Comments on: SERGIO MENDES / “Mais Que Nada” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/ a conversation about black music Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5 by: Eléonore http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2977 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 06:36:34 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2977 About the translation of the title 'Mas Que Nada', I would agree that it means something like 'No Way'. I'm not a Brazilian myself but I speak portuguese and have tight connections to Brazil and I can almost hear my friends screaming in animated conversations this 'Que nada!' when they want to deny something. To underline the use of the word 'nada' (nothing), we could suggest another translation: 'Nothing like it!'. The english native speakers will tell me if it's right! About the translation of the title ‘Mas Que Nada’, I would agree that it means something like ‘No Way’. I’m not a Brazilian myself but I speak portuguese and have tight connections to Brazil and I can almost hear my friends screaming in animated conversations this ‘Que nada!’ when they want to deny something. To underline the use of the word ‘nada’ (nothing), we could suggest another translation: ‘Nothing like it!’. The english native speakers will tell me if it’s right!

]]> by: DJM http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2978 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:02:29 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2978 Fun, I then checked on my DB how many versions I had... I found 3 more versions... but don't have any specific details : * Rubin Mitchell - Id' say "orchestrated" with horns and piano... * Alan Lorber - strange version with sitar and flute... * Odell Brown & the Organizers - based on organ and sax... I then checked if I had such many covers with another song... I found "Manha de Carnaval" From the "Black Orpheus/Orfeu Negro" soundtrack (Grand Prize winner at Cannes Film Festival in 1956 or 1958) The original score is by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Luiz Bonfa (& Vinicius de Moraes), and the covers I found range from Oscar Peterson to Gonzalo Rubalcaba, including Astrud Gilberto, Elizeth Cardoso, Cal Tjader, Chuck Mangione and so on... You probably already did a conversation on this subject... Sincerely DJM Fun, I then checked on my DB how many versions I had… I found 3 more versions… but don’t have any specific details :
* Rubin Mitchell - Id’ say “orchestrated” with horns and piano…
* Alan Lorber - strange version with sitar and flute…
* Odell Brown & the Organizers - based on organ and sax…

I then checked if I had such many covers with another song… I found “Manha de Carnaval” From the “Black Orpheus/Orfeu Negro” soundtrack (Grand Prize winner at Cannes Film Festival in 1956 or 1958)
The original score is by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Luiz Bonfa (& Vinicius de Moraes), and the covers I found range from Oscar Peterson to Gonzalo Rubalcaba, including Astrud Gilberto, Elizeth Cardoso, Cal Tjader, Chuck Mangione and so on…
You probably already did a conversation on this subject…
Sincerely
DJM

]]> by: Junior Cooper http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2982 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 21:21:21 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2982 <p> Unless I missed something new this World Cup season, the Nike commercial was from 1998 (with Denilson and the skinny version of Ronaldo), and it was based on the Tamba Trio version.</p><p><br /><font color="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mtume says: &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br /></font><br />Oops. Bad link. That <i>was</i> the '98 version. The correct link (for the 2006 version of the Nike commercial) is up now.<br /></p> Unless I missed something new this World Cup season, the Nike commercial was from 1998 (with Denilson and the skinny version of Ronaldo), and it was based on the Tamba Trio version.

        Mtume says:         

Oops. Bad link. That was the ‘98 version. The correct link (for the 2006 version of the Nike commercial) is up now.

]]> by: Qawi Robinson http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2993 Wed, 30 Aug 2006 10:27:51 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-2993 Thanks for this. I have heard Al Jarreau's version and liked it, but I never heard the ORIGINAL. Though the Al Jarreau-treatment includes vocalizations that aren't English, let alone Portuguese, by I digress. Thanks for this. I have heard Al Jarreau’s version and liked it, but I never heard the ORIGINAL. Though the Al Jarreau-treatment includes vocalizations that aren’t English, let alone Portuguese, by I digress.

]]> by: roberto http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-26763 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:54:23 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-26763 Great new version of MAIS QUE NADA on a new CD released April 2007 called BIRDS IN FLIGHT with singer Kat Perro and nice music Great new version of MAIS QUE NADA on a new CD released April 2007 called BIRDS IN FLIGHT with singer Kat Perro and nice music

]]> by: Golaud http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-27085 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:13:39 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-27085 You might also enjoy the wonderfully smooth version of Mais Que Nada on Milton Nascimento's "Crooner" album. At the other extreme, there is the trashy dance version by Compania da Silva, with its breathless, slangy pronunciations and migraine-inducing beat, proving, if nothing else, that this song is infinitely adaptable. You might also enjoy the wonderfully smooth version of Mais Que Nada on Milton Nascimento’s “Crooner” album. At the other extreme, there is the trashy dance version by Compania da Silva, with its breathless, slangy pronunciations and migraine-inducing beat, proving, if nothing else, that this song is infinitely adaptable.

]]> by: Macarena Leyton http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-50240 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:32:50 -0500 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2006/08/27/sergio-mendes-%e2%80%9cmais-que-nada%e2%80%9d/#comment-50240 Hello, my name is Macarena Leyton and I'm from Santiago, Chile. I'm sorry if my English is not good but my native language is Spanish. This afternon, chatting with my cousin who lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she asked me who was the original songwriter of Mas Que Nada. Of course I answered Jorge Ben Jor (that's the name, not just Jorge Ben), because he recorded the song in '63, and Mendes didn't do it until '66. So, I started to navigate on the web to see how many people think that the song is from Mendes, and I saw that many people from the US think that the song is from that man. I can say that Jorge Ben Jor put a demand on Black Eyed Peas because of the song rights, I don't know if you were aware from that. So, I just can say that I'm very glad that there are people who investigate before publishing (as they have tought me in my profession, journalism), and don´t resign their selves to just reading the first version of what is most known. About the song, Jorge Ben Jor being one of the creators of the "Tropicalismo," or Tropicalism, is without a doubt the best performer of his own song, and you can hear many versions of the song that he has done, for example in the Acústico MTV or MTV Unplugged that was recorded in 2002, you can hear the latest version. But lets talk about what you feel when you listen to that song. When I hear a singer from the US singing this song it just doesn't work because is just not Latin. They can't feel really the song because is not their language, and it is so important, Portugues or Spanish is so diferent, we use much more words to say an expression than you use in English, and the phonetics are so different, that's why your language is not as romantic as it should sound when you say something. The other thing that's important, that Mas Que Nada, is heard so elegant in the version from Mendes, because of the piano, and the grace from this song, is just the opossite, because samba is a dance from the people, not like Bossa Nova, that's much more elegant. So, the aggresive lyrics .. because it says, "Get out i wanna dance samba," is just not for that kind of musical arrangement. It must be like from a favela, from a street.. you know what I mean? Well, I liked very much what you published, and I wanted to make some comments of what I thought. It's really nice that you dedicate your work to black music. Macarena Leyton Periodista y músico Journalist and musician Hello, my name is Macarena Leyton and I’m from Santiago, Chile.
I’m sorry if my English is not good but my native language is Spanish.

This afternon, chatting with my cousin who lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she asked me who was the original songwriter of Mas Que Nada. Of course I answered Jorge Ben Jor (that’s the name, not just Jorge Ben), because he recorded the song in ‘63, and Mendes didn’t do it until ‘66.

So, I started to navigate on the web to see how many people think that the song is from Mendes, and I saw that many people from the US think that the song is from that man.

I can say that Jorge Ben Jor put a demand on Black Eyed Peas because of the song rights, I don’t know if you were aware from that.

So, I just can say that I’m very glad that there are people who investigate before publishing (as they have tought me in my profession, journalism), and don´t resign their selves to just reading the first version of what is most known.

About the song, Jorge Ben Jor being one of the creators of the “Tropicalismo,” or Tropicalism, is without a doubt the best performer of his own song, and you can hear many versions of the song that he has done, for example in the Acústico MTV or MTV Unplugged that was recorded in 2002, you can hear the latest version.

But lets talk about what you feel when you listen to that song. When I hear a singer from the US singing this song it just doesn’t work because is just not Latin. They can’t feel really the song because is not their language, and it is so important, Portugues or Spanish is so diferent, we use much more words to say an expression than you use in English, and the phonetics are so different, that’s why your language is not as romantic as it should sound when you say something.

The other thing that’s important, that Mas Que Nada, is heard so elegant in the version from Mendes, because of the piano, and the grace from this song, is just the opossite, because samba is a dance from the people, not like Bossa Nova, that’s much more elegant.

So, the aggresive lyrics .. because it says, “Get out i wanna dance samba,” is just not for that kind of musical arrangement. It must be like from a favela, from a street.. you know what I mean?

Well, I liked very much what you published, and I wanted to make some comments of what I thought.

It’s really nice that you dedicate your work to black music.

Macarena Leyton
Periodista y músico
Journalist and musician

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