Sérgio Santos Mendes, pron. IPA: ['sɛxʒiu 'sɐ̃tus 'mẽ'dʒis], (born February… Read Full Bio ↴Sérgio Santos Mendes, pron. IPA: ['sɛxʒiu 'sɐ̃tus 'mẽ'dʒis], (born February 11, 1941 in Niterói, Brazil) is a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk.

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

Someday We'll All Be Free
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hang on to the world as it spins around
Just don't let the spin get you down
Think of moving fast
Hold on tight and you will last
Give your self respect, your manly pride
Get yourself in gear
Keep your stride
Never mind your fears

Brighter days will soon be here
Take it from me, someday we'll all be free, yeah

Keep on walking tall
Hold your head up high
Lay your dreams right up to the sky
Sing your greatest song
And you'll keep going, going on
Take it from me, someday we'll all be free
Hey, just wait and see, some day we'll all be free, yeah
Take it from me, someday we'll all be free

It won't be long, take it from me, someday we'll all be free
Take it from me, take it from me, take it from me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sérgio Mendes's song "Someday We'll All Be Free" convey a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment in the face of adversity. The opening lines urge the listener to hold on to the world as it spins around, symbolizing the chaotic and ever-changing nature of life. Despite the challenges and uncertainties that may come their way, the singer advises against letting the "spin" of life bring them down. This can be interpreted as a call to stay grounded, keep a sense of perspective, and not let external circumstances dictate one's inner state of being.

The lyrics then encourage the listener to think of moving fast and to hold on tight, suggesting a sense of urgency and determination in navigating through life's obstacles. The mention of self-respect and pride emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's dignity and sense of worth in the face of challenges. By getting oneself in gear and keeping their stride, the listener is urged to push forward and persevere, regardless of any fears or doubts they may have. The promise of brighter days ahead serves as a beacon of hope and optimism, assuring the listener that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The refrain of the song reinforces the theme of perseverance and resilience. The directive to keep walking tall and holding one's head up high speaks to the importance of maintaining a sense of dignity and self-assurance even in difficult times. By laying their dreams up to the sky and singing their greatest song, the listener is encouraged to aspire for greatness and to keep moving forward with determination and purpose. The repetition of the phrase "Take it from me, someday we'll all be free" reinforces the singer's conviction in the eventual arrival of a time of liberation and freedom for all.

The closing lines of the song reiterate the message of hope and freedom, emphasizing that the day of liberation is not far off. The repeated refrain, "Take it from me," serves as a mantra of assurance and encouragement, with the singer acting as a guide and source of inspiration for the listener. Overall, the lyrics of "Someday We'll All Be Free" inspire a sense of resilience, optimism, and faith in a brighter future, urging the listener to hold on to hope and believe in the eventual realization of freedom and liberation for all.

Line by Line Meaning

Hang on to the world as it spins around
Stay grounded and connected to the world as life moves forward

Just don't let the spin get you down
Do not let the chaos and uncertainty bring you down

Think of moving fast
Keep progressing and moving forward quickly

Hold on tight and you will last
Stay determined and resilient to endure challenges

Give your self respect, your manly pride
Value yourself and your dignity

Get yourself in gear
Motivate yourself and prepare for action

Keep your stride
Maintain your momentum and rhythm

Never mind your fears
Do not let fear hold you back

Brighter days will soon be here
Believe that better times are on the horizon

Take it from me, someday we'll all be free, yeah
Believe me when I say that one day we will all be liberated

Keep on walking tall
Continue to stand strong and confident