Brazilian music is in mourning. Sergio Mendes bossa nova legend, winner of three Grammys and nominee for an Oscar, died this Friday, September 6 in Los Angeles, according to his family.
The Brazilian musician was recognized worldwide for his collaborations with jazz greats such as Herb Alpert and Cannonball Adderley, as well as for his participation in the acclaimed animated film ‘Rio’.
Sérgio Mendes: what did the Brazilian music icon die of?
The death of Sérgio Mendes has been a great shock to his fans. Although the cause of his death was not detailed, it was reported that since the end of 2023 he had been facing health problems resulting from respiratory conditions. Mendes rose to fame with his hit “Más que Nada”, included in the album “Herb Alpert presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66′”, which remains one of his greatest achievements to date and has been covered on several occasions, including a collaboration with Black Eyed Peas.
Another of his hits was “Fool on the Hill,” a song by The Beatles that gave the title to his group’s album in 1968. Mendes revealed that Paul McCartney approved of his samba version of the song: “I’ve always been interested in the melody. I was in Acapulco on New Year’s Eve with Herb Alpert and he put on the record with ‘Fool on the Hill.’ I loved it and created a samba arrangement. We came back to Los Angeles and recorded right away. In 2013, I paid tribute to Paul McCartney and he sent a letter saying it was the best version of the song,” the musician shared in an interview with O GLOBO in 2015.
In 1992, Sérgio Mendes won a Grammy Award for his album “Brasileiro.” Two decades later, in 2012, he was nominated for an Oscar for “Real in Rio,” a song created for the animated film “Rio” (2011).
Who is Sergio Mendes?
Sérgio Mendes was a renowned Brazilian musician and composer, born on February 11, 1941 in Niterói, Brazil. He is especially famous for his style that fuses bossa nova he jazz and pop music, and is considered one of the most influential artists of Brazilian music internationally.
Mendes rose to worldwide fame in the 1960s with his group Sergio Mendes & Brazil ’66 which produced hits such as “Mas que Nada”, “The Look of Love” and “Fool on the Hill”. His style was notable for its combination of Brazilian rhythms with pop melodies and jazz arrangements, which allowed him to achieve success in Latin America as well as in the United States and Europe.
