Mas que Nada

"Mas, que Nada!" (Brazilian Portuguese: [mas ki ˈnadɐ]) is a song written and originally performed in 1963 by Jorge Ben Jor on his debut album, which became Sérgio Mendes' signature song in his 1966 cover version. It was voted by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the fifth greatest Brazilian song.^[1] It was inducted to the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013.^[2]

Title meaning

Brazilians use Mas que nada (or just que nada) colloquially to disagree with someone. A fitting English translation might be a sarcastic "Yeah, right!".

With many recordings, the title song is incorrectly written Mais que nada (Portuguese for "more than nothing") which would fundamentally alter its meaning. Also it should not be confused with the Spanish más que nada, which means "more than anything", or "above all", and is used in the sense of "mainly" or "principally".

Prates version

In 1958, Brazilian artist José Prates recorded a track called "Nanã Imborô" that appears on his album Tam... Tam... Tam...! (1958, Polydor Brasil – LPNG 4.016), which features the same melody later heard in Jorge Ben Jor's "Mas, que Nada!", especially the Sergio Mendes version.^[3][4][5][6]

Sérgio Mendes version

"Mas que Nada"
Single by Sérgio Mendes featuring The Black Eyed Peas
from the album Timeless
Released	May 29, 2006
Format	CD digital download
Recorded	2005
Genre	Música popular brasileira hip hop
Length	3:32 (single version) 4:22 (album version)
Label	Concord will.i.am
Songwriter(s)	Jorge Ben Jor
Producer(s)	will.i.am
Sérgio Mendes singles chronology
"Mas que Nada" (2006) "That Heat" (2006)
"Mas que Nada" (2006) "That Heat" (2006)
The Black Eyed Peas singles chronology
"Pump It" (2006) Pump It2006 "Mas que Nada" (2006) Mas que Nada2006 "Boom Boom Pow" (2009) Boom Boom Pow2009

Sérgio Mendes covered the song with his band Brasil '66 on their debut album Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (1966). In the United States, the single reached number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number four on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. This 1966 version is the best-known and, to many, the definitive version of the song. In 1989, Mendes re-recorded the song on his album Arara; in Brazil, the song is also well known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas.

In 2006, Mendes again re-recorded the song, this time with The Black Eyed Peas and additional vocals by Mendes' wife, Gracinha Leporace, for his album Timeless. This version contains a sample of their 2004 hit "Hey Mama". The record performed well on many European charts. On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at number 29 and peaked at number six on its second week on the chart. The song appeared as part of the EA Sports FIFA World Cup 2006 and NBA Live 07 video games. This version was also included in the 2011 animated film Rio (along with another version recorded in the style of Brasil '66) and its soundtrack, an episode of 90210,^[7] in the 2012 video game Just Dance 4, and was also featured in Over Her Dead Body during the opening of the film.

Other versions

Other Brazilian artists who recorded the song include Elza Soares and Maria Creuza.

• Hugh Masekela included the song in his 1966 live album The Americanization of Ooga Booga.
• Dizzy Gillespie included a cover version on his albums The Melody Lingers On (1966) and Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac (1967).
• A Moog version is featured on Perrey and Kingsley's album, Kaleidoscopic Vibrations: Spotlight on the Moog (1967).
• Lill Lindfors recorded a Swedish-language version titled Hör min samba for her album Du är den ende (1967).
• Warren Kime recorded a version, track number one, on his Brass Impact album RS 910 SD (LP) and R4T3-910 (Reel Tape) issued in 1967.
• A rumba version is featured on the album Patato & Totico by Patato Valdes and Totico Arango (1968).
• Pink Martini and Saori Yuki released the album 1969 in 2011. "Mas que Nada" is track number eight.
• The Chopsticks, a Hong Kong female duo, covered this song on their first LP The Chopsticks: Sandra and Amina (1970).
• Ella Fitzgerald recorded it on her 1971 album Things Ain't What They Used to Be (And You Better Believe It).
• The Sacramento Freelancers Drum and Bugle Corps performed this song as part of their 1976 show.
• Klaus Wunderlich under the pseudonym Chris Waxman released a spirited version during this period, performed on the Hammond organ, for the opening track on a special phase four stereo album Organized (1968) (London and Decca SP 44119).
• Bossa nova singer Sitti from the Philippines did a remake of this song, which is included on her album, Café Bossa.
• Al Jarreau also did a cover version on his 1994 album Tenderness.
• Miriam Makeba covered the song on Miriam Makeba in Concert! (1967) and Live from Paris & Conakry (1996).
• French jazz guitarist Marc Antoine performed an instrumental version on his album Cruisin' (2001).
• Serbian jazz and pop singer Madame Piano also covered it in 2001. and included it on her second studio album Zemlja čuda, while Croatian cellist Walter Despalj did an arrangement of the song for a group of cellos.
• The Idea of North perform "Mas, que Nada!" a cappella, and have recorded a version on The Sum of Us (2001) featuring James Morrison on trombone.
• The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet recorded a version for their 2007 album LAGQ Brazil.
• British singer Ava Leigh covered the song for her debut album, Rollin. It was released as a double A-side with "Mad About the Boy". This version has recently been used in UK television commercials for clothing chain Next (2008).
• Jessy J recorded a cover of this song in her album Tequila Moon (2008).
• Covered by Jane McDonald in her seventh album Jane in 2008.
• The Slovenian XL vocal group Perpetuum Jazzile performed the song in a cappella arrange at Vokal Xtravaganzza (2008).
• Jazztronik has recorded a cover of this song, including the electric jazz and bossa nova instrumentation on its album Vamos la Brasil (2014).
• French girl group Nossa released a cover of this song as a single in 2012.

References