The Sinti-Guitarrist, violinist, composer and Jazzperformer Dorado Schmitt was born May 29st 1957 in St. Avold (Lorraine, France).Since his childhood and thanks to his family who almost solely is made up from great musicians Dorado was connected very early to Gypsyjazz.
His father (image right)
tought him the guitarplaying at the age of 7, showing him all the great tricks and specialties of the grandmaitre Django Reinhardt. Dorado learned to play and improvise influenced by this great idol. He studied all the songs of Django, even the most difficult and technically challenging solos, needed to copy this style absolute perfectly. It was also his father who tought him how to play the violin, which he also plays today with absolute virtuosity and feeling.
In 1978 he is founding the "Dorado Trio" together with Gino Reinhardt (Doublebass) and Hono Winterstein (Rhythm-Git.). Some years later the guitarrist Claudio Favari joined the group. They recorded a great album together "Dorado et Claudio" in 1979.
Between 1981 and 1983 Dorado is recording 2 more Vinyl-records "Hommage à la Romenes" and "Notre Histoire". In 2014 he releases the album "Dordo Schmitt Family" recorded together with his sons Amati and Samson, as well as cousin Hono Winterstein.
By the time of his lastin carreer Dorado has been playing with many great Jazzmusicians like: Philippe Catherine, Oscar Peterson, Angelo DeBarre, Tschavolo Schmitt, Stephane Grapilli and many more, giving concerts on Festivals in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland.
But Dorado didn´t wanted to only play Django´s Music interpreting it perfectly, but the more to compose his own songs. So he composed many harmonic Melodies with interesting improvisations and outstanding technique. Not only playing Swing solesly but the more Waltzes, Bossa Novas and Flamenco tunes. His most well known compositions is the "Bossa Dorado", which is beeing interpreted by many famous Gypsy-Guitarrists, meanwhile belonging into every Standard-Repertoire of any Gypsyguitarrist.
Dorado Schmitt is mastering all styles that he tries, put down to words: he is one of the really great Masters, known all over the world.
And the more his heritage is already setup right now by his sons Samson and Amati. His youngest son Amati (image right) is already brilliant player at the young age, a great guitarrist with fun and impressing technique, of course beeing orally transferred on him by his father. A great musical family tradition lives on!
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