Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes has died at the age of 83.
The reason for this is reportedly long-term Covid-related health challenges.
Mendes' family said The Guardian A statement said he “passed away peacefully” at his Los Angeles home.
“His wife and musical partner of the last 54 years, Graciena Leporace Mendes, and his beloved children were also at his side,” he said.
“Mendes will perform his last shows in November 2023 in front of extremely enthusiastic audiences in Paris, London and Barcelona,” he added.
“For the past several months, his health had been deteriorating due to the effects of long-term Covid.”
The Brazilian superstar has released over 30 albums over six decades.
Mendes was known for introducing bossa nova – a style of samba – to an international audience in the 1960s with his band Brasil '66.
With hits like “Mas Que Nada” and “Magalenha,” Mendes helped shape modern crossover Brazilian pop.
“It was totally different from anything else, and definitely totally different from rock ‘n’ roll,” Latin music scholar Leila Cobo said in the 2020 HBO documentary “Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy.”
He added, “But that just shows how sure Sergio was about that sound. He didn't try to imitate what was happening.”
Mendes was born in Niterói, Brazil, in 1941. He began playing in clubs and performing with mentors such as Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, then formed his first band, Sexteto Bossa Rio.
With that band he released his first album “Dance Moderno” in 1961.
By 1964 they had moved to Los Angeles, signed with Capitol Records and formed a band called Brasil '65. They found success after adding American singers Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel and changing their name to Brasil '66.
His album, “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66,” went platinum. It featured the single “Mas Que Nada,” which Mendes re-recorded with the Black Eyed Peas in 2006.
His wife, Gracina Leporace, succeeded Lani Hall in 1966.
In 1962, Mendes presented the first Bossa Nova Festival at Carnegie Hall.
“When you're young, you don't think about the long-term future or anything like that. The first time I ever came was to a Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall with Jobim and Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz and a lot of other people. I was like, “Oh my God, I can't believe it.” I was 22 years old. Love at first sight,” he said told Spin In a 2021 interview.
He also performed with Frank Sinatra.
He said, “I was very fortunate to work with Sinatra. I did two tours with him – one in America and one in Europe.” The Line of Best Fit Explained In a 2023 interview.
“We performed at the Royal Albert Hall for about two weeks and I was the opening act for him. So I saw him every night in Europe and here in America and we became very good friends.”
Mendes was known for mixing original songs with bossa nova covers of popular English-language songs, including the Beatles' “With a Little Help from My Friends” and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's rendition of the Dusty Springfield hit, “The Look of Love”.
The song helped him reach a wider audience when he performed it at the 1968 Academy Awards ceremony. It was nominated for an Oscar that year for the James Bond film “Casino Royale.”
His version of the Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil song “Never Gonna Let You Go” was also a hit in 1983.
Mendes won the Grammy Award for Best World Album in 1992 for “Brasileiro.”
In recent years, he helped compose the music for the animated films “Rio” (2011) and “Rio 2” (2014).
In 2019, he released his last album, “In the Key of Joy.”
in his 2021 interview with SpinMendes said, “I tell young musicians to just embrace your dream and keep going and keep going. Persistence is so important. It's really about your passion. Just stick with it.”
When asked what his greatest accomplishment was, he said, “I don't think it was one thing. I think it was the whole journey. I'm very proud of that and I'm very happy that I met and collaborated with so many different artists from different cultures and different eras,” citing Sinatra, The Black Eyed Peas, Common, and John Legend.
“It’s my curiosity and exploration and the wonderful thing about meeting people is that when you go into the studio with them, magic happens.”
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Gracina, his two children, Tiago and Gustavo, three children from his first marriage, Bernardo, Rodrigo and Isabella, and seven grandchildren.
