Sérgio Santos Mendes, pron. IPA: , (born February 11, 1941 in Niterói, Brazil) is a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. Mendes is married to Gracinha Leporace who regularly performs vocals for her husband and can also be heard on his 2006 version of the song Mas Que Nada with the Black Eyed Peas. Early career The child of a physician in Niterói, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist.