Sergio Mendes

Brazilian music Legend Sergio Mendes spins his remarkable magic on his newest recording Enchanto (Enchantment), which is among the maestro’s most beautifully realized in unparalleled career. The collection refines Sergio’s singular blend of infectious rhythms and irressistable melodies from the great Brazilian Song book, with his always thoroughly modern arrangements and masterful production approach. The resulting collection is a bona fide Sergio Mendes classic- a kaleidoscopic album that underscores the maestro’s ear for addictive melodies, as well as his ability to cast incredibly talented singers and musicians from all over the world.
“Every time I make a new record, it’s a new adventure.” explains the affable Mendes from his Los Angeles home. “My main motivation, “he enthuses,“ is to record wonderful songs. In the process, I enjoy sharing with the world the diversity of Brazilian music- both in terms of rhythm and melody.”
“This time, I wanted to go full circle. So I decided to begin this journey in my homeland Brazil. I traveled to Rio and Bahia, meeting a number of old friends that I hadn’t played with in quite a while. There’s a very special musically creative environment in Brazil which inspires me tremendously.”
Mendes was still living in Brazil during the momentous era between the late ‘50s and the early’60s when the samba based bossa nova was born. In fact he was one of the first practitioners of the new genre, together with composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, guitarist Joao Gilberto and Lyricist Vinicius de Moraes.
True to his desire to go back full circle, Mendes recorded four seminal Jobim compositions: a hip-hop version of “Agua De Beber” with Toninho Horta on guitar, Mendes wife Gracinha Leporace on vocals and the man himself showcasing his instrumental chops on a bewitching Rhodes solo: “Waters of March,” which features Grammy® nominated, super talented new artist Ledisi; “Somewhere in the Hills, “ with vocals by none other than Natalie Cole and Flugel Horn solo by great German jazz artist Till Bronner; and “Dreamer,” which marks the first time that former mentor Herb Alpert actually plays the trumpet on a Sergio Mendes album, with brilliant vocals by Lani Hall Alpert’s wife and the original lead singer of Mendes’ Brasil 6.
But the most daring cover in the entire album is a new version of Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love,” which Mendes had originally transposed to bossa nova heaven in1967, when it became his biggest hit with Brasil 6. Produced by Black Eyed Pea will.i.am, his new interpretation maintains the beguiling melody of the original, bringing the tune to new millennium territory; keeping Sergio’s original bass line intro, with crisp drum programming and sexy rap/vocal by the Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie.
“I mentioned ‘The Look of Love’ to Will. I was looking for a way to re-do it, with a dance beat that I heard in Brazil (which is very popular, nowadays, with young people down there) which I thought would be great for a song. Will loved the idea and suggested Fergie to sing it. On Timeless, we had reworked ‘Mas Que Nada,’ presenting it in a different way, and it became an international hit. This time we did ‘The Look of Love,’ 40 years later.
will.i.am’s enthusiasm should not come as a surprise. Growing up in Los Angeles he collected Mendes’ original bossa nova classics on vinyl and was influenced by his smooth, pan- Latin approach to creating dance music with sophisticated arrangements and production values. Their 2006 collaboration Timeless distilled the exhilarating feeling that will.i.am experienced recording an album with his longtime idol.
Serious Mendes aficionados will recognize Carlinhos Brown as the principal songwriter on Brasileiro, the seminal 1992 session that saw Mendes changing gears and exploring Bahian rhythms and sounds. A virtuoso percussionist singer and songwriter, Brown has become famous for his funky song structures and deep percussion textures. “Funky Bahia,” the song he co-wrote with will.i.am for his CD, is a perfect cross between American and mainstream and Brazilian sensibility- the kind of multi-cultural encounters that the jazz loving Mendes has always favored.

-http://www.sergiomendesmusic.com/