Customer Reviews

Mendes proves that you can go home again! - By: Reginald D. Garrard, 20 Jul 2008
Two years ago Sergio Mendes came back into the mainstream with the Grammy-winning "Timeless" co-produced by wil.i.am with songs featuring Erykah Badu, Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, John Legend, Justin Timberlake & several other international stars. That album, by virtue of its all-star pop line-up & co-producer had a more hip-hop "flava" to it.

Though wil.i.am returns on "Encanto," most of the new album sounds remarkably like Mendes's classic albums from the 60's & 70's with updated technology. It's like a trip backin time when Brasil '66 was heating up the pop charts.

Ledisi, Carlinhos Brown, Jovanotti, Juanes, Gracinha Leporace, & Vanessa da Mata, along with Siedah Garrett, Natalie Cole & wil.i.am possess the right vocalizations to match Mendes' sultry trademark keyboards.

The benchmark of the album, however, is "Dreamer," featuring the legends Lani Hall on vocals & Herb Alpert on trumpet. That song is worth the price of the whole release.

Fergie's contribution is pretty good on the update of "The Look of Love" but that one palesin comparison to the original classic.