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Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Hamilton de Holanda To Release New Album: “Collab”
Sony Music Brazil is thrilled to unveil a remarkable musical convergence of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian jazz on Collab, personified by two of its greatest exponents: the renowned Afro-Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, named one of the great pianists of the 20th century (Piano & Keyboard Magazine) and known for his impeccable technique and rhythmic innovation, and the virtuoso Brazilian mandolinist Hamilton de Holanda, whose skill and creativity has revolutionized the instrument and Brazilian music. Equal parts challenging and accessible, Collab is a musical journey through varied soundscapes, with each track offering a new discovery rooted in their common African ancestry. Collab will release internationally on May 31, and in the United States on July 19, 2024.
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, brings with him a wealth of influences when approaching Afro-Cuban rhythms, from the pulsating energy of the batá drums (drums of African origin, from the Yoruba culture, used both in music and in Santeria) to the complex harmonies of contemporary jazz. His piano interpretation is marked by captivating fluidity and enveloping emotional intensity, combining impeccable technique with a visceral expressiveness that resonates with listeners. On the other hand, Hamilton de Holanda is a true master of the Brazilian mandolin, elevating this instrument to new heights of virtuosity and innovation, inspiring a new generation of instrumentalists. His music is saturated with the vibrant colors and rhythms of Brazil, infusing jazz with elements ranging from traditional choro to influences of samba and bossa nova, and beyond. Hamilton is recognized for his extraordinary improvisational ability, as well as his capacity to extract a surprising range of sounds from his 10-string mandolin, thus creating a truly unique musical experience.
![Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Collab [album cover]](https://i0.wp.com/latinjazznet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Hamilton-de-Holanda-Gonzalo-Rubalcaba-COLLAB-740.jpg?resize=740%2C740&ssl=1)
“For many years, I’ve been listening to Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He’s one of those musicians whose sound you recognize immediately. I’ve always had the desire to play with him because I felt that he was doing things that resonated with my vision of music, especially with his national accent and international outlook,” Holanda reflected.
“Hamilton is a Maestro. I am sure that on many occasions the adjective “virtuoso” has been used to refer to him, and yes he is. But he is not only a virtuoso in terms of mastery of the instrument with which he transmits the music,” Rubalcaba shared. “He is a virtuoso of thought, a virtuoso of ideas, he is a virtuoso in many facets that go far beyond just controlling this instrument which, by the way, once again, he does, perhaps like few others do around the world.”
Earlier this year, the duo met at the legendary Criteria Studio in Miami and created the amazing Collab. The fusion of Rubalcaba‘s Afro-Cuban jazz with Holanda’s Brazilian influences creates a unique synergy. The result is music that is both rooted in tradition and innovative in its approach, a celebration of the richness and diversity of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian musical traditions. Brazilian star special guests composer and singer João Bosco, as well as harmonica player Gabriel Grossi, add additional layers of depth and meaning to the tracks, providing an even richer and more engaging auditory experience.
Rubalcaba contributed three original compositions, including the challenging “Blues Landvall,” the lyrical “Yolanda Anas,” and the emotive “Transparence.” Holanda offers his own trio of originals, including the Choro-inspired “Mandalagh,” composed for the duo, the high-flying “Flying Chicken,” and “Choro Fado,” which had its first recording on Holanda’s Latin Grammy-winning 2023 album “Maxixe Samba Groove” In addition to these originals, the album features reinterpretations of gems from the Brazilian repertoire (“Incompatibilidade de Gênios” by João Bosco and Aldir Blanc, presented in two versions—one instrumental and one sung), classic soul music (“Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” by Stevie Wonder), jazz (“Silence” by bassist Charlie Haden), and Portuguese pop (“Saudade, Saudade” by Maro & John Blanda).
“Incompatibilidade de Gênios” explores the complexities of human relationships and the dynamics between divergent personalities. João Bosco‘s interpretation, with his distinctive and expressive voice, brings new flavors to the music. On “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” the participation of the creative harmonica player Gabriel Grossi is a tribute to one of the greatest musicians of all time, the great Stevie Wonder.
“I am happy with the result of all the work that goes into making the album, and with the work that has had to do directly with this album that I consider as a work of chamber music. I am even more excited because we have created a platform that allows us to share with a wide and diverse audience. We have created a project that is our banner of invitation to listeners from different parts of the world,” Rubalcaba shared.
Essential in today’s world, Collab is an example of true cultural diplomacy. This meeting of cultural heritages promotes mutual understanding and cooperation in a global context, and reinforces jazz’s position as a truly universal musical genre. Afro-Latin Jazz and Brazilian Jazz are vital tributaries of jazz for the continuous evolution of the music as a truly global and multicultural art form. The genres have been fundamental to expanding the reach of jazz, introducing new rhythms, melodies, and harmonies into music, playing an important role in promoting intercultural understanding and celebrating global musical diversity. In the hands of Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Hamilton de Holanda, this musical convergence is explored in masterful form.
“Listening to the finished album, I feel a sense of gratitude for everything I experience in music and beyond,” concludes Holanda.
Source: Lydia Liebman Promotions
Brazilian mandolin virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda opens a new creative chapter with Nova, a wide-ranging album that brings the traditions of Brazilian instrumental music into conversation with contemporary jazz and sounds from Africa, India, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Released by Sony Music Brasil on May 20, 2026, the 14-track, 56-minute recording was produced by de Holanda and Marcos Portinari. Recorded in different parts of the world, Nova draws inspiration from the people, places and musical encounters that have marked de Holanda’s extensive travels.
At the heart of the album is the Hamilton de Holanda Trio: de Holanda on 10-string mandolin, Salomão Soares on keyboards and synthesizers, and Thiago “Big” Rabello on drums. Their six-year musical partnership gives the project its central identity, balancing rhythmic precision, melodic freedom and intuitive ensemble interaction.
The trio is joined by an impressive international cast that includes Indian sitarist Anoushka Shankar, French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, Cuban percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martínez, Angolan singer-songwriter Paulo Flores and Brazilian percussion legend Paulinho da Costa. Other guests include Pedro Martins, Michael Pipoquinha, Pretinho da Serrinha, Mestra Zélia do Prato and Larissa Umaytá.
Opening with “Nova Alvorada,” the album imagines a new dawn rooted in African and Afro-Brazilian traditions. Pedrito Martínez contributes vocals and percussion, Michael Pipoquinha adds electric bass, and singers Tatiana Parra, Vanessa Moreno and Dani Gurgel form the supporting chorus.
Elsewhere, “Som de Baile” channels the energy of Brazilian dance bands, drawing upon the spirit of Banda Black Rio, Jorge Ben Jor and Gilberto Gil. “Frio Lá Fora,” composed during a bitterly cold stay in New York, features Maalouf and Pretinho da Serrinha, while “Pras Crianças” combines an ijexá-based foundation with the resonant sound of Shankar’s sitar. “Luanda (Unidos)” creates a bridge to Angolan semba through the voice and text of Paulo Flores.
Among the album’s most reflective compositions is “Mono no Aware,” which has received an official visualizer. Written by de Holanda and Soares, its title comes from a Japanese expression describing an awareness of life’s impermanence—and the realization that beauty becomes more meaningful because it is temporary.
Recorded at producer and engineer Mario Caldato Jr.’s Los Angeles studio, the piece features Paulinho da Costa on percussion and Pedro Martins on guitar alongside the trio. The gathering connects three generations of Brazilian musicians in a performance that is sophisticated, spacious and emotionally restrained.
The visualizer complements the composition’s contemplative character through imagery evoking delicacy, transition and constant transformation. Rather than presenting a literal storyline, it creates an intimate visual environment in which the music’s mixture of quiet joy and underlying sadness can unfold. The official visualizer is available through Hamilton de Holanda’s YouTube channel.
Now entering his sixth decade, de Holanda remains one of Brazilian instrumental music’s most innovative figures. By expanding the traditional eight-string bandolim into a 10-string instrument, he developed a broader harmonic and melodic vocabulary that has allowed him to move naturally among choro, samba, jazz and global musical traditions.
With Nova, that spirit of invention is guided by gratitude, generosity and an enduring belief in music’s ability to connect people. Tradition and experimentation are not treated as opposites; they become complementary parts of a living musical language.
As de Holanda explains, creating original music with such an extraordinary community of artists is his way of affirming that, regardless of the world’s uncertainties, “the music will continue.”
Nova — Complete Track Listing
1. Nova Alvorada — Hamilton de Holanda
2. Presente pra Sempre — Hamilton de Holanda
3. Nasci — Hamilton de Holanda
4. Som de Baile — Hamilton de Holanda
5. Mono no Aware — Hamilton de Holanda and Salomão Soares
6. Frio Lá Fora — Hamilton de Holanda and Gabriel de Holanda
7. Carrossel — Hamilton de Holanda and Gabriel de Holanda
8. Pras Crianças — Hamilton de Holanda
9. Luanda (Unidos) — Hamilton de Holanda
10. Por Essa Eu Não Esperava — Hamilton de Holanda and Gabriel de Holanda
11. Forrozin de Mestra Zélia — Hamilton de Holanda
12. Choro Fado — Hamilton de Holanda
13. Sol da Noite — Hamilton de Holanda
14. Até Amanhã — Hamilton de Holanda and Salomão Soares
Album Credits
Hamilton de Holanda Trio
Hamilton de Holanda: 10-string mandolin
Salomão Soares: keyboards, synthesizers and Moog
Thiago “Big” Rabello: drums and percussion
Guest Artists and Additional Musicians
“Nova Alvorada”
Pedrito Martínez — percussion and vocals
Michael Pipoquinha — bass
Tatiana Parra — backing vocals
Vanessa Moreno — backing vocals
Dani Gurgel — backing vocals
“Nasci”
Eduardo Neves — tenor saxophone
Aquiles Moraes — trumpet
Rafael Rocha — trombone and horn arrangement
“Som de Baile”
Eduardo Neves — tenor saxophone
Aquiles Moraes — trumpet
Rafael Rocha — trombone and horn arrangement
Larissa Umaytá — percussion
“Mono no Aware”
Paulinho da Costa — percussion
Pedro Martins — guitar
“Frio Lá Fora”
Ibrahim Maalouf — trumpet
Pretinho da Serrinha — percussion
“Pras Crianças”
Anoushka Shankar — sitar
Leander Motta — moringa percussion
“Luanda (Unidos)”
Paulo Flores — voice and spoken text
“Forrozin de Mestra Zélia”
Mestra Zélia do Prato — voice
Production
Producers: Hamilton de Holanda and Marcos Portinari
Executive producer and editing engineer: Marcos Portinari
Assistant producer: Fellipe Cabral
Mixing: Thiago Rabello and Da Pá Virada
Mastering: André Dias
Assistant engineer: Vitor Nery
Photography: Nando Chagas
Label: Sony Music Brasil
Release date: May 20, 2026
Format: Digital album
Duration: Approximately 56 minutes
Craft Latino will reissue Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe’s landmark 1969 album, Cosa Nuestra, on September 25, bringing one of salsa’s most influential recordings back to vinyl and CD. The new edition pays tribute to the late Willie Colón while celebrating an album that helped define the sound, image, and cultural force of New York salsa.
The vinyl edition has been mastered entirely in the analog domain and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. A limited Metallic Blue pressing, restricted to 300 copies, will also be available through Fania, either separately or bundled with a retro-logo T-shirt. A newly remastered version of the album is already available on digital platforms in standard and high-resolution audio.
Colón and Lavoe began working together in the mid-1960s after meeting at Fania Records. Colón was only 16, while Lavoe was 21. Their 1967 debut, El Malo, introduced an unusually compelling partnership: Colón’s raw, trombone-driven arrangements combined with Lavoe’s distinctive phrasing, streetwise personality, and exceptional command of the sonero tradition.
Following The Hustler and Guisando, the duo moved beyond the boogaloo sound that dominated much of the era and began developing the tougher, more sophisticated musical language that would become closely associated with salsa. Their fourth album, Cosa Nuestra—“Our Thing”—marked the moment when all the elements came together.
The album’s now-iconic cover reinforced the gangster imagery established on their earlier recordings, portraying Colón as a mobster preparing to dispose of a body near the Hudson River. The theatrical concept was more than a marketing device. It reflected the rebellious identity, urban atmosphere, and youthful attitude that made Colón and Lavoe central figures in the emerging Nuyorican music scene.
Produced by Jerry Masucci and overseen by Fania co-founder Johnny Pacheco, Cosa Nuestra introduced a revitalized ensemble featuring trombonist Eric Matos, timbalero Little Louie Romero, conguero Milton Cardona, bongó player José Mangual Jr., bassist Santi González, and pianist Professor Joe Torres.
Its songs offered vivid portraits of barrio life, betrayal, romantic disappointment, and everyday conflict. “Te conozco” focuses on a familiar neighbourhood freeloader, while “Tú no puedes conmigo” addresses the sting of a friend’s disloyalty. “Juana Peña” tells the story of a woman known for deceiving her lovers who eventually experiences heartbreak herself.
The bolero-son “Ausencia” gives Lavoe one of the album’s most emotionally resonant performances, expressing the anguish of a man unable to escape the memory of a failed relationship. In contrast, “Sonero mayor” celebrates improvisation and the art of soneo, one of Lavoe’s defining gifts.
The album’s greatest commercial success came with “Ché ché colé,” inspired by an African children’s game. Blending African and Caribbean rhythmic traditions, the infectious recording reached an international audience, helped propel Colón and Lavoe to stardom, and contributed to Cosa Nuestra becoming their first gold-selling album in the United States.
More than five decades later, Cosa Nuestra remains a cornerstone of salsa. Its combination of musical sophistication, Afro-Caribbean roots, urban storytelling, and unmistakable New York attitude established a model that shaped the genre throughout the 1970s. This reissue offers longtime admirers and new listeners an opportunity to rediscover the album in a format worthy of its enduring historical importance. Pre-Order Now!
Craft Latino is celebrating the legacy of Puerto Rican singer and composer Chamaco Ramírez with the first vinyl reissue of Alive and Kicking, his acclaimed 1979 solo debut. Originally released by Inca Records and unavailable on vinyl for more than 45 years, the album will return on September 18, 2026, in conjunction with the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Although Alive and Kicking was Ramírez’s only album as a solo artist, the nine-song recording remains a powerful demonstration of his talents as a sonero, songwriter and bandleader. The album includes enduring favourites such as “San Agustín,” “Adivínalo” and “Así son Bongó,” supported by an exceptional ensemble of musicians from the New York salsa scene.
The new 180-gram pressing was produced using an all-analog process. Dave Polster and Clint Holley of Well Made Music cut the lacquers directly from the original master tapes, preserving the energy and clarity of Ramírez’s voice and the album’s richly arranged instrumentation. A limited-edition Rumba Amarilla pressing, restricted to 300 copies, will also be available through Fania, either separately or as part of a bundle with a collectible Inca Records T-shirt. The newly remastered album is already available digitally in standard and high-resolution audio.
Born in Puerto Rico in 1941, Ramírez emerged as one of salsa’s most admired improvisational singers. He was only 16 when he joined Tommy Olivencia y Su Orquesta as co-lead vocalist alongside Paquito Guzmán. During his 13 years with the orchestra, Ramírez appeared on eight albums and developed a reputation for his command of the sonero tradition and his ability to create spontaneous verses.
Ramírez also performed with the Alegre All Stars and Kako y Su Orquesta before leaving Olivencia’s band in 1976 and relocating to New York. Three years later, he recorded Alive and Kicking for Inca Records, a Fania subsidiary. The album was produced by Cuban pianist and arranger Javier Vázquez, widely recognized for his association with La Sonora Matancera.
The program opens with “San Agustín,” a memorable son montuno composed by Catalino “Tite” Curet Alonso. The song pays tribute to the working-class San Agustín community in San Juan’s Puerta de Tierra district. Ramírez then turns toward New York’s urban rumba tradition with an updated version of Cuban percussionist Justi Barreto’s “Rumba moderna.”
Among the album’s most popular selections is Ramírez’s own “Adivínalo,” an upbeat composition whose spirited delivery contrasts with its controversial references to drug use. “Así son Bongó,” written by Cuban composer Joseíto Fernández, is another highlight. Its story of an incarcerated man mourning a forgotten romance is transformed by Ramírez and the orchestra into an energetic guaguancó designed for dancers.
The album’s formidable personnel includes trumpeter Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros, bassist Elpidio Vázquez Jr., percussionist and vocalist Jorge Maldonado, saxophonists Manolín González and Mario Rivera, and percussionists Alberto Valdés, Edgar López and Mike Collazo. Adalberto Santiago and Tito Allen strengthen the coro, while producer Javier Vázquez also contributes on piano.
The memorable cover, designed by Ron Levine, depicts Ramírez emerging from a coffin into a beam of sunlight—a visual interpretation of the title that later acquired tragic significance. Ramírez was killed by gun violence in 1983 at the age of 41.
More than four decades later, Alive and Kicking remains a vital salsa recording and a lasting testament to Chamaco Ramírez’s commanding voice, improvisational brilliance and enduring artistic legacy. Pre-Order Now.
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