Sergio Mendes’ Encanto has Star Power on its Side

Two years ago the legendary Sergio Mendes teamed with Black Eyed Peas founder Will.I.Am to launch Sergio’s music to a whole new audience. The resulting album, Timeless, was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2006. The album mixed Sergio’s classic songs with modern artists. Now Sergio is back once again with his latest collaboration album, Encanto. Does Encanto live up to the legacy of Timeless?

The Look of Love features Will.I.Am and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie definitely adds a different element to the song. The song is still as magical as it has always been. The musicianship and new arrangement only add to the songs appeal.

On Agua De Beber Sergio is once again joined by Will.I.Am. The song features two short verses from Will.I.Am but is really all about the quality musicianship of Sergio and his band. Throughout the song various members of the band are given solos to show off their musical chops.

Waters of March features Ledisi. The song is just incredibly catchy and Ledisi adds a very strong vocal performance. The song captures all of the magic of Sergio Mendes and adds a very capable vocalist to the mix.

Odo-Ya adds Carlinhos Brown to the mix with Sergio. The song is not the strongest track on the effort however it is still solid.

Y Vamos Ya (Let’s Go) teams Sergio Mendes with Juanes. The song is more classic Sergio Mendes. Juanes adds very strong vocals and fits with the whole flow of the song.

The track Dreamer features Herb Alpert and Lani Hall. The song is one of the mellower tracks on the album. The track features lush instrumentation and slow melodic vocals which only add to the song.

Funky Bahia teams Will.I.Am and Siedah Garrett up with Sergio. The song is a happy little song and although it lacks substance it is definitely a feel good song.

Somewhere in the Hills (O Morro Nao Tem Vez) is one of the strongest tracks on the album. The vocalist on the track just captures the essence of Sergio Mendes. The song is extremely catchy.

On Acode Sergio Mendes is joined by Vanessa Da Mata. The song is very interesting sounding and features elements from so many genres of music.

Although Encanto is star-studded, the star quotient is less than Sergio’s last album, Timeless. However, the fewer guest appearances add to the album to make it even more cohesive. Encanto is a very complete album. Encanto gets 8.5 out of 10. If you are a fan of Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66, make sure you pick up Encanto when it is available in stores later this year.