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
The Frog
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will.i.am and Sergio
Q-tip steady rockin' on yo' radio
It's the eh, it's the ethnic
It's the hip hop dance, let's sing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaingengeng
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaidengeng
Cirikidzing
It's Q-tip
Don't have lotta time, man, I really gotta move man
She's waitin' for me now, man, don't wanna blow the move, man
'Cause you know I gotta go to her place
I go to another space when I look at her face
And look at her eyes they're deep like pools of water
I'm really turned on now and I know that I oughta
Hold her hand, let my love pour dance on the dance floor
If you can't dance, baby, I can show you
Jus' clap yo' hand and let the music take you
And put your foots in, and let it all shake ya
And take yo' head and put you hands up, ah
And shake your waist, ah, and you can tip it up
Just move your hands, eh, and move your waist, eh
You're looking in my eyes and in my face, ah
And then I feel you when I keep pace, ah
And then we dance, and we let the music happenin'
We fall in love all over again, again, again, we say
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaingengeng
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaingengeng
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaidengeng
Cirikidzing
And check it out, check it out, check it, ah, ah, ah
It's Will.i.am, check it out, check it, ah, ah, ah
Can't be wastin' time, yeah, I gotta make my move, man
Gotta girlie lookin' at me, peeping at my hood, man
No time to waste when you're up in the spout
'Cause there's too many boppers that make my cock block
So I git myself together, make sure I'm looking smooth, man
Walk up pumpin' it as, and what you do, man
She tol' me she chillin' and they doin' nuthin
So I said maybe later we can get in the sun
We can skip to a diner and sip a little coffee
And talk about hip hop stars and astronomy
By the way baby what's your sign
She said, 'Virgo', I said, 'Pisces mine'
And this was her favorite dish
And I never met a virgin pretty like this
Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, do it, do it
Let's do it, do it, do it
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaingengeng
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaingengeng
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
Cisaingeng, cisaidengeng
Cirikidzing
It's Q-tip, it's Q-tip
Yo 'tip you on point, yeah
Is the beat on point, yeah
Is Sergio on point, yeah
I know you know I'm on point, yeah
Yo 'tip you on point, yeah
Is the groove on point, yeah
Sergio on point, yeah
I know you know I'm on point, yeah
You know they love it like this, yeah
Because we got it like this, yeah
You know we love it like this, yeah
Yeah, it's like this y'all, it's like that y'all
Will.i.am in da house with Sergio
Q-tip's in da house on the radio
On the radio, on the radio
On the radiya, diya, diya, diya, diya, di, radio
The lyrics to Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66's song The Frog are a mix of hip hop and Brazilian influences. The song begins with Q-Tip rapping about Sergio and himself, noting that Q-Tip is "steady rockin' on yo' radio" and that it's "the eh, it's the ethnic, it's the hip hop dance, let's sing." The chorus of the song features a combination of scat singing and Brazilian sounds, including "Corocodo, corocodocodo" and "Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng." The second verse introduces Will.i.am, who raps about trying to make a move on a girl and talking about hip hop stars and astronomy over coffee.
Line by Line Meaning
It's Q-Tip, the ass-jack
Introducing Q-Tip, who is on the track
Will.i.am and Sergio
Also featuring Will.i.am and Sergio Mendes
Q-tip steady rockin' on yo' radio
Q-Tip is consistently playing on the radio
It's the eh, it's the ethnic
The music is inherently ethnic in nature
It's the hip hop dance, let's sing
The song combines elements of hip-hop and dance music
Corocodo, corocodocodo
Nonsensical syllables used as part of the song's rhythm
Cerecedeng, cerecedegedeng
More nonsensical syllables used as part of the song's rhythm
Cisaingeng, cisaingengeng
Even more nonsensical syllables used as part of the song's rhythm
Cirikidzing, cirikidzkidzing
More nonsensical syllables used as part of the song's rhythm
Cisaingeng, cisaidengeng
Even more nonsensical syllables used as part of the song's rhythm
Cirikidzing
Final nonsensical syllable used as part of the song's rhythm
It's Q-tip
Reintroducing Q-Tip
Don't have lotta time, man, I really gotta move man
Q-Tip is in a hurry
She's waitin' for me now, man, don't wanna blow the move, man
He is meeting someone and doesn't want to mess it up
'Cause you know I gotta go to her place
He is going to her place
I go to another space when I look at her face
She is attractive and makes him feel a certain way
And look at her eyes they're deep like pools of water
He is captivated by her eyes
I'm really turned on now and I know that I oughta
He is sexually attracted to her
Hold her hand, let my love pour dance on the dance floor
He wants to dance with her and show his affection
If you can't dance, baby, I can show you
He is willing to teach her how to dance
Jus' clap yo' hand and let the music take you
He encourages her to let loose and enjoy the music
And put your foots in, and let it all shake ya
He wants her to dance freely
And take yo' head and put you hands up, ah
He wants her to get into the music
And shake your waist, ah, and you can tip it up
He encourages her to dance more sensually
Just move your hands, eh, and move your waist, eh
More encouragement to dance
You're looking in my eyes and in my face, ah
He makes eye contact with her while they dance
And then I feel you when I keep pace, ah
He feels a connection with her while they dance
And then we dance, and we let the music happenin'
They continue to dance and let the music take over
We fall in love all over again, again, again, we say
Dancing brings them closer and reignites their love
And check it out, check it out, check it, ah, ah, ah
Introducing Will.i.am
It's Will.i.am, check it out, check it, ah, ah, ah
Reintroducing Will.i.am
Can't be wastin' time, yeah, I gotta make my move, man
Will.i.am is in a hurry
Gotta girlie lookin' at me, peeping at my hood, man
He notices a girl checking him out
No time to waste when you're up in the spout
He needs to act quickly
'Cause there's too many boppers that make my cock block
Other girls are getting in the way of his chance with this one
So I git myself together, make sure I'm looking smooth, man
He wants to look good for the girl
Walk up pumpin' it as, and what you do, man
He approaches her confidently
She tol' me she chillin' and they doin' nuthin
He talks to the girl and finds out she's not busy
So I said maybe later we can get in the sun
He suggests they hang out later
We can skip to a diner and sip a little coffee
He suggests going to a diner to hang out
And talk about hip hop stars and astronomy
He wants to have some interesting, intellectual conversation
By the way baby what's your sign
He asks her zodiac sign
She said, 'Virgo', I said, 'Pisces mine'
They share their zodiac signs
And this was her favorite dish
He finds out her favorite food
And I never met a virgin pretty like this
He is attracted to her virginity and beauty
Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, do it, do it
He suggests they get together and have sex
Let's do it, do it, do it
Repeating his suggestion
It's Q-tip, it's Q-tip
Reintroducing Q-Tip once again
Yo 'tip you on point, yeah
Complimenting Q-Tip
Is the beat on point, yeah
Asking if the music is good
Is Sergio on point, yeah
Asking if Sergio Mendes is doing well
I know you know I'm on point, yeah
Assuming he is doing well
Is the groove on point, yeah
Asking if the song is groovy
Sergio on point, yeah
Assuming Sergio is still doing well
You know they love it like this, yeah
People enjoy this type of music
Because we got it like this, yeah
They are good at making this kind of music
You know we love it like this, yeah
They enjoy making this kind of music
Yeah, it's like this y'all, it's like that y'all
Describing the style of the music
Will.i.am in da house with Sergio
Reintroducing Will.i.am and Sergio Mendes
Q-tip's in da house on the radio
Reintroducing Q-Tip and mentioning his presence on the radio
On the radio, on the radio
Repeating the mention of the radio
On the radiya, diya, diya, diya, diya, di, radio
More nonsense syllables used to fill out the song's rhythm
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joao Donato
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sazhaelse7972
Brings back many memories. My sister had this album. Thank you for the memories!!!!😘🤗😍😎🍟🎃
@lucrolland7489
Sergio, so many thanks for bringing all this great music to the world. It is priceless. I used to sing with the Univesity of Montreal Jazz Choir and your songs were on the list. Since I was very young, my parents had your disks and I was driven by bossa nova ever since. I am still listening to it and it drives me so happy when even the world goes upside down.
@pasqualemuzzupappa8596
Travolgente, ipnotica. Una freschezza incredibile dopo tutti questi anni
@layagreen9493
So soothing and rythimcally awesome!
@charlesmaeger6162
The frog is singing out Mas Que Nada" to the night.
@lukeves
Sergio! This album is very good. thanks buddy. <3
@chadkline4268
I love the Frog and Mas Que Nada 👍
@lucasbragamontenegro651
Grande João Donato, descanse na paz de Deus.
@jimmyj1969
Music to listen to on loop all-day-long!
@kittykatz4001
I going to figure out how to loop this!