris, France in 2003. His work is very much Brazilian at its core, and yet it has a thoroughly contemporary and worldview aesthetic. His interpretations are energetic and improvisational, yet very soulful, crossing many musical boundaries - especially Latin, jazz and world music styles. Hamilton's quartet CD, Musica das Nuvens e do Choro (produced by Torcuato Mariano), moves his group to a jazz-oriented contemporary style. The virtuosity of all four players is breathtaking throughout the CD's mix of original compositions and works by Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pascoal and Astor Piazzolla. His solo mandolin CD 01 Byte 10 Cordas is a tour de force for the art of mandolin playing today and his soon to be released CD of duets with mandolinist Mike Marshall will be released in 2006 on Adventure Music, and will sure to astound all those who hear. Go to artist website.