Bossa nova legend Sérgio Mendes dies

Brazilian instrumentalist Sérgio Mendes, who helped popularise bossa nova and samba with Western audiences, has died astatine the property of 83.

The bandleader and composer is champion known for the buoyant Latin popular deed Mas Que Nada, and putting Brazilian twists connected English songs specified arsenic The Look Of Love and The Beatles' The Fool On The Hill.

Mendes recorded much than 35 albums, galore of which went golden oregon platinum successful the US; and received an Oscar information successful 2012 for co-writing the opus Real successful Rio from the animated movie Rio.

His death, successful his adopted location of Los Angeles, was archetypal reported by TMZ. His household confirmed the news to Brazilian paper O Globo. No origin of decease has been given.

The lad of a physician, Mendes was calved successful Niteroi, Brazil, and initially studied classical piano, with the volition of becoming a performance pianist.

But his beingness changed successful 1956 erstwhile helium heard his archetypal jazz record, Take Five by the American instrumentalist Dave Brubeck, and abandoned his studies.

"For maine that was like, I would say, 1 of the unthinkable moments of my life," he told US vigor presumption NPR successful 2014, "because erstwhile I heard that, I had nary thought astir jazz oregon anything".

He started playing successful nightclubs successful Rio de Janeiro, conscionable arsenic the bossa nova craze deed - and began to immerse himself successful that scene, alongside different luminaries specified arsenic Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto.

His archetypal recording, Dance Moderno, was released successful 1961 connected the Philips Records label.

Three years later, helium near Brazil for the USA to flight the subject dictatorship - but it was not an casual transition.

His Brazilian bandmates returned home, forcing Mendes to signifier a caller group. Called Brasil '66, it featured 2 American singers, Lani Hall and Karen Philip.

Signed to A&M Records, they deed connected a winning look - jazzy renditions of fashionable Brazilian songs alongside samba-enriched versions of the hits of the day.

They scored their archetypal large deed with Mas Que Nada, a sun-kissed screen of a Jorge Ben original, afloat of digit clicks, shimmying shakers and an ebullient chorus that sings of the impulse to dance.

There is "something precise magical astir that chant", Mendes aboriginal recalled. "People emotion that opus - everyplace successful the world."

It was the archetypal Portuguese-language opus to go a planetary hit; and propelled Brasil '66's self-titled debut medium into the apical 10 of the US charts.

Later records saw Mendes cleanable his blend of Western melodies and Brazilian rhythms, covering Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair, and Otis Redding's (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay.

When helium covered The Beatles' The Fool On The Hill connected the 1967 medium Look Around, Paul McCartney wrote Mendes a letter, telling him it was his favourite mentation of the song.

Although his euphony was dismissed arsenic "easy listening" astatine the time, helium was hugely popular, playing arena tours and performing astatine the White House for presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.

He was a regular connected TV shows alongside artists specified arsenic Perry Como, Jerry Lewis, Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra, with whom helium struck up a adjacent friendship.

In the 1970s, helium relaunched his set arsenic Brasil '77, but his commercialized fortunes waned until the 1983 comeback album, Sergio Mendes, gave him the biggest illustration deed of his vocation - a screen of the Dionne Warwick classical Never Gonna Let You Go.

The occurrence came astir about by accident, arsenic Mendes lone added the opus to his repertoire astatine the past minute.

"All the different songs connected the medium were up and festive. I needed a ballad connected the album, conscionable to alteration the gait a bit," helium said successful an interrogation for The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits.

In 1992, helium won a Grammy for his medium Brasileiro, which featured respective tracks with the young percussionist and vocalist Carlinhos Brown - present 1 of Brazil's astir salient musicians.

Among their collaborations was Magalenha - a joyous opus powered by the energetic sounds of Bahian percussionists from the streets of Rio - that rapidly became a Latin standard.

Two decades later, successful 2012, the duo received an Oscar information for their enactment connected the Rio soundtrack.

The inclusion of Mas Que Nada connected the soundtrack to Mike Myers' Austin Powers movie introduced Mendes to a full caller assemblage successful 1997, and by the aboriginal 21st Century, astir of his backmost catalogue had been reissued for caller fans.

Around the aforesaid time, Mendes began to incorporated elements of hip-hop into his sound, collaborating with the Black Eyed Peas connected a caller mentation of Mas Que Nada, and signaling songs with rappers including Common and Q-Tip.

Mendes besides made a cameo successful the 24-hour-long video for Pharrell Williams' Happy; and won a beingness accomplishment grant astatine the 2005 Latin Grammys.

A movie of his life, Sergio Mendes In The Key Of Joy, was released successful conjunction with a caller medium successful 2020 - and helium continued playing unrecorded until precise recently, including an quality astatine the London Jazz Festival past October.

Summing up his doctrine of music, Mendes once said: "When I deliberation astir Brazilian euphony the archetypal words that would travel to my caput would beryllium joy, celebration, party... I deliberation it is successful the tone of the radical successful general."

The instrumentalist is survived by by his wife, Gracinha Leporace, who sang connected galore of his records. He besides had 5 children.