Nuno Mindelis facts for kids
Nuno Mindelis was born on August 7, 1957, in Cabinda, Angola. He is a famous Brazilian blues guitarist and singer. People sometimes call him "The Beast from Brazil."
Nuno sings most of his songs in English. But he also made an album called Outros Nunos in 2006. This album was sung in Portuguese, his first language. He has worked with the band Double Trouble on two albums. Nuno was inspired by musicians like Otis Redding and Johnny Winter.
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Life as a Musician
Nuno Mindelis loved guitars from a very young age. He became interested in them when he was just five years old. By the time he was nine, he was already building and playing his own guitars. One of his early inspirations was the singer Otis Redding. He also admired Redding's band, Booker T. & the MG's.
In 1990, a recording Nuno made started playing on local radio stations. This helped him get noticed. In 1991, he released his first solo album, Blues & Derivados. It received good reviews in Brazil.
Early Albums and Festivals
In 1992, Nuno recorded his second album, Long Distance Blues. On this album, he played with Larry McCray and French harmonica player J.J. Milteau. To promote the album, Nuno played at a blues festival in São Paulo. Many famous blues artists were there, including Robert Cray and Bo Diddley.
In 1994, Guitar Player magazine wrote about Nuno Mindelis. He gained more recognition in May 1998. Guitar Player chose him as the "Best Blues Guitarist" in their 30th Anniversary competition. In 1995, Nuno played at Antone's 20th Anniversary event in Austin, Texas. He opened for artists like Guy Forsite and Junior Wells.
Working with Double Trouble
Later in 1995, Nuno recorded his album Texas Bound. For this album, he worked with Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton. They were the rhythm section of Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, Double Trouble. Texas Bound became a popular album in Europe.
In 1999, Nuno released another album called Blues on the Outside. Double Trouble also played on this album.
International Performances
Nuno Mindelis performed at the 25th Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2001. He also played shows in Quebec and Ottawa. He returned to the festival in 2004 after releasing his album Twelve Hours. He played in Quebec and Ottawa again. He also performed at the Montremblant Blues Festival. There, he shared the stage with musicians like Keb' Mo' and Jimmie Vaughan.
In 2005, Nuno recorded Outros Nunos. This album was a tribute to Brazil. All the songs were sung in Portuguese. It included new versions of classic Brazilian songs.
Recent Work
In 2010, Nuno released Free Blues. He produced and played everything on this album himself. He wanted to give a new sound to blues and rock songs that inspired him as a teenager. He used electronic sounds and even rap in some songs.
In 2013, the album Angels & Clowns came out. It was produced by Duke Robillard, who also played on the record.
In 2014, Nuno played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival again. After that, he toured several cities in Quebec.
In 2018, Nuno recorded his first live album. This happened during the Suwalki Blues Festival in Poland. He was a main performer there, along with other famous artists. Nuno Mindelis is now honored on the Suwalki Festival's Walk of Fame.
In 2020, Nuno started releasing songs from his album Angola Blues. This album is a tribute to Angola, the country where he was born. He lived there until he was 17 years old. The first song, "Cabinda," came out in January 2020. The full album was released in April 2020.
Discography
- Blues e Derivados (1989)
- Long Distance Blues (1992)
- Texas Bound (1996)
- Nuno Mindelis & the Cream Crackers (1998)
- Blues on the Outside (1999)
- Twelve Hours (2003)
- Outros Nunos (2005)
- Free Blues (2010)
- Angels & Clowns (2013)
- Live At The Suwalki Festival / Poland (2018)
- "Cabinda" (single) (2020)
- Angola Blues (2020)
