Brazilian Legend Sergio Mendes Joined By Ana Tijoux At The Soraya

Sergio Mendes, "the man who put go-go boots on Brazilian music and brought it to the world," (Billboard) will make a rare Los Angeles appearance when he brings his vivacious bossa nova to The Soraya on Saturday evening, October 27 at 8:00pm. A giant in his genre, Mendes has recorded more than 35 albums over a nearly six-decade career thus far. Joining him to open the evening will be French-Chilean singer Ana Tijoux who debuts her new project, Roja y Negro, new album of acoustic guitar celebrating Latin American folk music. With Mendes and Tijoux on stage, two generations of Latin American artists will share their passion both for traditional and popular music.

"Both Sergio Mendes and Ana Tijoux have incredible backgrounds which speak directly through their music," said The Soraya's Executive Director, Thor Steingraber. "Ana Tijoux's family was exiled from Chile and moved to France to escape a military regime. Sergio Mendes was performing in his teens and by 21 he was touring the world and had already played Carnegie Hall. Both of these artists have music that transcends physical and musical borders, which makes this double-header an important performance in our 'Music Knows No Borders' Series."

Mendes is a music legend and one of the prime architects of the bossa nova revolution of the 1960s. Pianist, composer and triple GRAMMY winner Sérgio Mendes first made an impact in collaboration with Antônio Carlos Jobim and Cannonball Adderley, and came to international stardom with his iconic band Brasil '66. Mendes jettisoned thoughts of a classical career when the distinctive jazz-meets-samba fusion called bossa nova began to evolve in the clubs of Rio in the late 50s.

Following a string of largely instrumental bossa albums, Sergio Mendes signed with music giant Herb Alpert's A&M Records label, adding vocalists singing in English and Portuguese and mixing Brazilian songs with ultra-hip arrangements of contemporary pop tunes. His 1966 debut for A&M, Herb Alpert Presents Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66, cracked the top 10 on the Billboard pop charts and included a bona fide hit single with its effervescent take on Jorge Ben's "Mas Que Nada." Over the following five decades, the endlessly prolific Mendes recorded 40 albums and has remained a timelessly vital artist, collaborating with a who's-who of pop music, world music, and jazz, including Stevie Wonder, Dave Grusin, Dori Caymmi, Gerry Mulligan, will.i.am, Erykah Badu, John Legend, and Justin Timberlake. In 2012, Mendes received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song in recognition of his contribution to the soundtrack of the animated film Rio.

Ana Tijoux will be performing songs from her new project, Roja y Negro, in which she is joined by jazz musicians Raimundo Santander and Ramiro Durán. Their first single, Tinta Roja, features Mexican American singer Lila Downs. Tijoux explains, "From my earliest years, I took inspiration for my lyrics from singer-songwriters such as Chico Buarque, Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, Mercedes Sosa - revolutionaries with an acoustic guitar, who to me are not so different from my hip-hop heroes. Lila, to me, has followed in that line of greats."

Single tickets beginning at $39 are now available. For more information or to purchase tickets, visitwww.TheSoraya.org or call 818-677-3000. Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts is located at 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330. Ticket prices subject to change.

About Sergio Mendes
Producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist, Sergio Mendes' influence on the music industry has spanned five decades and continues to evolve through new collaborations and mediums.
One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Mendes has recorded more than 35 albums, many of which went gold or platinum, and he's a three-time Grammy® Award winner. In 2012, Mendes received his first Oscar® nomination in the music category for "Real In Rio" from the animated, 3-D feature film "Rio." In addition to being the executive music producer for the blockbuster film, he also contributed five songs to the movie. The soundtrack, Rio: Music from the Motion Picture, featured re-recorded versions of his hits "Mas Que Nada" and "Valsa Carioca." Mendes, once again, was responsible for bringing the distinctive rhythms of Brazil to a global audience. Mendes' innovation and versatility has enabled him to collaborate with a wide a range of artists. In 2006, his Timeless CD was a collaboration with contemporary pop, rock, urban and hip-hop artists, including Justin Timberlake, John Legend, and Black Eyed Peas-with a re-recording of his early gem "Mas Que Nada" alongside Gracinha Leporace, Mendes' wife. 2008's Encanto featured neo-soulster Ledisi and Spanish-language favorite Juanes.

Sergio Mendes Band
Sergio Mendes
Gracinha Leporace (singer)
Katie Hampton (singer)
Joe Pizzulo (Guest singer)
Leo Costa (drums)
Scott Mayo (Kbds, Horns, Vocals)
Kleber Jorge Pimenta (Guitars)
Andre De Santanna (Bass)
Marco "Gibi" Dos Santos (Percussion)
Harrell "H2O" Harris (Rapper)

About Ana Tijoux
Ana Tijoux is French-Chilean songwriter, singer, MC, and recording artist who is well known for her willingness to confront social injustice and for her commitment to nonviolence. Born in France, she is the daughter of two Chilean exiles who left during the rise of the oppressive Pinochet regime during the military coup of 1973. Born in 1977, Tijoux began to rap and dance at the age of 11, before moving back to Chile in 1993. In 1995, she formed her first rap group, Los Gemelos with Zaturno, another Chilean MC. She also collaborated with the popular act Los Tetas and later formed the popular hip-hop crew Makiza, with Zaturno, DJ Squat, and others; they issued their independently released debut, Vida Salvaje, in 1997. The act signed to Sony in 1998 and issued Aerolineas Makiza in 1999. The album was a remake of their debut, with better production and some new material added to the mix, including the single "La Rosa de los Vientos," which became a hit. In 2007 Anita appeared on Julieta Venegas' hit single, "Eres Para Mí" and finally released her solo debut, Kaos. Thanks to the first single, "Despabílate", Anita was nominated for the Latin version of the MTV Video Music Awards 2007 under the categories Best New Artist and Best Urban Artist.

About Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
The 2018-19 Season marks the eighth year the award-winning Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts which has quickly become one of the cultural jewels of the greater Los Angeles region. Under the leadership of Executive Director Thor Steingraber, The Soraya continues to expand its programming and outstanding multidisciplinary performances. The mission of The Soraya is to present a wide variety of performances that not only includes new and original work from the Los Angeles region but also work from around the world that appeal to all of LA's rich and diverse communities.

Located on the campus of California State University, Northridge, The Soraya's season offers a vibrant performance program of nearly 50 classical and popular music, dance, theater, family and international events that will serve to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley, and further establish itself as one of the top arts companies in Southern California. The award-winning, 1,700-seat theatre was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers and was recently cited by the Los Angeles Times as "a growing hub for live music, dance, drama and other cultural events."

Photo Credit Andrew Southam