Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes, who in the 60s introduced the international audience to bossa nova with his band Brasil '66, has died at the age of 83 as a result of health complications related to a long-term covid infection.
In a statement, Mendes' family said he died peacefully in Los Angeles.
"His wife and musical partner of the last 54 years, Gracinja Leporače Mendes, was by his side, as well as his beloved children. Mendes performed for the last time in November 2023 at sold-out concerts in Paris, London and Barcelona," it is stated in announcement.
Other great Brazilian musicians paid tribute to their colleague as news of his death spread across Brazil
Born in Niteroi on February 11, 1941, Mendes learned to play the classical piano as a child. His father was a physician and encouraged Mendes to follow in his footsteps, but changed his mind after seeing Mendes' growing passion and talent for jazz.
"When he saw me play and realized I was doing well with the bands, he relaxed and let me do my thing," Mendes recalled in a 2005 interview.
Mendes began his musical career as a teenager in the late 50s, playing in Rio nightclubs just as bossa nova was becoming a worldwide sensation. Under the mentorship of bossa nova pioneer Antonio Carlos Jobim, Mendes formed the band Sexteto Bossa Rio and released his instrumental debut album "Dance Moderno" in 1961. Mendes became a sought-after collaborator of American musicians, including Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann, with whom he collaborated in the early 60s.
Mendes moved to Los Angeles in 1964, signed with Capitol Records and formed the band Brasil '65. After releasing two albums with poor commercial results, the group hired two singers, Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel, who sang in English, and renamed itself Brasil '66. Produced by Herb Alpert, the next album went platinum, thanks in part to the success of the single "Mas Que Nada", which Mendes re-recorded in 2006 with the Black Eyed Peas.
In 1968, the Brazilian musician reached a wider audience when he performed the song "The Look of Love" at the Oscars, and the version of the song performed by the band Brasil '66 entered the top 10 in the USA. This made Mendes a star who performed for presidents and at the World's Fair in Japan in 1970, as well as an international bossa nova ambassador.
"You can connect with it in an organic way. It makes you dream and feel good. It's very rhythmic music, so you can dance to it, and it has seductive melodies that you take with you, so you can whistle or hum," he said. is about this musical genre in 2005.
Mendes continued to record songs throughout the '70s and '80s, scoring another big hit in 1983 with "Never Gonna Let You Go." The comeback album "Timeless", produced by Will.i.am from the band Black Eyed Peas, was released in 2006. The album featured guest appearances from Erika Badu, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake.
Mendes helped produce the music for the animated films "Rio" and "Rio 2", and in 2012 he was nominated for an Oscar for the best original song "Real in Rio". He won the Grammy Award for the best world music album "Brasileiro" in 1992. Mendes continued to perform until last year, and his latest album "In the Key of Joy" was released in 2020.
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