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)
Wave
Sergio Mendes Lyrics
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Be the wave, feel the wave
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, hit the wave
Feel it carry you like a breeze
A rhythm for what you need
The river becomes the sea, ah ah
High above all the world to see
Come on spread your wings, fly free
The wind brings a song to me, ah ah
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, feel the wave
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, hit the wave
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai, oh oh
Lost in the tide I feel it pullin'
All summer long, oh, we were foolish
Amor, I smell your sweet perfume
I wanna be right next to you babe
Catch that
Sergio Mendes
Catch my wave
As the sun shines above the sea
Come surf through the universe
Lean back on the sandy beach, ah ah
All we have is the chance to dance
This life is the true romance
Get lost in the sounds of peace, ah ah
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, feel the wave
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, hit the wave
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai, oh oh
Lost in the tide I feel it pullin'
All summer long, oh, we were foolish
Amor, I smell your sweet perfume
I wanna be right next to you babe
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, feel the wave
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, hit the wave
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai, oh oh
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, feel the wave
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Be the wave, hit the wave
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Vai que vai, vai que vai, oh oh
The lyrics to Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66's song "Wave" celebrate the joy and freedom of riding a wave, whether it be a literal wave in the ocean or the metaphorical wave of life. The chorus repeats the mantra "Ride the wave, catch the wave, be the wave, feel the wave, hit the wave," encouraging listeners to experience life's rhythm and flow in a way that feels authentic and self-expressive. The verses evoke images of the ocean, sun, sand, and wind, all elements of surfing culture that symbolize a carefree and adventurous way of being.
The lyrics also touch on the fleeting nature of life and love, acknowledging that time is precious and urging listeners to make the most of every moment. The line "All we have is the chance to dance, this life is the true romance" highlights the idea that life itself is a journey to be savored and enjoyed, rather than a destination to be reached. Ultimately, the lyrics to "Wave" celebrate the beauty of living in the moment and embracing the ebbs and flows of existence, rather than trying to control or resist them.
Line by Line Meaning
Ride the wave, catch the wave
Embrace the opportunities that come your way and make the best of them
Be the wave, feel the wave
Allow yourself to become one with the situation you are in
Be the wave, hit the wave
Step up to the challenge without fear
Feel it carry you like a breeze
Allow yourself to be swept away by the moment
A rhythm for what you need
Let the situation provide what you need at the moment
The river becomes the sea, ah ah
Small moments can turn into big opportunities
High above all the world to see
Gain a new perspective on the world around you
Come on spread your wings, fly free
Embrace your freedom and soar to new heights
The wind brings a song to me, ah ah
Be open to the sounds of the world around you
Vai que vai, vai que vai
Go for it, keep going
Lost in the tide I feel it pullin'
Getting caught up in the energy and power of the moment
All summer long, oh, we were foolish
Looking back on life with a sense of regret
Amor, I smell your sweet perfume
Thinking of someone you love and miss
I wanna be right next to you babe
Desiring to be close to someone you love
Catch that
Recognize and seize the opportunity
Sergio Mendes
The artist who created this piece of music
As the sun shines above the sea
Taking in the beauty of the world around you
Come surf through the universe
Explore the many opportunities and experiences the world has to offer
Lean back on the sandy beach, ah ah
Relax and enjoy the moment
All we have is the chance to dance
Life is meant to be enjoyed and experienced to the fullest
This life is the true romance
Life is full of opportunities to love and be loved
Get lost in the sounds of peace, ah ah
Take a moment to appreciate the peace and quiet of the world around you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Sergio Mendes, Shelea Frazier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
T B
This brings back memories of a better time.
Mina Charni
Ça remonterait le moral à n'importe qui ! 💙🌞
Tina20
I love to dance to this.
navigator
Catch the wave waterman ...
Tiny Dancer
It does.