Hamilton de Holanda

Hamilton de Holanda absolutely blew my mind at 2007 Wintergrass in Tacoma, Washington. Not necessarily technically folk, he was brought in as an exquisite master of the mandolin, and played a "Midnight Mandolins" show with fellow master Chris Thile. He's an extraordinary picker with a clear mastery of the instrument, and really gave Thile a run for his money, blending Brazilian folk music with contemporary American jazz.