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
Odo-Ya
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
oh... odo ya oh
Odo ya oh oh.. dididididididi
Odo ya oh oh.. dididididididi
era o q faltava pra gente
Era a batucada da gente, era o swing da gente, e o bem que cuida gente dormindo pra gente fluindo pra gente
Pra que vamos ficar pregando preconceito? os filhos no desleixo no lixo la dos gettos. o mesmo e ficar pra la de satisfeito, o mesmo e buscar o que nos e direito
Longe subi mundo (e nos)
Longe subi mundo (e nos)
Longe subi mundo (e nos)
Longe subi mundo, longe subi mundo, longe subi mundo
oh... odo ya oh
Odo ya oh ohh... didididi
Oh... odo ya oh
Odo ya oh ohh... didididi
odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes's song "Odo-Ya" speak of the arrival of Odo-Ya, who brings the sound of the batucada from the sea. Batucada refers to a type of music that originated in Brazil and is characterized by percussion instruments. Odo-Ya is often associated with the Yoruba religion that originated in Nigeria and is practiced in Brazil. The repetitive chanting of "Iera" in the beginning of the song seems to refer to the Yoruba Orisha named Oya, who is associated with death, transformation, and change.
The lyrics also touch on themes of cultural appropriation and racism. The singer questions why people insist on perpetuating prejudice and treating people of color as if they are disposable. They urge listeners to embrace the batucada and to appreciate its value, rather than dismissing it as insignificant. The repetition of "longe subi mundo" suggests a longing for a world where everyone is valued and all cultures are respected.
Overall, the song seems to celebrate the arrival of Odo-Ya and the spirit of community and joy that the batucada brings.
Line by Line Meaning
Iera, iera, iera, iera, iera,(oh oh iera) iera, iera (oh) ,iera (oh)
Celebration and excitement as Odo-Ya arrives from the sea, bringing the beat for us to dance and have fun
Odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo-Ya has arrived from the sea and is bringing the rhythm for us to dance samba
oh... odo ya oh
Repeating the name Odo-Ya as a call to celebrate and enjoy the music
era o q faltava pra gente
The beat that was missing for us
Era a batucada da gente, era o swing da gente, e o bem que cuida gente dormindo pra gente fluindo pra gente
The beat is ours, it's our swing, our good health while we sleep, flowing for us
Pra que vamos ficar pregando preconceito? os filhos no desleixo no lixo la dos gettos. o mesmo e ficar pra la de satisfeito, o mesmo e buscar o que nos e direito
Why preach prejudice? Children in neglect in the ghettos. It's the same to be unsatisfied, the same as fighting for what's right
Longe subi mundo (e nos)
The world is vast and so are we
oh... odo ya oh
Repeating the name Odo-Ya as a call to celebrate and enjoy the music
odo ya chegou do mar e vem trazendo a batucada pra gente sambar
Odo-Ya has arrived from the sea and is bringing the rhythm for us to dance samba
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTONIO CARLOS SANTOS DE FREITAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-tu6pr5jm7p
I think it is one of the most ingenious, melodies & 😊composition
@jrtowne
Absolute fuego !
@tedkay_music
amazing song!
@samigheni7783
How smooth !!!
@micuchua70
I can stop dancing 😄❤️👍goodbye depression.
@daniellewendworthes9628
Jai chi gonesta
@derekrossini6655
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻