Farewell and Thank You, Sergio Mendes -- Mas que Nada

 

Usually the weekly Yutaka Kimura Speaks article would end Urban Contemporary Fridays on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", but earlier today, I read off the news scroll that the great Brazilian musician, Sergio Mendes, had passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

The first time that I actually registered the name and who he was in the music industry was back in 1983 when his contribution to the ballad "Never Gonna Let You Go" resulted in it becoming one of the big hits of that year. I used to hear it all the time on radio and that included when I was painting fences all day in that townhouse development as a part of my summer job to earn money for university. Considering my natural affinity for AOR, it wasn't difficult for me to get into "Never Gonna Let You Go". I definitely didn't let it go.

Strangely enough, I had heard "Mas que Nada" a number of times as a kid much earlier in life but didn't make the connection for years that this was Mendes' song when it was recorded with his band Brasil '66 in 1966. Actually, I was surprised to find out that this was not Mendes' original song but a cover of Jorge Ben's song from 1963. However, I think for most fans outside of Brazil, it will always be Mendes' version that they will cherish.

"Mas que Nada" is someone's exhortation to leave them be and let them dance their samba and jazz, namely bossa nova. Yup, I can understand that sentiment. Whenever I hear "Mas que Nada", I get images of swivel-hipped men and women in stylish party garb dancing their way onto the floor while carrying and sipping their martinis at the same time. The scatting and the percussion are very inviting for even a lummox like me to whip my legs and arms around. That's the magic of this song: it brings the image of a certain time but still gets folks in later decades to sing and move and groove.

My condolences to Mendes' family, friends and what are probably millions of fans around the planet.