Sergio Mendes dead: Brazilian Grammy-winning legend dies at 83 after long battle with Covid

His family confirmed his death in a statement, saying: “His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children. Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona.”

Mendes rose to international fame in the 1960s with his composition Mas Que Nada, which became a defining song in the global rise of bossa nova music. In 2006, a modern rendition of the song performed by the Black Eyed Peas topped the US charts, featured on Mendes' album Timeless. Produced by will.i.am, the album included collaborations with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Sergio Mendes also worked on a James Bond song, he was a producer of Lani Hall’s vocals on the title song for the James Bond film Never Say Never Again in the 1980s.

Tributes have poured in from across the music world, with legendary trumpet player Herb Alpert writing on Facebook, “Sergio Mendes was my brother from another country passed away quietly and peacefully. 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.”

Throughout his career, Mendes garnered multiple accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1992 for Brasileiro and two Latin Grammy Awards. In 2012, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for Real in Rio, from the animated film Rio.

Mendes also composed the soundtrack for the film Pele, featuring renowned saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, and produced an album recorded by the Brazilian football icon.