Rio De Janeiro. Sergio Mendes, the legendary Brazilian musician who rose to global fame with his 1966 hit "Mas Que Nada" and enjoyed a Grammy-winning career spanning decades, has died at 83 after battling long COVID. His family confirmed his death on Thursday.

Mendes, a pianist, songwriter, and arranger, was surrounded by his wife of 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, and their children, according to a family statement on Friday. "Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold-out audiences in Paris, London, and Barcelona," the statement said.

Born in Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro, Mendes studied classical music before immersing himself in jazz and Bossa Nova. By the late 1950s, he was performing alongside Bossa Nova pioneers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto in Rio's nightclub scene. In 1962, he traveled to New York to perform at a Bossa Nova festival at Carnegie Hall, which led to a collaboration with Cannonball Adderley on the album Cannonball Adderley and The Bossa Rio Sextet.

Mendes later signed with Atlantic Records and released his first American album, The Swinger from Rio. After moving to California in 1964, he formed the group Brazil '64, which evolved into Brazil '66 and produced their iconic debut album featuring "Mas Que Nada." Mendes’ version of the song, originally written by Jorge Ben Jor, brought a jazzier, more vibrant sound to the track and became a worldwide hit.

"I put a band together called Brasil '66," Mendes told The Guardian in 2019. "When I added the two female singers – Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel – it made a different kind of sound."

The group helped fuel the global popularity of Brazilian music throughout the 1960s. Mendes revisited "Mas Que Nada" in 2006 with a modern rendition featuring the Black Eyed Peas, which topped U.S. charts and was included in his Timeless album, produced by will.i.am.

"Sergio Mendes was my brother from another country," trumpet player Herb Alpert shared on Facebook, recalling their decades-long friendship.

Throughout his career, Mendes blended Brazilian rhythms with international sounds, covering songs like the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill" and composing the soundtrack for the film Pelé, featuring saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. Mendes won the 1992 Grammy for Best World Music Album for Brasileiro and received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for Best Original Song for "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio.

Brazilian pianist and singer Marcos Valle noted that Mendes opened doors for a generation of Brazilian musicians to reach global audiences.

Mendes’ family will announce details regarding funeral and memorial services at a later time.

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