At the age of 83, Sergio Mendes, the man who popularized bossa nova, a Brazilian music genre, passed away in Los Angeles.
His adoring children and wife, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, who has been his musical partner for the past 54 years, were by his side, his family said in a statement.
“Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona.”
One of the songs that contributed to the global popularization of bossa nova in the 1960s was the arrangement, lyricist, and pianist’s rendition of Mas Que Nada.
In 2006, a version of the song he recorded with the Black Eyed Peas topped the US charts.
The song may be found on his will.i.am-produced album Timeless, which also contained the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend.
Trumpeter Herb Alpert posted a picture of himself and Sergio Mendes seated next to each other at the piano on Facebook, writing, “Sergio Mendes was my brother from another country.”
