The Sounds of Brazil’s Meet And Greet With Sergio Mendes

Remembering The Sounds of Brazil on WNUA 95.5 Chicago

Remembering Sergio Mendes With one of the best stories from The Sounds of Brazil’s early days.

The Sounds of Brazil’s meet and greet with Sergio Mendes

launched my radio show in Chicago.

by Scott Adams

Rest In Peace, Sergio Mendes

Sergio Mendes passed away in Los Angeles on Friday, September 5 due to complications from long COVID. He was 83. His wife Gracinha Leporace and his three children were by his side. He gave up touring last November.

As a musician from Brazil, Mendes was unique as a catalyst in introducing the world to his country’s variety of musical styles, and its wealth of talented musicians and songwriters.

From his teenage beginnings with Bossa Rio to Brasil ’66 and through his final days, Sergio Mendes was a true innovator and consummate entertainer.

While I prepare a proper tribute for Sergio Mendes, I thought I’d share a story of how his thoughtfulness and magnanimity shaped my career with Brazilian music. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

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The Sounds of Brazil’s Meet And Greet With Sergio Mendes

The Sounds of Brazil’s July 25^th, 1992 debut was enough of a success for the station and listeners that only a few days later, I was approached by WNUA 95.5 Program Director Lee Hansen with news of an event that the station invited me to host.

“It’s a ‘meet and greet’ with Sergio Mendes and a chance to give The Sounds of Brazil a proper introduction,” he said (or something like that because honestly – three decades later – my memory isn’t that good. “We’ll promote it and invite your listeners to attend. It’s a great tie-in.”

I recall that last part because it really was a great tie-in. Twenty-eight and a half years earlier, Sergio Mendes discovered Lani Hall singing in a Chicago nightclub and he invited her to join his new band, set to record in Los Angeles with A&M Records in the early months of 1966.

Sergio’s ‘homecoming’ was in honor of his then-current album Brasileiro which was already a familiar part of The Sounds of Brazil’s early playlists. It would go on to win a Grammy for Sergio Mendes and Elektra Records. Well-deserved.

Explore our collection of Sergio Mendes stories
Passports and Mix Tapes: How it all began for The Sounds of Brazil’s 1500th radio show.
Streaming special: Recalling our first show on WNUA
Chicago’s TV/Radio/Media Columnist Robert Feder salutes The Sounds of Brazil.
The Sounds of Brazil’s historic 1,000th broadcast.

A Hot August Night For The Sounds of Brazil

Several hundred listeners showed up at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! to meet Sergio Mendes that Monday night and he was gracious to a fault: introducing me to each autograph-seeking fan and telling them about my new Brazilian music show.

The day and date for The Sounds of Brazil’s meet and greet with Sergio Mendes was Monday, August 3^rd and it marked WNUA’s 5^th anniversary on the air.

So, in 1992 The Sounds of Brazil’s meet and greet with Sergio Mendes is remembered as a special moment for Brazilian music fans here in Chicago.

The Night In Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the historic evening courtesy of the Chicago Tribune’s Walter Kale, and at the very bottom… a ‘Windy City’ reunion surprise for The Sounds of Brazil’s 25th anniversary!

Thanks for listening.

Scott Adams