Sérgio Mendes, Brazilian Bossa Nova Musician, Dies of Long Covid at 83

Mar. 15, 2025

Sérgio Mendes in Beverly Hills in May 2018.Photo:Chrissy Hampton/Getty

Chrissy Hampton/Getty

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.

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 documentarySergio 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.”

Sérgio Mendes performs in Chicago in March 1979.Paul Natkin/Getty

Paul Natkin/Getty

Mendes was born in Niteroi, Brazil, in 1941. According tohis 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, fromHerb Albert,Frank SinatraandQuincy JonestoBurt BacharachandStevie 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 hisFacebook 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….”

Sergio Mendes on “American Bandstand” in April 1984.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

In 1992, he released the albumBrasileiro, 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 theBlack Eyed Peas,Erykah Badu,John Legend,Justin TimberlakeandPharrell Williams.

A little over a decade later, in 2005, he received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Five years later, his albumBom Tempowon 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 filmRio.

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Sérgio Mendes in Laguna Beach in August 2023.Harmony Gerber/Getty

Harmony Gerber/Getty

source: people.com