Born 1958 into an artist family (his uncle a violinist in south-france, his mother a gifted painter), Bertino began playing guitar at the age of 13. In the following years he autodidactically learned how to play, mainly by copying what he heared on vinyl-records, teaching himself music.

The founder and Sologuitarrist Bertino Rodmann is play Swing, Jazz and "Jazz Manouche", the music of the Sintis, since the early 1980ies. After many musical experiences in countless Live-Bands and in recording-studios, mainly playing Blues, Rock and Pop-music, he came across the music of Django Reinhardt and the "Quintette du HotClub de France" in 1981 by listening to record at a friends  house. Completely infected by this sound od Swingmusic by Django Reinhardt, Bertino started to adapt that siund and way of playing.
Selfteaching he was listening to the runs, scales and solos of Django Reinhardt, Hännsche Weiss, Angelo DeBarre, Romane and other Sinti-musicians, trying to copy them. He starts to play thios music, learns to play it the same way he did before with other styles. Ever since the  Music of the Sinti and Roma has become a real important issue in his life.

At the end of 1981 he finally found other musicians that were also interested in playing Swingjazz and together with his friend Darco Wolf they founded the "Alex Rodmann Group". Playing with Darco Wolf (Rytm.Git), Billy Bilek (Bs), Dieter Lettner (Cl.) for some years they did many shows in Germany, France and Corse. Later on Jeanou Quilez (RytmGit.) and Linda Freeland (Voc.) joined the group. With this setup they played many concerts, as well for members of the original Reinhardt-Family in south-Germany, when all of a sudden 1985 the Bassplayer Billy Bilek died and the bandbroke up.

Bertino: "Inspired by the virtuos playing of Django Reinhardt i started playing and getting interested for Jazz, founding my own Swing-/Jazz-Formation "Alex Rodmann Group", with whom we played many gigs in the years until 1986. By the sudden death the band split up and there was no chance to go on after."

For long years the dream to start a project like this again went on, when Bertino found the right musicians to form his new Band "Coeur du Bois" in 2007.

Meanwhile they´re all eager to play Live-shows and to excite their audiences to carry on Django Reinardt´s legacy and transport their own admiration for "Jazz Manouche" how it´s been called in France. Bertino also runs the Website www.jazzmanouche.de with many Infos, downloads, Workshops and News on the issue of Gypsyjazz and Jazzmanouche.

Since some years now Bertino is playing alongside of famous Gypsyjazz-Musicians like Fapy Lafertin, Lulo Reinhardt or Jordan Weiss. In 2011 he released his first methodbook "Gypsyjazz Guitar" and is giving lessons and workshops for Gypsyjazz-Guitar called "Masterclass Gypsyjazz Guitar".

More Infos on Bertinos musical vita on the next page.