Full of determination, hope and a little luck, Sérgio Mendes was a pioneer not just in music, but in the medical field as well.
For the first three years of his life, he had to wear a cast due to a bout with osteomyelitis, a bone infection. His father, who was a doctor, gave Mendes one of the first shots of penicillin in Brazil.
Mendes’ studies in music began at a very early age and at the conservatory of music in his home city of Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro, where he studied classical music. Around the age of 15, Mendes' world of sound would flip upside down hearing records from Dave Brubeck, Horace Silver, and Art Tatum for the first time.
Venturing from the classroom to late night clubs, Mendes formed his first band of jazz “aficionados.” Whether a trio, quintet or quartet, this first group offers a glimpse of the various formats Mendes would use for his later bands. Playing wherever they could, his first break came after taking a ferry to the neighborhood of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro — to open at a new and upcoming spot, called the “Bottles Bar.”
The would mark the first of many trips for Mendes and several other bossa nova artists that would emerge from the jazz scene in Rio. He formed the Bossa Rio Sextet in the early '60s, and quickly became popular in his home city.
They received an award for best instrumental group from a local newspaper, which, at the time, was like receiving a Grammy Award. Mendes became a worldwide name, performing in Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. His next trip would change his career trajectory and unlock Mendes’ ability to collaborate with the most popular acts in their genre.
Mendes took his first bite out of "The Big Apple" in 1962. He traveled to New York City to participate in the “Bossa Nova Festival” at Carnegie Hall, where he would perform many more times.
On this same trip, Mendes saw the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Cannonball Adderley live for the first time at Birdland Jazz Club. After receiving an invitation from Adderley, the two would record Cannonball's Bossa Nova.
Mendes released several records with his Brasil 64/65 band that were met with mixed to moderate reviews. Low sales for these instrumental albums would force him, in a good way, to reroute and create a sound that would become his most recognizable.
Now featuring two female vocalists, Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel, singing in English and Portuguese, Mendes formed his Brasil '66 band. He immediately had a hit on his hand with the Jorge Ben composition, “Mas Que Nada.” Sung entirely in Portuguese, the song placed 5th on the Billboard charts, becoming the first vocal song in a language other than English to chart.
The success of “Mas Que Nada” garnered Mendes a ton of popularity in the U.S. and internationally. Bossa nova jazz became more accessible and mainstream, even leading to a performance at the White House in 1971.
Many artists of the time wanted to make a bossa nova recording. Icons like Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy Gillespie would all reach out to Mendes. He continued to ride the wave of Brasil '66, finding success in his home country and Japan as his U.S popularity began to stall.
Later, he formed Brasil '77. With this group, Mendes’ sound fused popular genres, like soul, funk and disco, with bossa nova as the base, including a collaboration with Stevie Wonder who wrote Mendes’ 1982 groove, “The Real Thing.”
As the '80s and '90s arrived, Mendes continued to score Billboard hits, charting several times. One of these hits was used as the opening theme for the 1984 Olympics and his 1992 Grammy winning album Brasileiro further cemented Mendes' place as a legend of Brazilian pop and jazz.
Mendes' timeless sound would be recognized by younger audiences, particularly hip-hop and neo-soul fans. His 2006 Timeless album featured a wide range of hip-hop and soul artists. Produced by Will.i.am, the album also featured Erykah Badu, Common, Q-Tip, and recurring collaborator Stevie Wonder.
Mendes continued to garner awards later in his career, while also expanding into film. He served as executive music producer for the film Rio, which was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Original Song." His music and life were honored in his 2020 documentary Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy, also the title to his final studio recording.
In a 2022 interview with KNKX's Robin Lloyd, Mendes was still looking for fresh and innovative ways to create music, all the while, feeling young and spry. Mendes continued to tour worldwide with his last performance in 2023.
When Mendes passed on Sept. 5, he was 83. The music world lost a giant in Sérgio Mendes, but his music will forever be timeless.
