Review: Bajune Tobeta (& Friends) - Sergio Mendes Tribute (CROIX JAM)

It's not every day (or night) you get a Japan/Brazil collaboration that's a tribute to the genius that is Sergio Mendez - headed by Bajune Tobeta with guests and friends of the late Mendes, this is a must for all, night and day!

 

Sérgio Santos Mendes passed on 5th September 2024 and whilst on this earth, he was instrumental in he promotion and populization of Brazilian/Latin music all over the world.  As a small example, those that know DJ Colin Parnell  (Shiftless Shuffle - see review HERE, Stomp Radio Jazz Show, Chilled Cider) will often say on hearing many a record, "I prefer the Sergio Mendez version" as Mendes was indeed proflic producing albums often full of cover versons in 'his' style.  And it's his style and tracks that made Mendes the household name that Japan's Bajune Tobeta celebrate here on the anniversary.

Apparently Tobets's father's copies of 'Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66' and 'Look Around' were played endlessly on the family turntable, creating timeless memories and this love is evident through all the tracks 

 
"This project began with a single wish: to hear Gracinha sing 'Mas Que Nada' once more," Tobeta says. "In the studio in Los Angeles, when her voice met her husband's signature song again, the room went quiet in a way I will never forget. Everything else on this album grew from that moment."
 
From there, the project continued to grow in scope into a tribute project that is both approved by the Mendes family as well as the Mendes estate. It was recorded across Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Los Angeles, where the sessions with Gracinha Leporace, Mendes' wife and musical partner of five decades, took place at Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions.
 
Leporace's blessing for the project was important for Tobeta, and her active participation in the collaboration instills an authenticity and direct line to Mendes' history that can be felt throughout the release. Ahead of the album's release and the second anniversary of Mendes' passing, she delivers a heartfelt message about the project here.
 
Additionally, in support of the new release, Tobeta and his collaborators have released the third single with "Inutil Paisagem." The track is a partnership with Brazilian singer Paula Morelenbaum and penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim, known as the subject of the 2001 album Casa from Ryuichi Sakamoto. Here an authentic bossa nova lineage meets Bajune Tobeta's quiet sonic architecture, pushing the classic to futuristic new places.
 
The liner notes for the album were written by Jin Nakahara, one of Japan's foremost authorities on Brazilian music, who has spent decades introducing Brazilian music to Japanese audiences. His presence signifies the blessing of the Brazilian music world on the Japanese side, just as Gracinha and the estate bless it from the Brazilian side. A veteran critic, Nakahara is the longtime selector for J-WAVE's celebrated Brazilian music program "Saudade! Saudade" and his notes beautifully articulate the story behind this unique tribute. They can be found in English, Japanese and Portuguese versions. 
 
Other guests on the 'Sergio Mendes Tribute' in addition to Gracinha Leporace and Paula Morelenbaum include Lisa Ono, Black Prez, Atom Heart (AtomTM / Señor Coconut), Filo Machado, Saigenji, Febian Reza Pane, Thais Motta, JOCA, and Kazuo Yoshida.
 
Atom Heart contributed to the arrangement and programming, connecting the record to the electronic-Latin lineage. The album was mixed in part at Abbey Road Studios by Paul Pritchard and mastered by Denis Blackham. 
 
The Sergio Mendes Tribute closely follows Tobeta's recently released artist album Anechoic, a separate body of work in the ambient and modern classical world. He studied and worked alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto, and his three-decade career spans game music (the Katamari Damacy series), contemporary classical and electronic work, and a lifelong engagement with Brazilian music. 
 
Throughout his career, Tobeta has collaborated with 'names' like Christian Fennesz, Arto Lindsay, Joyce Moreno, and Jaques and Paula Morelenbaum. 

With Brazil being home to the largest Japanese diaspora in the world and with a deep connection between the two countries, the cross-cultural tribute is a meaningful one to Tobeta both personally and historically. The album is structured as a single memorial ceremony from overture to farewell.

I must admit, the version of 'Look Of Love' (solo piano by Febian Reza Pane) and 'Night and Day (feat. Thais Motta & Filo Machado)' brought a tear to my eye but this multi-lingual celebration of Medes is great; like a variation on Seu Jorge meets David Bowie of some years ago.

And how did I get through that lot without mentioning Gilles Peterson or Higgins/Pedens' J-Jazz compilations on BBE?

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDERS:  Sergio Mendes Tribute | Bajune Tobeta

Artist: Bajune Tobeta (& Friends) 

Title: Sergio Mendes Tribute 

Release date: 5th September, 2026

Label: CROIX JAM

Catalog: TBC

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp