SERGIO MENDES - The World's Greatest Exponent of Brazilian Music

SERGIO MENDES is an iconic pianist, producer, songwriter, band leader, Grammy winner and Oscar nominee.  He is widely considered the best known Brazilian musician of all time, having reinvented himself continually over the course of a 60 year career.  Since a very early age, growing up in a small town in Brazil, Sergio began exploring different styles of music and his unique sound, including his use of Portuguese lyrics, was embraced all over the world.  His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has more than 60 releases that feature bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. Sergio was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2012 as co-writer of the song "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio.  He is a unique example of a Brazilian musician primarily known in the United States, where his albums were recorded and where most of his touring has taken place. His mammoth hit 'Mas Que Nada' was the first ever international hit of a song in Portuguese. It was voted the fifth greatest Brazilian song ever and inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. Sergio says the key to successful songs is the simple melody. Though he never expected it, Sergio Mendes' timing and unique sound made him an international success.  One of the biggest crossover Brazilian pop artists of his generation, Sergio Mendes helped define the sound of Latin pop and dance music in the 20th century. For most of the second half of the '60s, Sergio was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States, charting huge hit singles that regularly made the Top Five. His records with his group Brasil 66 regularly straddled the domestic pop and international markets in America, getting played heavily on AM radio stations, both rock and easy listening, and he gave his label, A&M, something to offer light jazz listeners beyond the work of the company's co-founder, Herb Alpert.  Decades later he still tours the world and performs at numerous music festivals. Always mindful to keep re-inventing himself in order to remain relevant, Sergio has successfully collaborated with artists like John Legend, will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas and many well known Brazilian musicians.  In 2019, he issued his latest studio album, 'In the Key of Joy' in conjunction with a documentary film about his life. At 82 years of age, Sergio is doing some of the best work of his life. Join me for our interview as Sergio Mendes recounts his incredible musical career this week on A Breath of Fresh Air. To learn more about Sergio Mendes head for my website https://abreathoffreshair.com.au or Sergio's website https://sergiomendesmusic.com/ And don't forget, if you'd like to request someone you'd like to hear being interviewed - as long as they're from the 60s 70s or 80s - simply send me an email to [email protected] and I'll do my very best to get your favourite artist onto the show. I really hope you enjoy this episode with the extraordinary Sergio Mendes.