Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 199 - In Memory of Sergio Mendes, the Treasure of Brazilian Music, Final Episode

The Pride of a Producer Who Does Not Make Similar Albums

This blog article is the final chapter of a series of articles about the great musician Sergio Mendes, who passed away on September 6th. Sergio Mendes, who constantly continued to create new music, was 83 years old when he died. He was a rare musician who wore more than two hats as a producer, an excellent arranger, and a keyboard player, and he unearthed the strengths of Brazilian music in various forms.
I think that an interview I read about him in the past may provide a clue as to why he was able to continue his musical activities for such a long time.

A thirst for new music. That was the keyword for Sergio Mendes.

Whenever I listen to an album by Sergio Mendes, I always think, “This is different from the last album!” For example, if I like the album “Never Gonna Let You Go”, I bought the next album too. But the music I hear is different from what I was expecting.
Once an artist has found a hit pattern, they tend to stick to it and make similar things. Naturally, the sound and trends that have been successful are reflected in record and CD sales, so record companies also want the same patterns. This gives us a glimpse of the risk management and safety measures that record companies prioritize economically. As a result, what is released is an extension of the previous work... a common pattern.
I have seen many musicians fall into the trap of following the same old formula and then fall into decline...
Sergio Mendes was different.
He said things like, “Music is always changing. The sound changes depending on the historical background and other factors. I'd rather keep moving forward and changing than listening to the sounds of the past and feeling nostalgic.”
That is why Sergio Mendes has been able to survive until today, and his music has always been brilliant.
In order to continue moving forward, Sergio Mendes also adopted the method of “collaboration”.
The genre he chose was hip-hop.
Bossa nova and hip-hop? Somehow, the collaboration of two genres that should never have been able to fuse together somehow worked.

■ Recommended Album: Sergio Mendes “Timeless” (2006)

Sergio Mendes, who brilliantly revived evergreens such as the classic song “Mas Que Nada”, released this masterpiece in 2006. It is no exaggeration to say that his collaboration with Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas gave birth to this masterpiece.
The cover photo of the album “Swinger From Rio”, released in 1966, was arranged in a modern style. The album jacket, which has a somewhat retro feel, is stylish (see the reference material below).
No one could have imagined that the encounter between hip-hop and Brazilian music would be so exciting. Hats off to Sergio Mendes for choosing hip-hop musician Will.I.Am as his partner.
Other legends such as Stevie Wonder also participated. The luxurious guest lineup that made use of Will's connections is also amazing.

Recommended Song: “Mas Que Nada”

I wrote before that Sergio Mendes was a musician who knew how to emphasize and develop the saudade of Brazilian music, and that sense of saudade is wonderfully brought to life in this cover version too. And the fact that it was a hip-hop-derived rhythm that brought that saudade to life was beyond my imagination.
The samba (bossa nova) meets a new rhythm called rap, and the old familiar melody line becomes vivid... This is the moment created by “Timeless” by Mas Que Nada.
The old familiar melody on the new rhythm of hip-hop, and the rap groove singing it... Then, the saudade that only Brazilian music has is revived in a new form. The pleasure was a strange sensation that I had never had before listening to music.
The next album, "Encanto", which commemorates the 50th anniversary of bossa nova, also has a similar moment. It is a cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's famous song "Água de Beber". There is a part where the chorus sings the melody, and this song also has a new sense of saudade.
Sergio Mendes tried a chemical experiment that seemed reckless. I am just happy that his newness created a new chemical reaction and took me to a place beyond my imagination.

■ Reference Album: “Swinger From Rio” (1966)

An early classic album by Sergio Mendes. It features some of the most talented young musicians of the time, including Art Farmer (flh), Hubert Laws (fl) and Phil Woods (as). The youthful, exuberant piano of Sergio Mendes gives the album a great flavor.

A Rare Musician Who Combines Innovation with the Basics

To round off this article, I'd like to introduce an album by Sergio Mendes that won a Grammy. Listening to this album, you can see the depth of Sergio's musicality.
Sergio Mendes was a musician who was skilled at being aware of new things and incorporating them into his music, but he was also a musician with a good sense of balance who also had a firm grasp of the basics.
Sergio Mendes won a Grammy in the World Music category in 1993. Listening to this album makes it clear that Sergio was not just a musician who liked new things.

■ Recommended Album: Sergio Mendes “Brasileiro” (1992)

Released in 1992, this album won the 1993 Grammy Award for World Music. It is considered to be Sergio Mendes's greatest work, and is a historical classic.
Hermeto Pascoal, a leading figure in Brazilian music, provided the music for the album and also took part in the performances. The highlight of the album is the participation of a large samba band of over 100 people. The samba band's groove, which explodes from the very beginning, is truly magnificent.
Sergio Mendes, who created sophisticated AOR-style music in the 1980s, took a completely different approach. He faced head-on the native music of Brazil. The album contains many relatively subdued songs based on samba, but if you listen to them carefully, you will gradually feel the depth of their flavor seeping into your body.
I think it is valuable that an album that shows such respect for the music of his own country won a Grammy.

Recommended Song: “Sambadouro”

Although the mood of the album is described as being indigenous, when you listen to each song individually, it is very sophisticated in terms of sound. When you play traditional samba with this sophisticated performance, it becomes music that is far removed from the word “indigenous”. The music is based on samba, but the performance is modern and sharp. The cutting and single-note backing of the electric guitar that appears to fill the gaps in the samba-playing percussion is something you don't often hear in regular samba, but this kind of ensemble gives the music a new groove. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that this collective effort has resulted in a Grammy Award. The backing that sounds like a Fender Rhodes electric piano is thought to be the Yamaha DX7, which dominated the FM sound source market. The lighter sound than a Rhodes piano gives it an even more modern feel.

Featured Musicians, Albums and Recommended Songs

• Artists: Sergio Mendes, Will.i.am, Hermeto Pascoal, etc.
• Albums: “Timeless”, “Swinger From Rio”, “Brasileiro”
• Recommended Songs: 'Mas Que Nada', 'Sambadouro'

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