Sérgio Santos Mendes (born Niteroi, 11 February 1… Read Full Bio ↴See Sérgio Mendes.
Sérgio Santos Mendes (born Niteroi, 11 February 1941) is a Brazilian musician. Born the son of a physician in Niteroi, 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 Antonio Carlos Jobim (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 Adderly 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. When sales were tepid, he replaced his Brazilian born vocalist Wanda Sa with the distinctive voice of Chicago native Lani Hall (who learned Mendes' Portuguese material phonetically) and switched to Herb Alpert's A&M label and released Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66. (Hall would later marry Alpert). The album ultimately went platinum based largely upon the success of the single Mas Que Nada and the personal support of Alpert, with whom Mendes toured regularly. 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/Hal David song "The Look of Love" on the Academy Awards telecast in March 1968. Brasil '66's version of the song quickly shot into the top 10, eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the soundtrack of the movie, and 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." Though he continued to enjoy adult contemporary chart successes with Brasil '66 through 1971, he would not experience the mainstream chart hits he enjoyed in 1968 until his comeback album in 1983 generated the biggest single of his career, "Never Gonna Let You Go." However, 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 President Johnson and President Nixon.
Mendes' career in the U.S. stalled in the mid-70s, but he remained very popular in South America and Japan. (This disparity became a Seinfeld in-joke.) 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. 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. He has released over thirty-five albums, and still plays his bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. His newest album, Timeless released in 2006, featured Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas, Q-Tip, Justin Timberlake, and Pharoahe Monch.
(Text taken in whole from the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Mendes on March 30, 2006)
Surfboard
Sergio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
will.i.am shape and move
This new genre hip-hop
Samba, soul
Bossa nova, urban classical
Pumping sonic from your audio
From El Sudando to São Paulo
I am and I will
Show and tell y'all
That this fusion will never fail
So read it on the L and read it well
If you black we broke it up as well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
All my people
Break dancing on my left
Shaka shaka sha
Take it to the middle and get hot
All my dancing
Capoeiring to my right
Zhaka, zhaka zha
Take it to the floor 'n' don't stop
If your samba in the back
Zhaka zhaka zha
Take it to the floor get loose
If your up against
The wall with subduse
Zhaka, zhaka zha
Come on get doing what you do
Do what you do, Do what you know
don't hold it back just let it go
Make it silent like a silent O
Rhythmically we Africano
More liylicly on piano
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
We make this butter like butter on
Pop Pop the pop the popcorn
And you can't stop us once we on
Cause once we on i know your on
It's the S-E-R the I the O
Will.I.Am is in control
I think you know
(Check it)
All my people
Break dancing on my left
Shaka shaka sha
Take it to the middle and get hot
All my dancing
Capoeiring to my right
Zhaka, zhaka zha
Take it to the floor 'n' don't stop
If your samba in the back
Zhaka zhaka zha
Take it to the floor get loose
If your up against the wall
With subduse
Zhaka, zhaka zha
Come on get doing what you do
The song "Surfboard" by Sergio Mendes featuring will.i.am is a vibrant fusion of hip-hop, Samba, soul, and Bossa Nova. The song showcases how two globally loved artists can merge diverse cultural influences to make an up-tempo composition that's both danceable and melodic. The song opens with Sergio Mendes being addressed, and later on, will.i.am steps in with a rhythmic flow that raps about bringing a new style that blends vintage Brazilian music and hip-hop, creating an urban classical sound.
The lyrics in the verses highlight aspects of Brazilian culture, such as dance and music. The chorus emphasizes taking the music to the floor, regardless of whether you're a breakdancer, capoeira player, or samba dancer. The song's message is clear; everyone has a unique style of dancing, and it should be embraced and celebrated. In addition, the lines "We make this butter like butter on Pop Pop the pop the popcorn" and "And you can't stop us once we on, cause once we on I know your on" brings a sense of confidence that signifies the artists' ability to deliver a hit song.
Line by Line Meaning
S-e-r-g-i-o you know?
Introducing the artist, Sergio Mendes
will.i.am shape and move
Production assistance by will.i.am and movement-inducing beats
This new genre hip-hop
A new genre blending hip-hop with Brazilian music styles
Samba, soul
Incorporating multiple Brazilian music styles
Bossa nova, urban classical
Still more Brazilian styles in the mix
Pumping sonic from your audio
A high-energy, sound-filled experience
From El Sudando to São Paulo
Representing various Brazilian locations in the music
W, I with double L
Referring to will.i.am as a producer on the track
I am and I will
Confident in his ability to create great music
Show and tell y'all
Demonstrating the new music style
That this fusion will never fail
Expressing confidence in the new style
So read it on the L and read it well
Emphasizing the importance of paying attention
If you black we broke it up as well
Breaking down racial barriers with the new music
Cause we rock ya and we rock ya well
Demanding attention and appreciation
All my people
Addressing the audience
Break dancing on my left
Dancers feeling the music and moving accordingly
Shaka shaka sha
Onomatopoeia for the sound of the music and dance
Take it to the middle and get hot
Encouraging dancers to move to the center and get into the rhythm
Capoeiring to my right
More dancers feeling the music on the other side
Zhaka, zhaka zha
Continuing the onomatopoeia, inviting even more movement and rhythm
If your samba in the back
Noticing how everyone is feeling the music differently
Take it to the floor get loose
Encouraging more involvement and letting go of inhibitions
If your up against the wall with subduse
Recognizing that some people might feel shy or reserved
Come on get doing what you do
Encouraging everyone to express themselves, however that may be
Do what you do, Do what you know
Emphasizing individual expression
don't hold it back just let it go
Encouraging people to let loose and express freely
Make it silent like a silent O
Playing around with alliteration and emphasizing the power of sound
Rhythmically we Africano
Highlighting the African roots of the music
More liylicly on piano
Acknowledging the intricate musical arrangement and diverse influences
It's Maestro Sergi-add-a O
Giving credit to songwriter and bandleader Sergio Mendes
We make this butter like butter on
Further playing with alliteration and highlighting the smoothness of the music
Pop Pop the pop the popcorn
Continuing the alliteration and inviting more energy
And you can't stop us once we on
Asserting dominance and confidence in their music and ability to perform
Cause once we on i know your on
Knowing that audience members will also be feeling the music
It's the S-E-R the I the O
Shouting out Sergio Mendes and will.i.am
Will.I.Am is in control
Giving credit to the producer and acknowledging their authority in the project
I think you know
Confident that their audience is recognizing the power of this new sound
Contributed by Michael D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
chrisgurl30
This whole song is fire.
skdlauren
Love this♥
Babysnoop
This is hip-hop 💯
Green_Goddess
🔥🔥🔥
Shayvon Vaughan
My JAMMMMMM
Anthony Salazar
That piano is fuckin dope af
Michelle Shaw
I would do capoeira to this
Kazuya
capoeira? that's funny
Fábio Valente Oficial - Samba & Bossa Nova 9 Album
Sunset - Bossa Nova - Composer Brazilian Fabio Valente
Enjoy New Generation Bossa Nova too, Thanks!!!
Michael Martin
Slaaaay