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
Fanfarra
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
É facão
Fumo de corda
Enrolan
Mulher de nome
É Isabel
Que samba com gringo
E sem cuartel
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê, viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê, viva
Não duvide que ela
Mas duvide que ela vá
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes's song "Fanfarra" paint a vivid picture of Brazilian culture, showcasing traditional customs, a diverse population of people, and the richness of the Portuguese language. The opening lines "Faca que corta/É facão/Fumo de corda/Enrolan" describe tools commonly used for cutting and smoking tobacco, reinforcing the agricultural roots of Brazil and its history of using tobacco as a cash crop.
The introduction of a woman named Isabel emphasizes the multiculturalism of Brazil, as "Isabel" is a common name in both Portuguese and Spanish cultures. The line "Que samba com gringo/Soldado sem farda/E sem cuartel" suggests that Isabel is open and welcoming to foreigners, including soldiers who have left the military. The use of the word "cuartel" also hints at Brazil's colonial past, as the word is derived from the Portuguese "quartel" meaning a military barracks.
The repetitive chorus "Cabua lê lê/Viva ê, viva" is a nod to African influence on Brazilian culture, as it resembles the call-and-response style of music common in African traditions. The final line "Au au au apitô/No vapor deve dar" is a playful reference to the sound of a steamship whistle, indicating both the transportation and industrial importance of Brazil.
Line by Line Meaning
Faca que corta
A sharp knife that cuts
É facão
It's a machete
Fumo de corda
Rope tobacco
Enrolan
They roll it up
Mulher de nome
A woman named
É Isabel
Her name is Isabel
Que samba com gringo
Who dances samba with a foreigner
Soldado sem farda
A soldier without a uniform
E sem cuartel
And without barracks
Cabua lê lê
A joyful exclamation
Viva ê, viva
Long live
Cabua lê lê
A joyful exclamation
Viva ê, viva
Long live
Não duvide que ela
Don't doubt that she
Mas duvide que ela vá
But doubt that she will go
Au au au apitô
Barking sound of a whistle
No vapor deve dar
It must be on the steamboat
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARLINHOS BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@benjiartidiello8397
Faca que corta
É facão
Fumo de corda
Enrolam
Mulher de nome
É Isabel
Que samba com gringo
Soldado sem farda e sem quartel
Que samba com gringo
Soldado sem farda e sem quartel
Faca que corta
É facão
Fumo de corda
Enrolam
Mulher de nome
É Isabel
Que samba com gringo
Soldado sem farda e sem quartel
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Não duvide que ela
Mas duvide que ela vá
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
Faca que corta
É facão
Fumo de corda
Enrolam
Mulher de nome
É Isabel
Que samba com gringo
Soldado sem farda e sem quartel
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
Au au au apitô
No vapor deve dar
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Não duvide que ela
Mas duvide que ela vá
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Não duvide que ela
Mas duvide que ela vá
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
Cabua lê lê
Viva ê
Viva
@EddioPinaR
I'm not Brazilian.
But this music makes me to move from the hearth to my toes. Thank you Sergio Mendez.
@LaLokita4ever8
Mendes... it's Portuguese/Brazilian...
And I am part Brazilian/Portuguese 🤩🥰🔥🤘🏻🤓😌😈🤘🏻🔥💋💋💋
@EduardoMartinez-dm5pp
thats the magic of music... obeys no color, no religion, no boundries... it obeys THE HEART! <3
@deanronson6331
You're one of the many across the globe. Sergio's writing, arrangements, and his wife Gracinha's vocals are a tour de force. This album exemplifies the power and vitality of Brazilian music like few others.
@ammonbakarri-o5524
@@LaLokita4ever8pero It origin Angola África tho
@leandroalves8568
Sir, I'm brazilian and a truly appreciate your words. We have a joyfull songs, people, nice country. If you got time you can search for Clara Nunes, Tom Zé, Olodum, Jorge Ben. Thank you so much.
@Floundpul
African sounds singing in Portuguese. Brazilian taste. If there is marvelous place in the world, that place is Brasil.
@RaoniDantas
You got it right. The mixture of Portuguese and African culture is unique in Brazil. A very Brazilian taste.
@cordeirochristian
African culture is very present in Brazil because of the slaves brought by the Portuguese from Africa
@truth-uncensored2426
Actually this are not african sounds IoI, the lyrics in Portuguese talk about some fragments of everyday life, like a sharp blade that has a specific name in Brazil, the name of a great woman like Isabel (probably a reference to the Princess Isabel of Brazil) and some random talk about foreigners (gringos) and soldiers. There is no reference to Africa at all, the expression "cabua le le" probably comes from brazilian folklore.
And the music itself, Samba, is not african, this is a great misconception that even some brazilians can fall for. Samba was developed in Brazil, it has a heavy afro brazilian influence but this doesn't mean that it came directly from Africa, just like Jazz or R&B which also have a strong influence from afro american culture, but this doesn't mean that these rhythms came from Africa. You can go to Africa right now an you will not be able to find any rhythm that is close to brazilian Samba.
Also Samba has received many influences until it became what we know today, including influences from europe and native american cultures, for instance in this music there's a musical instrument called "cavaquinho" which comes from Portugal, it's basically impossible to create a melody and harmony in Samba without using a Cavaquinho, and many important Samba composers that helped to develop the rhythm were actually brazilians of european descent, Sergio Mendes himself is mixed race.
So, in resume, Samba is not an african rhythm, it was created in Brazil as a mixture of african, european and native american musical influences, just like Jazz and R&B are rhythms from the USA, which were created in their particular melting pot culture.