Sérgio Mendes, the Brazilian-born musician who brought bossa nova music to a global audience in the 1960s, died on Thursday, Sept. 5, in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 83.
The renowned musician’s family announced his death in a statement on his social media channels. His family said that his death was caused by effects of long Covid.
“His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children,” the statement read. “Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona.”
Throughout his six-decade career, Mendes recorded more than 35 albums, but he is best known for popularizing Brazilian music on a global stage beginning in the 1960s, starting with his composition of “Mas Que Nada.”
“It was completely different from anything, and definitely completely different from rock ’n’ roll,” the Latin music scholar Leila Cobo said in the 2020 HBO documentary Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy. “But that speaks to how certain Sérgio was of that sound. He didn’t try to imitate what was going on.”
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Mendes was born in Niteroi, Brazil, in 1941. According to his website, he studied classical music in his youth and developed an affinity for jazz after hearing Dave Brubeck Quartet’s record “Take Five.”
Soon he began playing in local trios and quartets before he moved to United States in 1962 with his group Brasil ‘66. Their 1966 Portuguese-language single “Mas Que Nada” and their 1967 hit, “The Look of Love” brought them acclaim.
As his career progressed, he collaborated with several superstar musicians, from Herb Albert, Frank Sinatra and Quincy Jones to Burt Bacharach and Stevie Wonder. Some of his other memorable songs include “Scarborough Fair,” “Night and Day,” and “Never Gonna Let You Go.”
Albert shared a tribute in honor of his late friend on his Facebook page: “He was a true friend and extremely gifted musician who brought Brazilian music in all its iterations to the entire world with elegance a joy….”
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In 1992, he released the album Brasileiro, which returned him to his Brazilian roots and earned him the Grammy for best world music album. In the following decade, he collaborated with even more artists, including the Black Eyed Peas, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams.
A little over a decade later, in 2005, he received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Five years later, his album Bom Tempo won him another Grammy for Brazilian contemporary pop album.
Along with lending his Brazilian bossa nova music to contemporary artists, he also lent his talents to movie soundtracks. In 2012, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for “Real in Rio,” from the animated film Rio.
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He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Gracinha Leporace, their two children, Tiago and Gustavo, his three older children from his first marriage, Bernardo, Rodrigo, and Isabella, and seven grandchildren.
