Encanto

2008 release from the legendary Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes. Encanto is the follow-up to 2006's highly acclaimed collaboration with will.i.am called Timeless. On it, Sergio takes us even deeper into Brazil, recording all the basic tracks in Rio and Bahia, finishing up in Los Angeles. Mendes enlists several guest musicians from all over the world including Latin superstar Juanes from Colombia, multi-talented Carlinhos Brown and Vanessa da Mata from Brazil, the foremost Japanese pop group, Dreams Come True, Belgium's Zap Mama and Italian rapper Jovanotti, as well as American stars like Fergie, Ledisi, Natalie Cole, Herb Alpert and his wife, original Brasil '66 singer, Lani Hall. Encanto is classic Sergio Mendes, highlighting the maestro's ear for enticing melodies and contagious rhythms. Universal.

Given his 40-year career, it’s difficult to imagine that Sergio Mendes is still able to reinvent himself and create a new sound. But the record-breaking Brazilian musician doesn’t seem to have any limits. Two years ago he came out with Timeless, which distinguished itself from his usual bossa-nova sensibilities and featured a fantastic mix of hip-hop and Latin Jazz. For Encanto, Mendes and his band, Brasil ’6--collaborating with Fergie and will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Natalie Cole, and Herb Alpert--have made the perfect lounge CD, which fans of Bebel Gilberto and Céu will certainly appreciate. --Ernesto Sánchez (People en Español )

Con más de 40 años de carrera, es difícil pensar que Sergio Mendes todavía tenga la capacidad de reinventarse y crear un sonido distinto. Pero pareciera que para el brasileño de mayores ventas en el mundo no hay límite. Si bien hace dos años presentó Timeless, un disco completamente distinto a su tradicional bossa-nova, con una espectacular mezcla de hip-hop y latin-jazz, en Encanto, Mendes y su banda, Brasil ’66--acompañados de la mano de Fergie y will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Natalie Cole, y Herb Alpert--logra el disco perfecto de "lounge," que los fans de Bebel Gilberto y Céu sabrán apreciar. --Ernesto Sánchez (People en Español )