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
Funky Bahia
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Dancing on the floor
I'll be out in Rio
Dancing at the disco
Girls be lookin' sexy
Dressin' mighty fine
They be dancing funky
Having themself a good time
I'll be stepping out
To paint the town
And party the night away
I'll be dancing
I'll be grooving
And I'm gonna do it
'Cause the drummer made me do it
Made me do it
To the way he plays
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Won't you take me to the party
Party with the world
Dancing in the ghetto
Love enough (?)
Come on everybody
Won't you feel the joy
Music is the potion
Rock' it from coast to coasting
I'll be steppin' out
Around the world
Washing the pain away
You'll be dancin'
You'll be groovin'
And you can do it
'Cause the drummer made you do it
Made you do it
To the way he plays
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Oh oh
Lieya lieya
Oh oh
Lieya lieya
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes's song Funky Bahia describe a night of dancing and partying in Rio de Janeiro. The song begins with the repetition of the line "Lieya lieya lieya lieya," which can be interpreted as a nod to the rhythmic nature of the song and the joyous tone of the lyrics. The singer asks if their partner would take them dancing on the floor, presumably at a disco in Rio. They note the sexy and confident appearance of the women at the club, who are enjoying themselves and dancing funkily.
The singer then moves onto a party that seems to take place in the ghetto. They encourage everyone at the party to feel the joy and let the music be the potion for the night. The song is a paean to the transformative nature of music and its ability to heal and bring people together. The chorus repeats the joyful phrase of "Lieya lieya lieya lieya," which encapsulates the feeling of the night and the song.
Overall, the lyrics of Funky Bahia are a celebration of music, dancing, and togetherness. They depict a lively night out in Rio de Janeiro and emphasize the power of music to unite people from different backgrounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Repetitive lyrics meant to signal the fun and frivolity of the song.
Would you take me out dancing
Dancing on the floor
I'll be out in Rio
Dancing at the disco
Girls be lookin' sexy
Dressin' mighty fine
They be dancing funky
Having themself a good time
The singer is asking someone to take them dancing, specifically to a disco in Rio, where the girls are dressed up and dancing in a funkier style.
I'll be stepping out
To paint the town
And party the night away
I'll be dancing
I'll be grooving
And I'm gonna do it
'Cause the drummer made me do it
Made me do it
To the way he plays
The singer is excited to party all night, dance and groove to the music, and credits the drummer for inspiring them to keep dancing.
Won't you take me to the party
Party with the world
Dancing in the ghetto
Love enough (?)
Come on everybody
Won't you feel the joy
Music is the potion
Rock' it from coast to coasting
The artist is again asking someone to take them to a party, where they can dance in the street and share love and joy with everyone, while enjoying the power of music.
I'll be steppin' out
Around the world
Washing the pain away
You'll be dancin'
You'll be groovin'
And you can do it
'Cause the drummer made you do it
Made you do it
To the way he plays
The artist wants to travel the world, dance and move to the rhythm of the music, and encourages others to join in thanks to the inspiration of the drummer who keeps the beat.
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Lieya lieya lieya lieya
Oh oh oh
Repeating the chorus, emphasizing the carefree and joyful nature of the song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILL ADAMS, CARLINHOS BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KellyPiccolaotaku4ever
This album, along with “Timeless” is he songs that my parents play in every party of ours.
@TheDignam
I discovered this song in Crete in summer 2008, and every time i listened this song i think about holidays..
@marcello.mars94
Estate 2008 e questo video che passava su MTV...... Che ricordi, adesso MTV è un canale spazzatura...........
@Hamsterluv7985
mmarcyfrisk dico la stessa cosa io la musica pure era piu Buona in 2009-08 adesso fa schifo
@Marco_Galiani
Un italiano è che cazzo hallelujah 😂
@Marco_Galiani
Gemini Jpeg fra anche massimo 2010 in giù
@davidedevincentiis8289
Che ricordi! Ero un bambino e la cantavo con il mio migliore amico! Quegli anni saranno sempre nel cuore!
@Hamsterluv7985
Davide De Vincentiis per me invece tengo la memoria di andare sulla spiaggia e mentre stavo in macchina sentivo questa canzone!
@KellyPiccolaotaku4ever
Davide De Vincentiis io invece ho il ricordo della suoneria dei miei, questa canzone.
@lorenzo5335
È immortale questa canzone