Brazil mourns

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Brazil mourns the death of an old master: Sérgio Mendes dies at the age of 83. Almost everyone in this country knows his greatest hits.(Bild: AP/Chris Pizzello/Invision)

Brazilian music legend Sérgio Mendes has died in Los Angeles at the age of 83. The family made the announcement in a statement. Mendes was known for his mixture of samba and bossa nova rhythms. His song "Mas que nada" was a worldwide hit.

In recent months, Mendes had been suffering from the consequences of a Covid illness, the family announced. His wife and musical partner of the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, and his children were by his side when he died.

Important representative of samba jazz
Mendes was born on February 11, 1941 in Niterói in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He received classical piano training and began his career in music pubs in the 1950s. He became one of the most important representatives of samba jazz. He lived in Los Angeles for around 60 years.

In the video: Mendes' biggest hit "Mais que nada"

35 albums released
The pianist and jazz musician released 35 albums, the first of which was "Dance Moderno" in 1961. Mendes played alongside great musicians such as Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and Frank Sinatra. In his 60-year career, he has released more than 35 albums, won three Grammys and was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for the song "Real in Rio", part of the soundtrack to the animated film "Rio".