Sergio Mendes Band Commemorates Brasil '66 With Anniversary Tour

The Sergio Mendes Band is embarking on an anniversary tour to celebrate 60 years of the Brasil '66 sound, maintaining the musical legacy of the late Sergio Mendes. Mendes, who passed away two years ago at the age of 83, was instrumental in popularizing bossa nova globally with the album "Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66," a top 10 hit on the Billboard 200 that featured the international hit "Mas Que Nada."

Led by Gracinha Leporace, Mendes' widow and musical partner for 54 years, the band recently performed at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey, on Sunday, June 14. Leporace, alongside co-vocalist Katie Hampton, delivered the elegant, suave, and infectious sounds associated with Mendes, including tracks like "Roda" and "One Note Samba."

Most of the current eight-person band members had performed with Mendes for over a decade prior to his passing. Guitarist Kleber Jorge, for instance, played with Mendes for 25 years. This enduring connection contributes to a familial atmosphere within the group, which also includes bassist Andre de Santanna.

The tour's setlist focuses heavily on Brasil '66 material but also incorporates other selections from Mendes' career, such as his 1983 hit "Never Gonna Let You Go." While Mendes was an Oscar-nominated songwriter for "Real In Rio," he was also renowned for his unique jazz-infused rearrangements of songs by other artists, including Jorge Ben, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Bacharach/David, and Lennon/McCartney.

Leporace stated that the 60th-anniversary tour is part of an effort to "continue Sergio’s legacy of music, of repertoire, of arrangement of rhythms." She expressed hope that future generations would learn about his music through these performances. The tour is scheduled to continue through September 4, concluding at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles, following a stop in Boston on Monday, June 15.

(Source: Billboard)