Rest in Peace SERGIO MENDES
So terribly sad to hear of the passing of one of the world’s most creative, most inspirational and nicest musical legends. A true gentleman and an absolute genius. The bandleader and composer is best known for the buoyant Latin pop hit Mas Que Nada, and putting Brazilian twists on English songs such as The Look Of Love and The Beatles’ The Fool On The Hill.
Mendes recorded more than 35 albums, many of which went gold or platinum in the US; and received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for co-writing the song Real in Rio from the animated film Rio. No official cause of death was given, however the family said Mendes had been suffering with long-term Covid, and the musician was known to have suffered respiratory problems since the end of 2023. We will all miss you Sergio Mendes.
One of the biggest crossover Brazilian pop artists of his generation, Sergio Mendes helped define the sound of Latin pop and dance music in the 20th century. For most of the second half of the ’60s, Mendes was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States, charting huge hit singles like "Mas Que Nada" and LPs like Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 that regularly made the Top Five. His records with his group Brasil ’66 regularly straddled the domestic pop and international markets in America, getting played heavily on AM radio stations, both rock and easy listening, and he gave his label, A&M, something to offer light jazz listeners beyond the work of the company’s co-founder, Herb Alpert. During this period, he also became an international music star and one of the most popular musicians in South America. Ever evolving, Mendes has continued to develop his sound, including re-exploring Bahian rhythms on 1993’s Grammy-winning Brasileiro, nd even embracing new sounds including electronic dance music and hip-hop, as he did on 2008’s will.i.am-produced Encanto and 2014’s Magic.
