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
Ye-Me-Le
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yê-melê, ará
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Canto de Iemanjá
Zauê, zauá
Melê, melá
Indê, olá
Onda do mar
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Yê-melê, ará
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Canto de Iemanjá
Zauê, zauá
Melê, melá
Indê, olá
Onda do mar
A rainha, mãe do mar
Traz o seu amor
Sua benção vem me dar
E eu dou uma flor
Zauê, zauá
Melê, melá
Indê, olá
Onda do mar
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Yê-melê, ará
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Canto de Iemanjá
Canto de Iemanjá
Canto de Iemanjá
Zauê, zauá
Melê, melá
Indê, olá
Onda do mar
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Yê-melê, ará
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Canto de Iemanjá
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Yê-melê, ará
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Canto de Iemanjá
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Yê-melê, ará
The lyrics to Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66's song "Yê-Me-Le" are a celebration of the goddess Iemanjá, known as the queen of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé. The repeated phrase "Yê-melê, ari, ará" is a reference to the rhythm of a traditional Afro-Brazilian dance, and the lyrics speak of the power and beauty of the ocean and of Iemanjá herself.
Throughout the song, the singer praises Iemanjá as a loving mother who brings blessings and protection to those who honor her. The singer also speaks of giving a flower as an offering to the goddess to show their respect and gratitude.
The song's use of the Portuguese language and references to Candomblé highlight the strong African influence on Brazilian culture. "Yê-Me-Le" captures the joyful spirit of Afro-Brazilian music and the reverence that practitioners have for their deities.
Line by Line Meaning
Yê-melê, ari, ará
Invoking and praising the spirits of the sea, signaling a call to them
Yê-melê, ará
A continuation of the call to the sea spirits, emphasizing their importance and power
Canto de Iemanjá
Acknowledging the presence and influence of the deity Iemanjá, also known as the Queen of the Sea
Zauê, zauá
The sounds and rhythms of the sea, evoking a sense of its majesty and fluidity
Melê, melá
The rhythms and melodies of the music, blending with the sounds of the sea and reflecting its energy
Indê, olá
Greeting and acknowledging the power and presence of Iemanjá, also known as the Mother of Waters
Onda do mar
The waves of the sea, representing its power, beauty, and mystery
A rainha, mãe do mar
Referring to Iemanjá as the Queen and Mother of the Sea, emphasizing her importance and influence
Traz o seu amor
Evoking a sense of Iemanjá's love and compassion for her followers
Sua benção vem me dar
Asking for Iemanjá's blessing and protection, recognizing her as a benevolent deity
E eu dou uma flor
Offering a symbol of gratitude and respect to Iemanjá, as is often done in her worship practices
Canto de Iemanjá
Repeating the acknowledgement of Iemanjá's presence and influence, emphasizing her importance to the song and its message
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHICO FEITOSA, LUIS CARLOS VINHAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@normanberry1597
I feel like God is talking to me when I listen to this. It puts me in a sense of gratitude; giving thanks when I dance to it.
@Shyblues
Norman Berry Perfection ✨💜
@onesixfive
this man gets it!
@elmatasesues3630
a god maybe. Lemanja is an orisha, on which this song is somewhat based. It is an afro-samba. ‘Canto de lemanja’
@stevelove5125
One of his best songs, never made the pop charts.
@NandaMcBeal
Conheci essa música vendo o doc. dos Dzi Croquettes ❤
@hughphillips1877
A totally hip song, from 1969 still relevant. Sergio Mendes always, still ahead of time of his time😎
@bella_0906
Odoyá 💙💙💙
@kevinvicks5349
This song just VIBES so much I love it.
@analena6588
Adoro essa musica.