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
Maracatu Atomico
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Atrás do arranha-céu tem
o céu, tem o céu
E depois tem outro céu sem
Em cima do guarda-chuva tem
a chuva, tem a chuva
Que tem gotas tão lindas que
até dá vontade de
Comê-las
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
No meio da couve-flor tem
a flor, tem a flor
Que além de ser uma flor tem
sabor
Dentro do porta-luvas tem a luva,
tem a luva
Que alguém de unhas negras
e tão afiadas
Esqueceu de por
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Aaaaé
Maracatu atômico
Aaaaé
Maracatu atômico
No fundo do pára-raio tem
o raio, tem o raio
Que caiu da nuvem negra do
temporal
Todo quadro-negro é todo
negro é todo negro
Eu escrevo seu nome nele só
pra demonstrar
O meu apego
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê êêê
O bico do beijar flor, beija-flor,
beijar flor
E toda fauna flora gata de amor
Quem segura o porta estandarte
tem a arte, tem a arte
E aqui passa com raça
eletrônico o maracatu
atômico
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
Manamaê ô
The lyrics to Sérgio Mendes's song "Maracatu" are playful and whimsical, painting a vivid picture of different elements and objects in the world. The repetitive chant of "Manamaê ô" serves as a rhythmic anchor throughout the song.
The lyrics begin by describing that behind the skyscrapers, there is the sky - the first layer of the sky, the second layer without stars. Then, on top of an umbrella, there is rain - beautiful raindrops that are so tempting to eat.
Next, in the middle of a cauliflower, there is a flower - not only is it a flower, but it also has a taste. Inside a glove compartment, there is a glove, which someone with black and sharp nails forgot to put in.
Moving forward, at the bottom of a lightning rod, there is a lightning bolt that fell from a dark storm cloud. The blackboard is entirely black, and the singer writes their name on it just to show their attachment and affection.
Throughout the song, there are references to the Maracatu, which is a musical and cultural tradition from the northeastern region of Brazil. The phrase "Maracatu atômico" is repeated, fusing the energetic and rhythmic elements of the Maracatu with the concept of an atomic explosion.
Overall, the lyrics of "Maracatu" showcase the poetical playfulness and imaginative storytelling of Sérgio Mendes, creating a vibrant and catchy song.
Line by Line Meaning
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Atrás do arranha-céu tem o céu, tem o céu
Behind the skyscraper, there is the sky, there is the sky
E depois tem outro céu sem estrelas
And then there is another sky without stars
Em cima do guarda-chuva tem a chuva, tem a chuva
On top of the umbrella, there is the rain, there is the rain
Que tem gotas tão lindas que até dá vontade de Comê-las
That has drops so beautiful that it makes you want to eat them
No meio da couve-flor tem a flor, tem a flor
In the middle of the cauliflower, there is the flower, there is the flower
Que além de ser uma flor tem sabor
That besides being a flower, it also has flavor
Dentro do porta-luvas tem a luva, tem a luva
Inside the glove compartment, there is the glove, there is the glove
Que alguém de unhas negras e tão afiadas Esqueceu de por
That someone with dark and sharp nails forgot to put
No fundo do pára-raio tem o raio, tem o raio
At the bottom of the lightning rod, there is the lightning, there is the lightning
Que caiu da nuvem negra do temporal
That fell from the dark cloud of the storm
Todo quadro-negro é todo negro é todo negro
Every blackboard is all black, is all black
Eu escrevo seu nome nele só pra demonstrar O meu apego
I write your name on it just to show my attachment
O bico do beijar flor, beija-flor, beijar flor
The beak of the kiss flower, hummingbird, kiss flower
E toda fauna flora gata de amor
And all the flora and fauna, cat of love
Quem segura o porta estandarte tem a arte, tem a arte
Whoever holds the flag bearer has the art, has the art
E aqui passa com raça eletrônico o maracatu atômico
And here comes with electronic force, the atomic maracatu
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Aaaaé
An exclamation in the song
Maracatu atômico
The title of the song and referring to the energetic rhythm of the maracatu music
Aaaaé
An exclamation in the song
Maracatu atômico
The title of the song and referring to the energetic rhythm of the maracatu music
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê ô
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê ô' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Manamaê êêê
Repeating the phrase 'Manamaê êêê' for emphasis and rhythm in the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Henrique George Mautner, Nelson Jacobina Rocha Pires
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geraldobarbosa461
Nosso Maestro e produtor, genio musical Sergio Mendes...."Orgulho do Brasil"...Seu Jorge esta perfeito!..
@robertstrobel7237
The Master!
@pookiewood
Why does this make me think of a Sonic Adventure song? Sounds good.