SÉRGIO MENDES,
1941-2024

Brazilian pianist and bandleader Sérgio Mendes, who helped popularize bossa nova in the U.S. and worldwide, died Thursday, 9/5, at the age of 83. He “had been challenged by the effects of long-term COVID,” according to a statement from his family.

Born in Niteroi, Brazil, Mendes began playing music at an early age and attended school in hopes of becoming a classical pianist. He eventually transitioned toward jazz, cutting his teeth in Brazilian nightclubs in the 1950s.

Mendes formed the band Sexteto Bossa Rio and released his debut album, Dance Moderno, in 1961. Soon, American jazz musicians came calling, including Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann, who recorded with Mendes in the early ’60s.

As his star continued to rise, Mendes relocated to Los Angeles, but no U.S. label was interested in signing him. Mendes discovered singer Lani Hall in 1965 while his group Brasil ’65 was on the verge of disbanding, and he invited the Chicago native to come to L.A. to be the lead singer of his new project, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66. Six months later, the group signed a contract with A&M Records, whose Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass had become the biggest act in the world during one of the most spectacular periods in pop music history. Alpert and Jerry Moss sent the group on the road as TJB’s opening act, as Alpert, who produced their first three A&M albums, began a romantic relationship with Hall that continues to this day.

Unlike the previous incarnation, Brasil ‘66 was an instant success, making a significant impact on the charts with its first single, a version of the Brazilian song “Mas Que Nada”. The track reached #47 on the Hot 100 and helped push their debut album to platinum sales. Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 was the first Portuguese-language album to become a hit in the U.S., opening the door for Brazilian artists including João Gilberto, Astrid Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim.

A series of popular interpretations followed, including the group’s take on The Beatles’ “The Fool on the Hill” and “Day Tripper." In 1968, Dusty Springfield’s rendition of “The Look of Love” was nominated for an Oscar. Mendes and Brasil ’66 covered the song during the telecast and turned it into another hit, peaking at #4. Mendes’ also covered material from the Mamas & the Papas (“Monday, Monday”), Simon & Garfunkel (“Scarborough Fair”) and Buffalo Springfield (“For What It’s Worth”).

In 1971, midway through the production of the folk-rock concept album Stillness, Hall left Brasil ’66 and was replaced by Mendes’ wife, Gracinha Leporace.

Mendes enjoyed a late career resurgence with the 2006 album Timeless, on which guest artists including The Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Jill Scott and John Legend sang on new versions of his classic material. Mendes also co-produced the soundtrack albums for the animated films Rio (2011) and its sequel, Rio 2 (2014). He won a Grammy for his 1993 album Brasileiro and earned an Oscar nomination in 2011 for “Real in Rio.” In total, Mendes released more than 40 albums.