CD Review: Sergio Mendes - Timeless

Timeless could be called "Sergio Mendes & Friends". Gathering an all-star cast of guest artists including will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wonder, Q-Tip, Justin Timberlake and India.Arie, this collection of tunes is a great surprise for those expecting a dated sound.

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A new Sergio Mendes album? How old are the Brasil '66 now? Who wants to listen to this old stuff? These were the questions running through my mind looking at Mendes’ new album Timeless. But, Sergio Mendes has meant a lot to Brazilian music, so I closed my eyes to a truly garish album cover and bought the album. And it was a surprise.

Samba should be exciting; bossa nova needs an island breeze to keep it from becoming lounge music. But this album does something different, melding urban and Brazilian hip-hop/rap with the more traditional Mendes sound.

The CD’s first track is the one almost everyone will recognize: “Mas Que Nada” (Mah-sh Keh Nah-dah for the linguistically challenged) turns up the heat with a driving bass note and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas rapping his way through the familiar song. “Berimbau/Consolacao” features Stevie Wonder playing the harmonica; “Surfboard”, the classic samba from Jobim, has will.i.am rapping about the new samba/rap fusion with an unusual background chorus singing a percussion-like counterpoint.

“Loose Ends”, with Justin Timberlake, Pharoahe Monch and will.i.am is interesting because it sounds like a different kind of fusion, more Timberlake than Mendes.

My biggest complaint is the lackluster lyrics of the rap, and an overdose of will.i.am. It's an enjoyable CD, though not your parent’s Brazilian music.