Amancio D’Silva

Amancio D’Silva (1936-1996) was born in Bombay to Goan parents. Keen to learn the guitar after hearing jazz on the radio, D’Silva’s first professional instrument was a converted bass guitar. The Maharani of Jaipur bought him his first proper guitar – a Gibson – after becoming a fan of his playing, during a residency at the Rambagh Palace Hotel in Jaipur, which the Maharani owned. Back in Bombay, with his new Irish wife Joyce, D’Silva worked as a session musician on Bollywood films. In New Delhi, he worked with celebrated Goan saxophonist Braz Gonsalves.

In 1967, a plan to move to Ireland to seek medical treatment for their infant son, Stephano, became derailed, and they ended up staying in London instead of taking an onward flight. D’Silva found work at the Prospect of Whitby pub in Wapping, where he cleaned toilets as well as performing. He met the influential record producer, Denis Preston, and through him, secured his first recording sessions. He released his debut album ‘Integration’ in 1969. Produced by Preston, and featuring the talents of Don Rendell, Ian Carr, Dave Green and Trevor Tomkins, the album is an impressive early example of a fusion of jazz and Indian music. This was quickly followed by Hum Dono with Joe Harriott and Norma Winstone, then an easy listening album of standards and pop songs, ‘Reflections’. In 1972, D’Silva released ‘Dream Sequence’ as Cosmic Eye, a collaboration with fellow Indian ex-pat, John Mayer.

D’Silva moved to Essex in 1974, and found work teaching and developing electric guitar pick-ups to augment his jazz earnings. A stroke in 1992 ended his playing career. He died shortly after his 60th birthday. A 1974 session with Rendell, Alan Branscombe, Stan Tracey, sitar and two tablas, remained unreleased until 2006.

Key Recordings:
Integration (EMI 1969)
Hum Dono (EMI 1969)
Cosmic Eye: Dream Sequence (EMI 1972)