Hajo Hoffmann - Mandovocale - Licht und Schatten

The author of Hajo Hoffmann's nickname, the “Jimi Hendrix of the mandoline,” can no longer be ascertained. But once you hear how proficiently and innovatively Hoffmann approaches the mandolin, you will quickly understand the association with the guitar idol who died in 1970. As Hendrix did with the guitar in his time, Hoffmann uses his mandolin to break out of the confines of all the usual genres to steer towards unknown musical shores. On his new CD, “Mandovocale – Licht und Schatten” (Mandovocale – Light And Shadows), Hoffmann offers a program ranging from Bach to Paganini, from Telemann to German and Brazilian songs and his own compositions. Pop, jazz and world music converge here to form a sonorous mix of instrument, voice and electronic modulation. Anyone wanting to know how the music of Johann Sebastian Bach fuses with Indian sounds should try out “Licht und Schatten.”