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| Spotlight 29 celebrates Cinco de Mayo Since bursting onto the mainstream music scene during 1968's Oscar telecast, Sergio Mendes parlayed his signature fusion of jazz, funk and Latin rhythms into top 10 hits, more than 35 albums and more than four decades of music. Now, Mendes fills the air at Spotlight 29 Casino with Latin sounds on Cinco de Mayo. Mendes performs on Saturday, May 5 in the casino's Spotlight Showroom. Originally from Brazil, Mendes began studying music with the hopes of becoming a classical pianist. Gigs in nightclubs ignited his interest in the new dance sounds of the bossa nova and samba, which were becoming wildly popular in his home country. He began performing with U.S. jazz artists who toured Brazil, and he soon cut his first jazz album, "Dance Moderno" in 1961. He later relocated to the U.S. and cut additional albums, each met with mild success. After switching to Herb Alpert's A&M label, Mendes released the album "Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66" in 1966. The album's first single, "Mais Que Nada" shot up the pop charts and the album went platinum. Then came the 1968 Oscar telecast when he performed the Oscar-nominated "The Look of Love", and he became an overnight sensation. His cover of the song went to #4 on the charts, a rank he would later achieve with 1983's "Never Gonna Let You Go." Other Mendes hits include "Look Around", "Day Tripper", "What the World Needs Now", "Ye-Me-Le", "Wichita Lineman", "Tristeza Em Mim", "Batida Diferente" and "So Tinha de Ser Com Voce." write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |