Leo Eymard plays a viola caipira
By Miche Archetto
“The viola caipira (Portuguese for country guitar) is a ten-string, five-course guitar. Unlike most steel-string guitars, its strings are plucked with the fingers of the right hand similarly to the technique used for classical and flamenco guitars, rather than by the use of a plectrum.
It is a folk instrument commonly found in Brazil, where it is often simply called viola. Resonator models are also produced.
A large number of tunings are used; open tunings are common.“
This is what you can find on Wikipedia about this instrument, which resembles the baroque guitar.
Leo Eymard is a young brazilian guitarist, and here he plays his composition for viola entitled “Caminho Velho”. The bio on his facebook page is in Portuguese only. Here is a rough translation:
“Leo Eymard, from Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil), had his first contact with music when 5 years old he began to learn piano. Graduated in music from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), he attended several courses with important musicians, such as André Mehmari, Cristovao Bastos, Alessandro Penezzi and Rogério Caetano. He served as music producer, arranger and player of the shows “Na Carreira” and “Um dia me contou esse andarilho”, touring several cities in Brazil and Latin America. In 2012, Leo Eymard performed at Savassi Festival and Project Pizindin, the latter interpreting compositions by Yamandú Costa. In the same year, he was the winner of the Viola contest of the TV network Globo Minas. Recently he won the XIII BDMG Instrumental Award, one of the most important and prestigious of the Country. His name has become popular through his work as a teacher for the Cifra Club website. Currently, he is working on an album with compositions and instrumental arrangements of his own.“
Author: Robert Harris
