Sixty years ago, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 helped globalize the sound of bossa nova with the game-changing album Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66, a top 10 hit on the Billboard 200 which included the Billboard Hot 100 (and international) hit “Mas Que Nada.” Although Mendes passed away at the age of 83 two years ago, his longtime band is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Brasil ’66 sound and keeping his music alive with a 2026 tour.
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Fronted by Gracinha Leporace, Mendes’ widow and musical partner of 54 years, the Sergio Mendes Band brought the Brazilian legend’s elegant, suave and infectious sounds to the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ, on Sunday (June 14) night.
In a shimmering, sequined baby-blue dress, Leporace glided across the stage with a grace and rhythm that eludes many performers of a certain age; more importantly, her voice remains astonishingly supple and strong. As was the case 60 years ago when the original Brasil ’66 band was formed, most of the songs on this tour are performed by two female vocalists in tandem. With white flowers in their hair and spotlights reflecting off their sequined outfits, Leporace and singer Katie Hampton (an 18-year veteran of the band) seemed harmonically and rhythmically joined at the hip, bringing a chic, bright energy to “Roda,” a playful sass to the rapid-fire vocals of “One Note Samba” and shining on short solo turns.
Though Mendes was a songwriter (he was even Oscar-nominated for “Real In Rio” from Rio in 2012) in his own right, many of his biggest hits were written by others (Jorge Ben, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Bacharach/David, Lennon/McCartney) but rearranged by him to suit his jazzy, gently danceable style. Between songs, Leporace explained this 60th anniversary tour was part of their effort to “continue Sergio’s legacy of music, of repertoire, of arrangement of rhythms. He had a very brilliant musical life and we hope we will be able to continue that so the next generations will be able to learn about his music.”
The rest of the eight-person band ably and joyfully delivered Mendes’ cool, easygoing rhythms and arrangements on a setlist that was heavy on Brasil ’66 but naturally included a few other selections, such as Mendes’ 1983 Hot 100 top 5 hit “Never Gonna Let You Go.”
Aside from Leporace, the longest-serving member of the band is guitarist Kleber Jorge, who performed with Mendes for 25 years. All but one of the band members had played with Mendes for more than a decade prior to his passing, giving the outfit a friends-and-family sort of vibe. (Additionally, bassist Andre de Santanna is the grandson of the best man at Mendes’ wedding to his first wife. “I don’t hold a grudge,” quipped Leporace of the connection.) The greater New York area show on Sunday was a direct family affair, too. “It’s a special night,” Leporace explained, switching from chanteuse to mother for a moment. “I’m very happy because my son is here with his girlfriend – he lives in Brooklyn.”
A buoyant, breezy performance of “Mas Que Nada” helped bring the night to a close, serving as a beautiful punctuation mark to a concert that keeps Mendes’ rhythms and spirit alive with the elegance and cool confidence that characterized his best recordings. “Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey to keep Sergio’s legacy alive,” Leporace told the crowd.
The Sergio Mendes Band’s tour rolls into Boston on Monday (June 15) and goes through Sept. 4, where it wraps at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles.
