Mendes is married to the singer Gracinha Leporace who regularly performs vocals alongside Mendes and can 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 1961. 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 Brasil '65 group name 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 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
Laia Ladaia
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swimmin′ seven seas
To find my true love
I'll go no matter where, now
To find him, come-what-may
To be near him and hear his voice
To behold him and know his touch
For the love of my one true love
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Ó meu santo protector traga o meu amor
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Se é fraca a oração, mil vezes cantarei
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Oh Ave Maria, oh...
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Ó meu santo protector traga o meu amor
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Se é fraca a oração, mil vezes cantarei
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria...
The lyrics to Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66's song Laia Ladaia describe a lover's journey to find their true love. The singer expresses their willingness to travel any distance and swim seven seas in pursuit of their beloved. They long to hear their lover's voice, feel their touch and behold them. The lyrics include a reference to Ave Maria, which is a common prayer in the Catholic tradition that requests the Virgin Mary's help in bringing one's prayers to God. The singer also asks their guardian saint for help in bringing their love to them. The refrain, "Laia Ladaia, Sabatana, Ave Maria," serves as a chant-like invocation of the holy mother, meant to bolster their plea for assistance. Finally, the singer states that if their prayers are weak, they will sing a thousand times instead.
The song's lyrics combine elements of romantic longing and religious devotion. The singer's love is exalted to a position of near divinity, while their desire is portrayed as an act of faith. The refrain of "Laia Ladaia, Sabatana, Ave Maria" is catchy and adds a spiritual dimension to the song that enhances the feeling of yearning for the beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
I will walk the earth now
I am willing to travel far and wide to find my true love.
Swimmin' seven seas
I am willing to cross oceans and seas to find my love.
To find my true love
My one goal is to find my true love.
I'll go no matter where, now
I am determined to go wherever it takes to find my true love.
To find him, come-what-may
I am willing to overcome any obstacle to find my true love.
To be near him and hear his voice
I long to be close to my true love and hear the sound of his voice.
To behold him and know his touch
I desire to see and feel the touch of my true love.
For the love of my one true love
My devotion is solely for my one true love.
I pray
I pray that I find my true love.
Ó meu santo protector traga o meu amor
Oh, my holy protector, bring me my love.
Se é fraca a oração, mil vezes cantarei
If my prayer is weak, I will sing it a thousand times.
Laia, ladaia, sabatana, Ave Maria
These are joyful, upbeat sounds expressing the devotion of the singer.
Writer(s): E. Lobo, J. Guerra
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nathpna
Amazing song. Just delicious, perfect! The best of Brazil is definitely our music! Can't beat that. This is pure bliss, is what makes my life more enjoyable in this world. You gotta respect and just enjoy a master piece like this!
Fifer McGee
This is REAL music, what a wonderful beat and rhythm and of course Lani Hall is in top form. Thank you Sergio for all these beautiful songs.
Pasquale Muzzupappa
Listen to The Carnival, different version with Lani's ex bandmate Janis Hansen, it's another pearl
Quick Works
Love her voice!
Sly Slaughter
The entire album is a jewel.
jayson biggs
I bought this album in 1968, 15 years of age. Still holds up.
Carlos Y Del Rosario
So did I! I'm your age. Absolute classic.
Quick Works
I bought it as well when it first came out. One of my favorites!
Jorge Mario Rodas
Oone of my favorites by Sergio Mendes and his Brazil 66. The rhythm is cool and the music very well played and Lani Hall's great voice tops it.
shasha-muse
i am 55 and I've been listening to Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66/77/88 for years but I never heard this before......this is fantastic. they never disappoint. I would love to see them live before we all get to old. thanks for posting.......r.i.p. Oscar Castro Neves.