"I hope that politics also remembers the good and positive things that created the history of humanity and not just thinking about business and profit! The fear may be the fact of not having a live freedom lived in all these years and that the bad "music" takes people's minds!"

Andrea Braido: Golden (Music) Touch

Andrea Braido born in Trento in 1964 on June the 26th. His family, then, moved a few miles away to Pergine Valsugana where he lived for twenty years. When he is just 4 years old he happily starts playing the drums, also thanks to an approving familiar environment that drives him positively until he plays semi-professionally in bands at the age of 10 for half a decade. He then decides to take it seriously and graduates in music theory and solfeggio. When he is 12 he learns both the guitar and the bass guitar, playing and listening to all music available. As a mature musician, he definitely blooms at the age of 20 when he plays various jam sessions with famous jazz musicians between Boston and New York. When he returns to Italy, this experience and the enriched musical and cultural background allow him to get his first professional jobs playing all types of guitars, electric bass and drums.                                                 (Photo: Andrea Braido)

During his career, he collaborated with a good number of distinguished musicians playing for both live and studio sessions: Nicolette Larson/ Patti Pravo/Vasco Rossi/Zucchero/Raf/Gatto Panceri /Eros Ramazzotti/Mina/Bruno Lauzi/Franz di Cioccio/Riccardo Fogli/Adriano Celentano /Paola Turci/ Angelo Branduardi/Laura Pausini/Frank Gambale /Carl Palmer/ Marcus Miller and many others. Jam-sessions: Linley Marthe/Andrè Ceccarelli/Jean Paul Ceccarelli/ Will Calhoun/Frank Tonto/ Mathew Garrison/Lincoln Goines/Kim Plainfield/Bill O’Connell/Francis Lassus/ Terry Eliez and others. He played like guitar player in some TV shows with special guest like: Liza Minelli, Lenny Krawitz, Dionne Warwick, and Lionel Richie. Overall, as a music professional he played in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, UK, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, South America and the former USSR. At present, many consider him one of the most talented and adaptable guitarists worldwide. His latest release titled "The Golden Magic Guitar" (2020).

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Jazz and Rock music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Surely jazz has allowed me a thought of greater expressive freedom while rock has allowed me to express energy and transmit it with more immediacy than other music. in many trips or during tours I often went to places where jam sessions were held!

How do you describe your sound and music philosophy? Where does your creative drive come from?

I have always worked a lot on the sound trying to make it become my precise and distinguishable voice that transmits my love for music, my suffering, my joy, sex and nature! My inspiration as well as from life itself comes from above spiritually.

Which meetings have been the most important experiences? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Every experience mattered, certainly my first time in New York City taught me a lot!  I was only 20 years old and I learned very quickly to express the best immediately without excuses. The best advice has always been to study and listen to all the music and not just some genres and with honesty and sincerity!

"Surely jazz has allowed me a thought of greater expressive freedom while rock has allowed me to express energy and transmit it with more immediacy than other music. in many trips or during tours I often went to places where jam sessions were held!" (Photo: Andrea Braido)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

With pleasure! I played in various jam sessions and tours, among these I remember the acoustic tour with Frank Gambale in Italy, the jam sessions at the Blue Note in Milan with Marcus Miller, a fun tour with TM Stevens, other jams with Alain Cairon, various blues rock tours in Germany and the Czech Republic and certainly many big ones. tour and studio sessions done with some Italian stars like Mina, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti, Angelo Branduardi and many others!

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I grew up playing with people much older than me and so it's like I've lived in a different era than mine! Currently missing that improvisational spirit by creating new things! Many people are convinced that being "good" corresponds to imitating someone else ... I think that nature has made us different starting from the iris of the eyes, just to express uniqueness but this costs a lot of sacrifice and effort!

I hope that politics also remembers the good and positive things that created the history of humanity and not just thinking about business and profit! The fear may be the fact of not having a live freedom lived in all these years and that the bad "music" takes people's minds!

Make an account of the case of Jazz, Blues n' Rock in Italy. Which is the most interesting period in local scene?

Personally I have lived more rock and pop because I have always found the jazz environment very closed and not very available to new talents and I believe that the 70s until the mid-90s were very good... but we always hope for the best!

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?                                          (Photo: Andrea Braido)

As someone said if you take care of the music, she will take care of you! A musician never feels alone or at least in the way a person who is not might understand. In addition, Music always pays off, perhaps not necessarily in economic terms. Certainly, one of the most beautiful life experiences for me!

"I have always worked a lot on the sound trying to make it become my precise and distinguishable voice that transmits my love for music, my suffering, my joy, sex and nature! My inspiration as well as from life itself comes from above spiritually."

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want it to affect people?

I believe that at certain times Music has liberated many people on a mental and spiritual level. I regret that it is often used in a political way. Music is music, politics is politics. Of course, it was often a freedom song!

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