By David Bozeman
This obsolete man loves his oldies! Thank heaven for You Tube.
The music world lost a true legend and one of my favorites just over a week ago. Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian-born bandleader, pianist, composer, arranger and songwriter passed away at 83. Those of you who have never heard of Sergio Mendes have certainly heard Sergio Mendes. Almost any movie or TV show set in Brazil features his famous Mas Que Nada.
Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 (later '77 and '88) played a big part in bringing Bossa Nova to US audiences in the mid-60s. Over the years the group performed jazz and funk but really hit the charts with light, breezy pop, buoyed by smooth, harmonious vocals and a rhythmic but not overpowering Latin beat. With Mendes on keyboards and an amazing selection of female singers, notably Lani Hall and, in the '70s, Bonnie Bowden (a personal favorite!), the group's delicate blend of pop and adult elegance soared in a decade giving way to youth and hard rock. He certainly doesn't need me to defend his legacy - I'm doing it because I love singing his praises. Some will dismiss his chart-toppers as elevator music, though his influence (on groups such as The Black Eyed Peas, with whom he performed) signifies a master musician.
I laud Sergio Mendes because his music is a velvety, soothing experience that future generations deserve to enjoy. He, Frank Sinatra, Herb Alpert, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick and others offered light, infectious pop music for adults, back when adulthood was cool. Sergio in particular transports the listener to carefree summer evenings where women in dresses and men in suits and ties swayed to exotic rhythms on the beaches of Rio or in plush, sophisticated night clubs.
Or did they? Am I romanticizing a time I don't remember? If so, then he has done his job well, for we look to musicians (and other artists) to elevate us from the monotony of our workaday worlds. Simply, if I can't live that ambiance now, I'll never stop trying.
Fast forward to today, a culture dominated by the snark and cynicism of social media, where adolescence into the 40s and beyond dominates art and style. But the allure of the eternally beloved Sergio Mendes will not be silenced. Furthermore, great vocalists such as Lani Hall and Bonnie Bowden continue to perform passionately and with class, ensuring his and their own impeccable legacies. It's easy to write off songs from the 20th Century with gentle, decipherable lyrics as 'elevator music.' If that's the case, then I'll listen to Sergio Mendes to the top of the tallest skyscraper or all the way up to Heaven.
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Special thanks to Bonnie Bowden for being so kind to her fans! Many blessing to you.
Comments welcome: davidbozeman63@gmail.com
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