AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
He was the Brazilian music legend who brought bossa nova to a global audience in a career that lasted more than 60 years. In the past few days, tributes have been flooding in for legendary Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes, who died in Los Angeles on Friday at age 83. Julia Carneiro reports from Rio.
(SOUNDBITE OF SERGIO MENDES SONG, "MAS QUE NADA")
JULIA CARNEIRO: "Mas Que Nada" made Brazilian music famous worldwide, and that's thanks to Sergio Mendes. He recorded it in the U.S. in 1966 with his band Brasil '66...
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAS QUE NADA")
SERGIO MENDES AND BRASIL 66: (Singing in non-English language).
CARNEIRO: ...And then again in 2006 with the Black Eyed Peas. One song, two global hits, generations apart.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAS QUE NADA")
SERGIO MENDES AND BRASIL 66: (Singing in non-English language).
SERGIO MENDES AND THE BLACK EYED PEAS: (Singing in non-English language).
THE BLACK EYED PEAS: (Singing) Black Eyed Peas came to make it hotter.
CARNEIRO: Musician Sergio Mendes, born in the Brazilian City of Niteroi, emerged with the bossa nova movement in Brazil in the 1960s, but he went beyond it, becoming a global ambassador for Brazilian music. In 2020, he spoke to NPR's Leila Fadel on this program about how it all started.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
SERGIO MENDES: I've been always very curious since I was a kid, working with different guys in Brazil.
CARNEIRO: Over the decades, Mendes collaborated with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire to rappers Common and Buddy and the Black Eyed Peas.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
CARNEIRO: Mendes was in the U.S. for the first time in 1962, part of a historic bossa nova concert at the Carnegie Hall. Two years later, he moved to the U.S. for good, fleeing Brazil's military dictatorship. Mendes became an international musician with Brazilian roots, merging bossa nova, samba, jazz and pop, and recording American songs, too, like "The Look Of Love."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LOOK OF LOVE")
SERGIO MENDES AND BRASIL 66: (Singing) I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you...
CARNEIRO: In Brazil and beyond, artists have paid tribute to Mendes on social media. Rapper will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas shared a joyful picture of them together, writing, quote, "a timeless friendship." Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, praised his achievements. Mendes landed more songs in the U.S. Top 100 than any Brazilian artist, 14 in total. He earned an Oscar nomination and a Grammy in 1992 for the record "Brasileiro," including his hit "Magalenha."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAGALENHA")
MENDES: (Singing in non-English language).
CARNEIRO: Mendes once said, quote, "when I think about Brazilian music, the first words that would come to my mind would be joy, celebration and party." Over 60 years on, it's still hard to stay still to Sergio Mendes' music. For NPR News, I'm Julia Carneiro in Rio.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAGALENHA")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing in non-English language). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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