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Trending in Sérgio Mendes’s World
Latest Album
Mas Que Nada
Released Jan 1, 1998
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Quick Facts
Born
1941
1941
From
Brazil
Brazil
Journey
Sérgio Santos Mendes was a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger, singer, and bandleader whose career brought Brazilian music into sustained contact with international pop, jazz, and popular culture. Born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Mendes initially trained as a classical pianist before turning toward jazz and the emerging bossa nova movement. By the early 1960s, he was performing in Rio de Janeiro and had established the Bossa Rio Sextet, recording "Dance Moderno" in 1961. His early work also led to collaborations with American jazz musicians Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann and an appearance at the historic 1962 bossa nova concert at Carnegie Hall.
Mendes moved to the United States in 1964, where he developed the group Brasil ’66. His partnership with A&M Records founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss proved decisive. The 1966 album "Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66" established Mendes as an international recording artist, with “Mas Que Nada,” written by Jorge Ben, becoming his signature recording. The Portuguese-language hit reached the top five of the Billboard pop chart, while subsequent Brasil ’66 recordings included successful interpretations of “The Fool on the Hill,” “The Look of Love,” and other international songs.
Across the following decades, Mendes continued adapting his Brazilian musical foundation to changing audiences. His catalog incorporated bossa nova, samba, jazz, pop, funk, and later hip-hop, while successive Brasil groups maintained his emphasis on Brazilian repertoire and international collaborations. His 1992 album "Brasileiro" earned the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, adding to a career that ultimately produced more than 35 albums.
Mendes entered a new generation of popular music through "Timeless" (2006), produced with will.i.am and featuring artists including Justin Timberlake, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, India.Arie and Jill Scott. He also contributed substantially to the "Rio" film franchise, co-writing “Real in Rio,” which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. His final studio album, "In the Key of Joy," was released in 2019.
Mendes died in Los Angeles on September 5, 2024, aged 83. His six-decade career established a lasting connection between Brazilian musical traditions and international popular music, while his recordings with Brasil ’66 gave generations of listeners a distinctive entry point into Brazilian repertoire.
