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Who Was Sergio Mendes? All About Grammy-Winning Brazilian Music Icon As He Passes Way At 83
Sérgio Mendes, a Brazilian musician who popularized bossa nova music throughout the world in the 1960s, passed away on Thursday, September 5, at the age of 83.
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Celebrated Brazilian musician, Sergio Mendes passed away on September 5 at the age of 83
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Mendes popularized bossa nova among global audiences in the 1960s
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains mentions of death.
Sérgio Mendes, a legendary musician from Brazil who popularized bossa nova with his band Brasil '66 in the 1960s, has passed away at the age of 83. The popular musician's family posted a statement on his social media accounts to confirm his passing. According to his family, the effects of his prolonged COVID-19 illness led to his death.
The statement read, “His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children. Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold-out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona. “For the last several months, his health had been challenged by the effects of long-term Covid.”
Sergio Mendes was born in Niterói on 11 February 1941. The young Mendes was encouraged by his father, a physician, to pursue conservatory training in order to pursue a career as a classical pianist.
His passion for classical music, however, faded as he approached Rio de Janeiro and fell in love with Brazilian and American jazz. He began performing in nightclubs in the late 1950s as his love for jazz expanded, coinciding with the emergence of bossa nova, a jazz-infused samba offshoot.
He soon started performing in neighborhood trios and quartets before moving to the US in 1962 with his band Brasil '66. They gained fame for their 1967 hit song The Look of Love and their 1966 Portuguese-language single Mas Que Nada.
As his career progressed, he worked with a number of legendary artists, including Burt Bacharach, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Herb Albert, and Quincy Jones. Never Gonna Let You Go, Night and Day, and Scarborough Fair are a few of his other standout tracks.
In 2005, just over ten years later, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. His album Bom Tempo earned him another Grammy for Brazilian contemporary pop album five years later.
He also contributed to the music production of the animated films Rio and Rio 2. Mendes was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for Best Original Song for Real in Rio.
Mendes is now survived by wife, Gracinha Leporace, children Tiago and Gustavo, three children from his first mrriage, Bernardo, Rodrigo, and Isabella, as well as seven grandchildren.
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