Sérgio Santos Mendes (born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk.[He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2012 as co-writer of the song "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio. Mendes is a unique example of a Brazilian musician primarily known in the United States, where his albums were recorded and where most of his touring took ...