Mendes is married to Gracinha Leporace who regularly performs vocals for her husband and can also be heard on his 2006 version of the song Mas Que Nada with the Black Eyed Peas.
Early career
The child of a physician in Niterói, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antônio Carlos Jobim (whom he regarded as a mentor) and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.
Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 196. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded albums with Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut two albums under the name Sergio Mendes and Brasil '65 with Capitol Records and Atlantic Records.
Brasil '66
When sales were tepid, he replaced his Brazilian born vocalist Wanda de Sa with the distinctive voice of Chicago native Lani Hall (who learned Mendes' Portuguese material phonetically), switched to Herb Alpert's A&M label, and released Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, an album that went platinum based largely on the success of the single "Mas Que Nada" (a Jorge Ben cover) and the personal support of Alpert, with whom Mendes toured regularly.
The original lineup of Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 was Mendes (piano), vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen, Bob Matthews (bass), Jose Soares (percussion), and Joao Palma (drums). John Pisano guested as guitarist. This lineup recorded three albums between 1966-1968 (including the best-selling Look Around LP), before there was a major personnel change for their fourth album Fool on the Hill.
Karen Philipp replaced Hansen as the second female vocalist, while veteran drummer Dom Um Romão teamed with Rubens Bassini to assume percussionist duties. Sebastiao Neto was the new bassist and Oscar Castro-Neves the guitarist. This lineup had a more orchestral and big band sound than their predecessors. Most significantly, in the early 1970s, lead singer Hall pursued a solo career and became Alpert's second wife. Some accounts claim that Mendes was upset with Alpert for years for "stealing" Hall away from his group.
Though his early singles with Brasil '66 (most notably "Mas Que Nada") met with some success, Mendes really burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar-nominated Burt Bacharach and Hal David song The Look of Love on the Academy Awards telecast in April 1968. Brasil '66's version of the song quickly shot into the top 10, peaking at #4, and eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the soundtrack of the movie, Casino Royale. Mendes spent the rest of 1968 enjoying consecutive top 10 and top 20 hits with his follow-up singles, "The Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair". From 1968 on, Mendes was arguably the biggest Brazilian star in the world, enjoying immense popularity worldwide and performing in venues as varied as stadium arenas and the White House, where he gave concerts for both Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Middle career
Mendes' career in the U.S. stalled in the mid-1970s, but he remained very popular in South America and Japan. His two albums with Bell Records in 1973 and 1974, followed by several for Elektra from 1975 on, found Mendes continuing to mine the best in American pop music and post-bossa writers of his native Brazil, while forging new directions in soul with collaborators like Stevie Wonder, who wrote Mendes' R&B-inflected minor hit, "The Real Thing".
In 1983, he rejoined Alpert's A&M records and enjoyed huge success with a self-titled album and several follow-up albums, all of which received considerable adult contemporary airplay with charting singles. "Never Gonna Let You Go", featuring vocals by Joe Pizzulo and Leza Miller, equalled the success of his 1968 single "The Look of Love" by reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also spent four weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart. In 1984, Mendes worked with singer Lani Hall again.
By the time Mendes released his Grammy-winning Elektra album Brasileiro in 1992, he was the undisputed master of pop-inflected Brazilian jazz. The late-1990s lounge music revival brought retrospection and respect to Mendes' oeuvre, particularly the classic Brasil '66 albums. His stature in his native Brazil is reflected by "Cantor de Mambo", a song by fellow Brazilians Os Mutantes, which they regularly dedicate to Mendes in concert.
Later career
Timeless features a wide array of neo-soul and alternative hip hop guest artists, most prominently will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas. It was released February 14, 2006 by Concord Records.
The album features the Black Eyed Peas, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, India.Arie, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and Pharoahe Monch.
The 2006 re-recorded version of "Mas que Nada" with the Black Eyed Peas had additional vocals by Gracinha Leporace (Mendes' wife); a version that is included on his album Timeless. In Brazil, the song is pretty well-known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas.
The Black Eyed Peas' version also contains a sample of their 2004 hit "Hey Mama". The re-recorded song became popular on many European charts. On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at #29 and rose to and peaked at #6 on its second week on the chart.
Official website of Sérgio Mendes: http://www.sergiomendesmusic.com
água de beber
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart the flower
I need your drink or I will die
My very life is in your power
Will I wither and fade or bloom to the sky
Água de beber (água de beber, água de beber)
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber (água de beber, água de beber)
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber (água de beber, água de beber)
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber (água de beber, água de beber)
Água de beber, camará
Água de beber (água de beber, água de beber)
Água de beber, camará
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes's song "Agua De Beber" describe a music-making experience, where the singer seems to be in the studio with his friend Sergio on the piano. The singer's confidence and excitement are evident in the lyrics, as he raps about having "buckets of soul" and "rockin' the flo'" with his friend. The lyrics make references to water and age, with the lines "six corners of H2O" and "I am sixteen rockin' to the '66" suggesting themes of fluidity and youthfulness. The song's repeated refrain of "do do do do do do" adds to the song's light, breezy feel, juxtaposing the complex composition of the jazz bossa nova music.
The song was originally written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes in Portuguese and was later translated into English for a wider audience. The translation is credited to Norman Gimbel, who was also known for writing the lyrics to other bossa nova classics such as "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Meditation."
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a long time coming
We have waited patiently for this moment to arrive
Since six corners of H2O
Since the appearance of the water molecules with oxygen and hydrogen atoms bonded together into a particular structure
Well now I'm in the studio
I am currently inside a music recording studio
Inferio
An exclamation expressing excitement or enthusiasm
I got buckets of soul
I have plenty of passion and emotion for my music
Rockin' the flo'
I am performing with great energy and enthusiasm
And I'm chilling with
I am relaxing and hanging out with
My man on the piano
A male individual who is playing the piano
His name is Sergio
The man's name who is playing the piano is Sergio
And he's rockin' the sound
Sergio is playing the piano with great skill and proficiency
He on your radio
Sergio's music is being broadcast on the radio
And he don't want you down
Sergio does not want his listeners to feel sad or discouraged
Come on now here we go
Let's get started and begin the performance
He funky rush with his hands
Sergio plays the piano in a rhythmical and funky manner with his hands
My man, as spins the melody man
Sergio creates a melody and plays it using his skills at the piano
Will he keep a steady heavy rock in the mix
Can he maintain a consistent and strong style of music in his performance
I am sixteen rockin' to the '66
I am currently sixteen years old and enjoying music that was popular in 1966
Now I'm tres deuce
I am now twenty three years old
Sergio '66
Sergio was active in music during the year 1966
And we launched timed this in 2006
Our current project was started in the year 2006
And now we're dropping this
We are currently releasing our new music to the public
Dropping this new itch
We are sharing our latest musical creation with everyone
Ain't no stoppin' us
We are unstoppable in our musical pursuits
That's why they're taking the flicks
People are taking pictures of us because of our success and rising popularity
My man Antonio on the guitar tricks
A male individual named Antonio is playing the guitar and showing off his tricks and skills
Watch my man Lemer
Pay attention to a male individual named Lemer
On the bass right quick, check it
Lemer is playing the bass guitar really well and the listener should take notice of it
Lyrics © VM ENTERPRISES INC, CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De De Moraes, Norman Gimbel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@raudale8981
Your love is rain my heart the flower
I need your drink or I will die
My very life is in your power
Will I wither and fade or blossom to the sky
Água de beber
Água de beber camará
Água de beber
Água de beber camará
@robertreason4885
That's the most soothing solo I've ever heard. Bravo. A masterful trombone player.
@kbtube8125
this music is too good for todays world.
@davidj.schulte7134
Modern hip hop etc versions ruin these wonderful original hits. Should outlawed. Sounds like nails on a chalkboard 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼
@sergiopolo8915
Nice... Love it from Spain.. Thanx 4 posting
@SuperStratification
haha, I was listening to the emerging rock/pop in ''66. Now, 55 years later I can appreciate what was coming out of Brazil at the time. Great stuff!
@flaviowilner1288
Extremely clean audio! Wow! And wide stereo.
@tetsukohimura1100
I heard Aqua Je Beber when at collage, when my friend last examination make a concert. One of song was Aqua Je Beber and make me to search this song again.
Thank for sharing this memorial song 😘
@ggoocchhaann
Tetsuko Himura さん、勇敢さに賛辞。Merry は日本生まれですが、日本語のコメントがあると尚嬉しいです😃。
@tetsukohimura1100
@@ggoocchhaann こにちはメーリさん、私がインドネシア生まれた。お父さん日本人でもお母さんインドネシア人です。でも私の日本語はぺらぺらするです。宜しくお願いします。
@skato3257
良い音楽は、時間が経っても色褪せないですね。