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
Meu Rio
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Provinciana
Vive de fé, bebe o samba e amém
Planos de outrora
Vagam na rua
Gritos do povo que clamam alguém
Maravilhosa
Cala gigante
Vem justiceira
Mãe majestosa
Pede socorro a si mesma e além
Faça gentil teu filho à glória
Que espelha
Teu mar sem fim
Vou no cortejo à tua história
Me abriga
Que sirva a ti
Filha da pátria em carne e alma
Cantarei por ti, meu Rio
Meu Rio!
Capital duro
Cara pra burro
Gaspar de lemos – de troca em vintém
Reino tamoyos
Tuas memórias
Pulsam no couro da bossa também
Braços abertos
És generosa
Alto falante de sonhos e quens
Neste milênio
Não quer mais prosa
Quer jogo límpo pra todo desdém
Faça gentil teu filho à glória
Que espelha
Teu mar sem fim
Vou no cortejo à tua história
Me abriga
Que sirva a ti
Filha da pátria em carne e alma
Cantarei por ti, meu Rio
Meu Rio!
The song Meu Rio by Sérgio Mendes is a tribute to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lyrics describe the city as both vast and provinciana (provincial), capturing the duality of a city with both big city characteristics and small-town traditions. The city's faith and love for samba are highlighted, as well as the remnants of its past plans that wander the streets and the people's cries for change. The song also highlights the beauty of Rio, its huge bay that is only accessible by train, and the need for justice and help from a majestic mother figure.
The chorus of the song urges the city to make its child (its people) glorious, reflecting the endless sea, and to let the singer join in the procession of the city's history. The singer pledges to serve and sing for Rio, calling it his "Rio."
The lyrics of Meu Rio reflect a deep love and attachment to the city, capturing both its glory and its struggles. As the lyrics swing between past and present, they show the collective hopes and dreams of the people of Rio, and their belief in a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Vasta cidade
This city is vast in its size
Provinciana
Despite its size, the city looks like a provincial one
Vive de fé, bebe o samba e amém
The city lives on faith and enjoys samba music and religion
Planos de outrora
Old plans and ideas for the city
Vagam na rua
These plans and ideas are wandering around the streets
Gritos do povo que clamam alguém
The people’s cries for help and representation
Maravilhosa
Despite its issues, the city is still beautiful and amazing
Cala gigante
The city quiets down, almost as if it’s watching and waiting
Paga fortuna e só anda de trem
Despite paying a high price for public transportation, people still prefer to use trains
Vem justiceira
A just and fair person
Mãe majestosa
A majestic and powerful mother
Pede socorro a si mesma e além
The city is calling out for help, both from within and from beyond
Faça gentil teu filho à glória
Raise your child with kindness to make them great
Que espelha
So that they reflect
Teu mar sem fim
The endless sea that surrounds the city
Vou no cortejo à tua história
I’ll join the procession to celebrate your history
Me abriga
Please shelter me
Que sirva a ti
So I can serve you
Filha da pátria em carne e alma
This daughter of the nation is invested in it with all her being
Cantarei por ti, meu Rio
I will sing for you, my Rio
Capital duro
The city is tough
Cara pra burro
It’s expensive and not affordable
Gaspar de lemos – de troca em vintém
The city has a history of exchanging goods and services for small amounts of money (vintém)
Reino tamoyos
The city was once the kingdom of the Tamoyo people
Tuas memórias
The memories of the city
Pulsam no couro da bossa também
These memories are ingrained in the soul and music of the city
Braços abertos
The city welcomes everyone with open arms
És generosa
The city is generous, kind, and hospitable
Alto falante de sonhos e quens
The city is a speaker for dreams and desires
Neste milênio
In this millennium
Não quer mais prosa
The city is done with just talking about issues
Quer jogo límpo pra todo desdém
It wants fairness and justice for all the disrespect and mistreatment it has faced
Meu Rio!
My Rio!
Contributed by Ethan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
david
on Waters of March (Les Eaux de Mars) - French Version
haaaaaaaaaaaaaa