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
Life
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The price is twice high for one who's real
Some get to choose, some have no choice
Some live a life without a voice in anything
And life goes on, it goes on and on
We're only here to play a part and move along
A child is born, he will be wise
He'll speak of joy and love and pain
He'll be a poem to read when there is rain
And life goes on
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes and the New Brazil '77's song "Life in 2-3" explore the challenges and joys of existence, highlighting the difficulties faced by those who are genuine and authentic, as well as the possibility of hope and renewal. The opening lines, "The way is hard for one who feels, The price is twice high for one who's real," suggest that living with empathy and honesty comes at a cost, and that society often values conformity and superficiality over individuality and depth.
However, the song also acknowledges the diversity of human experience, noting that "Some get to choose, some have no choice, Some live a life without a voice in anything." This recognition of the ways in which social structures and systemic inequalities affect people's opportunities and agency aligns with the broader themes of social justice and activism that have been central to many Latin American musical traditions. The refrain, "And life goes on, it goes on and on," serves as a reminder that existence is ongoing and cyclical, with its own rhythms and patterns that we must learn to navigate and appreciate.
In the second verse, the song shifts to a more optimistic tone, celebrating the birth of a child who will "be a poem to read when there is rain." This imagery evokes the idea that children are bearers of hope and possibility, embodying the potential for beauty and meaning even in difficult circumstances. The final lines of the song, "And life goes on," serve as a kind of mantra, emphasizing that no matter what trials and joys we encounter, we must keep moving forward and embracing the complexity and richness of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
The way is hard for one who feels
It is difficult for those who are emotionally sensitive to navigate through life
The price is twice high for one who's real
Being true to oneself often comes at a higher cost than pretending to be someone else
Some get to choose, some have no choice
Life is not fair as some people are afforded the opportunity to make choices while others are not
Some live a life without a voice in anything
Certain individuals are not empowered to express their opinions and are disregarded in society
And life goes on, it goes on and on
Life is a continuous journey that does not stop
We're only here to play a part and move along
We all have a role to play in life and it is up to us to keep moving forward
A child is born, he will be wise
Every newborn has the potential to gain knowledge and be wise
And some will say he has his mother's eyes
People will make observations about the child based on their physical features
He'll speak of joy and love and pain
As the child grows, he will talk about various emotions and experiences
He'll be a poem to read when there is rain
The child will be a source of consolation and inspiration during difficult times
And life goes on
Despite the challenges and obstacles, life continues
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENARD IGHNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leonardbrown2219
If this doesn't put you in a good mood.Nothing will.Great Group,Great Era, in Music.Bless to have live it.😊😊😊
@allenpitchamazingentertainment
Just found this at a flea market in great condition for just 2 bucks and its giving me millions of dollars of enjoyment! When Sergio hits the groove there's nothing quite so good! I still DJ and can't wait to share this during my cocktail hour spins.
@lesliestrange4560
My favorite album when I was 16