Baden Powell de Aquino, his full name, was a Brazilian musician and composer born in 1937 and named by his father after the founder of the Boy Scout movement.

Under his (albeit confusing) stage name Baden Powell, he began playing guitar at an early age and trained with famous samba and choros artists such as Jayme Florence (also known as Meira), Raphael Rabello and Maurício Carrilho. he recorded his first solo album in 1959, and in 1960 the bossa nova poet and lyricist Vinicius de Moares attended one of his concerts and was impressed.

Their collaboration helped Baden Powell to international fame, and he performed at the most famous jazz festivals in Europe and North America and recorded numerous other albums.

He later retired to Rio de Janeiro and died there in 2000. Baden Powell fused indigenous and European idioms into a unique crossover style that combined samba, folk song, choros, bossa nova and jazz. The published versions of his pieces are transcriptions of his own recordings. This is a challenge for any new performer: How to stay true to Baden Powell's lyrics and creative personality while remaining true to the essentially personal and improvisatory nature of the idiom?

In these studio recordings from May 2024, Italian guitarist Andrea Monarda takes up this challenge with enthusiasm, infusing the spirit of Baden Powell through his own free adaptations of 18 pieces from the published songbooks, amounting to an "interpretation of an interpretation".

His song selection spans roughly a decade of Baden Powell's career, from the early 1960s to the 1970s, when his reputation and inspiration were at their peak.

Baden Powell de Aquino (1937-2000) was one of the best-known and most influential guitarists and composers in his native Brazil. Known for his seamless blend of classical technique and Brazilian musical tradition, Baden-Powell's songbook is a treasure trove for guitarists who want to explore the depths of Brazilian music.

The songbook reflects the rich diversity of Brazil's musical heritage, combining samba, bossa nova, choro and Afro-Brazilian rhythms with classical influences. It demonstrates Baden Powell's ability to convey emotion through complex melodies and innovative harmonies. Pieces like "Samba Triste" and "Berimbau" capture the rhythmic vitality of samba, while works like "Apelo" and "Manhã de Carnaval" reveal his lyrical sensitivity.

Baden Powell's compositions often challenge guitarists with their technical demands, requiring precision, dexterity and a deep understanding of Brazilian rhythms and phrasing. His use of alternate tunings and complex chord voicings expands the expressive possibilities of the guitar and makes his songbook a milestone for advanced players.

- Played with rich colors and great joy by Italian guitarist Andrea Monarda, about whom Ennio Morricone said: "I am truly grateful to Andrea Monarda for his precise analysis of my Quattro pezzi for guitar. I am grateful for the attention and experience of this brilliant professional who, with his sensitive interpretation, 'discovered' the composer's secret intentions." Monarda has previously released recordings of guitar works by Mignone and Gnattali.