Duo Siqueira Lima video gallery: one guitar, four hands

In 2001 an international guitar competition was held in Caixas do Sul in Brazil. The judges could not separate two of the entrants, and they awarded them joint first place. They were the Uruguayan Cecilia Siqueira and Fernando de Lima from Brazil.  That might have been the first time they shared a stage, but it was most certainly not the last. Cecilia and Fernando  first performed together in 2002 and four years later Duo Siqueira Lima was officially formed.

The Duo's performances have been described as "as as finely detailed as a Fabergé egg" by the New York Times and they have performed all over the world - to great acclaim. Their work links "the classical to Brazilian instrumental" and they are also regular performers at international jazz festivals. On their recent US tour the duo received both public and critical acclaim, winning the Brazilian International Press Awards USA 2014 in the process.

They first came to my attention via a Youtube clip of their quirky yet technically perfect 'four hands, one guitar' rendition of the Brazilian standard Tico Tico no Fubá. There's not much point in describing this jaw-dropping performance - rather watch it for yourself and appreciate every nuance. Their obvious enjoyment of the performance is also a real treat.

But of course they have not developed an international reputation on one gimmicky - albeit technically perfect - number. They spend most of their performances seated in different chairs and playing on separate guitars. Like this one:

If you're anything like me you probably want to know more about their personal lives. Unfortunately there's not much written about them (not in English at least!) but I can tell you that they are married (how cool is that?) and they live in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Here's an interview with them, that gives a bit of insight into the unassuming and humble people behind the virtuoso performances.

If you're visiting Brazil, and Sao Paulo in particular there's a pretty good chance you'll be able to catch a live performance. And if you're prepared to wait a while I am sure they'll come to the US again. Check out this link for their upcoming performances: Calendar.

To wrap things up here's a Colombian trio who managed to get 6 hands onto one guitar. It's a fun performance, but it doesn't really compare with Cecilia and Fernando. Or am I biased?

If you want more of the really good stuff, check out the