Minas Quintet – Tribute to Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66

Sergio Mendes, Brazilian pianist, recording artist, arranger, producer, passed away on September 6, 2024. He was 83. Sergio had an outstanding career as a top-selling artist and was the top living Brazilian musician outside Brazil. In 2020 PBS honored him with a special program, “In The Key of Joy”, watched by millions of viewers. Sergio Mendes broke barriers - many of his top 40 hits were in Portuguese. His band “Brasil 66”, featuring singer Lani Hall, packed large venues and exposed a whole new generation to Bossa Nova and Brazilian Jazz. Sergio won multiple Grammies and was nominated for an Oscar for the soundtrack of the animated movie “Rio”. Minas, led by the Philadelphia-based couple Orlando and Patricia Haddad, are said to be the rightful heirs of the sound of Sergio Mendes, to whom they attribute their early musical influences. Minas will pay homage to Sergio Mendesʼ music and life with a concert in The Music Hall at World Cafe Live. Orlandoʼs acoustic guitar and vocal, Patriciaʼs piano and Lani-like vocals will take the audience back to the Brasil 66 sound. Expect to hear hits such as Mais Que Nada, Pretty World, Upa Neguinho, Fool on the Hill, Like a Lover, Night and Day, Tristeza, The Look of Love, Day Tripper, and others, including one of the few songs Mendes and Brasil 66ʻs lead singer Lani Hall wrote together, the beautiful and lush So Many Stars. Indicated for 5 Grammy Awards with the latest CD Beatles in Bossa, Minas will be performing Sergioʼs arrangements, as well as providing a taste of original Brazilian/Portuguese song versions. Orlando Haddad and Patricia King formed Minas in 1978 at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. They proceeded to play all over the eastern United States before moving to Brazil, where they lived, entertained and traveled, absorbing the essence of Brazilian culture. In 1984 Orlando and Patricia returned to the United States and raised a family while performing and recording extensively, building their reputation as one of the most sought-after Brazilian groups of its kind. Multi-talented as composers, vocalists and instrumentalists, and equally comfortable in Brazilian festive music and jazz, folk and classical genres, Minas has developed various performance styles which have placed them in front of every kind of audience and venue. Minas will be appearing as a quintet with the following configuration: Orlando Haddad, guitar and vocals; Patricia King, piano and vocals; Steve Beskrone, bass; Tom Cohen, drums, and John Swanna on sax and flute. In 1962 Sergio Mendes was among a group of musicians invited by the US State Department to present Bossa Nova, the new music of Brazil, in concert at Carnegie Hall. He was offered a recording contract and stayed in the US, making a brilliant career spanning over 4 decades. A talented pianist and arranger with a knack for picking just the right Brazilian hit (or American/ British, as in Cole Porterʼs Night and Day, or Lennon/McCartneyʼs Fool on the Hill), Sergio Mendes had the right formula for success: Bossa Nova mixed with American pop and jazz with English lyrics, delivered by two young attractive American females, backed by a strong authentic Brazilian rhythm section, topped by beautiful orchestration and production. Always in the forefront of pop culture trends, Mendes leaves behind a legacy of crossover Brazilian/American songs that are still beloved.