"Mas que Nada"
Single by Jorge Ben
from the album Samba Esquema Novo
LanguagePortuguese
Released10 January 1963
Recorded1963
Genre
Length2:59
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)Jorge Ben
Producer(s)Armando Pittigliani

"Mas que Nada" (Portuguese pronunciation: [ma(j)s ki ˈnadɐ]) is a song written and originally recorded in 1963 by Jorge Ben (currently known as Jorge Ben Jor) on his debut album Samba Esquema Novo, which was covered in 1966 by Sérgio Mendes, becoming one of the latter's signature songs. 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 (in a literal translation: just nothing) colloquially to disagree with someone. A fitting English translation might be a sarcastic "Yeah, right!" or "No way!"

With many recordings, the title song is incorrectly written Mais que nada (Portuguese for "more than nothing")[3] which would fundamentally alter its meaning, and would be the equivalent to the Spanish expression más que nada, which means "more than anything", or "above all", and is used in the sense of "mainly" or "principally".

José Prates song

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 underlying melody and vocalizations later used by Jorge Ben in "Mas que Nada"; these motifs would be further highlighted by Sergio Mendes’ arrangement in his version of the song in 1966.[4][5][6][7]

Sérgio Mendes versions

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. Outside of Brazil this 1966 version is better known than Jorge Ben's original and, to many, the definitive version of the song.[8][9] In 1989, Mendes re-recorded the song on his album Arara.

With the Black Eyed Peas

"Mas que Nada"
Single by Sérgio Mendes featuring the Black Eyed Peas
from the album Timeless
Released19 June 2006 (2006-06-19)[10]
Length
  • 3:32 (single version)
  • 4:22 (album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Jorge Ben Jor
Producer(s)will.i.am
Sérgio Mendes singles chronology
"All My Loving"
(2006)		 "Mas que Nada"
(2006)		 "Day Tripper"
(2006)
The Black Eyed Peas singles chronology
"Pump It"
(2006)		 "Mas que Nada"
(2006)		 "Boom Boom Pow"
(2009)

In 2006, Mendes again re-recorded the song, this time with American musical group the Black Eyed Peas and additional vocals by Mendes' wife, Gracinha Leporace, for his album Timeless. This version contains a sample of the Black Eyed Peas' 2004 single "Hey Mama".[11] The song topped the charts of Hungary and the Netherlands and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. This version was included in the 2011 animated film Rio (along with another version recorded in the style of Brasil '66 and also coincidentally featured one of the members, will.i.am with a voice role in the film as Pedro the red-crested cardinal one of the main characters of the film) and its soundtrack.[12]

Track listings

US 12-inch single[13]

A1. "Mas que Nada" (The Masters at Work remix) – 8:03
B1. "Mas que Nada" (radio edit featuring the Black Eyed Peas) – 3:32
B2. "Mais que Nada" (original Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 version) – 2:41

European CD single[14]

  1. "Mas que Nada" (radio edit featuring the Black Eyed Peas) – 3:32
  2. "Mais que Nada" (original Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 version) – 2:41

European 12-inch single[15]

A1. "Mas que Nada" (Masters at Work remix) – 8:03
B1. "Mas que Nada" (Full Phat remix) – 4:27
B2. "Mas que Nada" (Masters at Work dub remix) – 5:20

German maxi-CD single[16]

  1. "Mas que Nada" (radio edit featuring the Black Eyed Peas) – 3:32
  2. "Mas que Nada" (The Masters at Work remix) – 8:03
  3. "Mais que Nada" (original Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 version) – 2:41

Charts

Sales and certifications

Certifications and sales for "Mas que Nada"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[50] Gold 50,000*
Germany (BVMI)[51] Gold 150,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[52] Silver 200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

Other Brazilian artists who recorded the song include Luiz Henrique, Elza Soares and Maria Creuza. Outside Brazil, the song has been covered by dozens of international stars:

References

  1. ↑ Azevedo, Zeca (2009). "As 100 Maiores Músicas Brasileiras – "Mas que Nada"". Rolling Stone Brasil (in Portuguese). Spring. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Latin Grammy Hall Of Fame". Latin Grammy Award. Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Brazilian pronunciation of "mas" and "mais" is very similar, approaching identical in some dialects
  4. ↑ "Diggin' For Gold – Gilles Peterson - Latin: On A Different Trip - José Prates "Tam… Tam… Tam…!" (Polydor LPNG 4016, Brazilian LP, 1958) £1,000" (PDF). Record Collector. Trunk Records. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Gilles Peterson - Tam... Tam... Tam...! - C4 News, 2014.05.18". Channel 4 News. YouTube. 18 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "More to Brazil than just football and the samba". Channel 4 News. Channel 4. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Tam... Tam... Tam...! (1958)". Acervo Ayom: Música e Espírito (in Portuguese). Blogger. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Exposito, Suzy (29 September 2018). "Flashback: See Eartha Kitt Introduce Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 Performance of 'Mas Que Nada'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Sérgio Mendes: The Genius Who Changed Music". 2 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "Mendes on menu at Starbucks". Music Week. 24 June 2006. p. 22. ...Mas Que Nada which features The Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am and is released commercially today (Monday).
  11. ↑ Simpson, Dave (22 April 2019). "will.i.am and Sérgio Mendes: how we made Mas Que Nada". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  12. ↑ "Various Artists: Rio [Music From the Motion Picture]". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Mas que Nada (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Sérgio Mendes. Concord Records, Hear Music, will.i.am Music Group. 2006. 0602468596379.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Mas que Nada (European CD single liner notes). Sérgio Mendes. Concord Records, Hear Music, will.i.am Music Group. 2006. 0602498596302.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ Mas que Nada (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). Sérgio Mendes. Concord Records, Hear Music, will.i.am Music Group. 2006. 06025 1702230 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Mas que Nada (German maxi-CD single liner notes). Sérgio Mendes. Concord Records, Hear Music, will.i.am Music Group. 2006. 0602498596319.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  18. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  19. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  20. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  21. ↑ Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas — Mas que nada. TopHit. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  22. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200638 into search.
  23. ↑ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 28. 15 July 2006. p. 53. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  24. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in French). Les classement single.
  25. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  26. ↑ "Top 50 Singles Eβδομάδα 27/8– 2/9/2006" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on 7 July 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2020. See Best Position column.
  27. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  28. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  29. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Mas que nada". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  30. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 30, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  31. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  32. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  33. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200640 into search. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  34. ↑ "Sergio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas – Mas que nada". Swiss Singles Chart.
  35. ↑ "Sergio Mendes Black Eyed Peas: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  36. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  37. ↑ "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. 16 September 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  38. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2006" (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  39. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2006" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  40. ↑ "Rapports annuels 2006" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  41. ↑ "CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2006)". TopHit. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  42. ↑ "European Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  43. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2006" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  44. ↑ "Dance Top 100 – 2006" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  45. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2006" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  46. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2006". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  47. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2006" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  48. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2006" (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  49. ↑ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2006" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  50. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Sergio Mendes – Mas Que Nada" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
  51. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Sérgio Mendes feat. Black Eyed Peas; 'Mas Que Nada')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  52. ↑ "British single certifications – Sergio Mendes/Black Eyed Peas – Mas Que Nada". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  53. ↑ "Medicine Show No. 2: Flight to Brazil - Madlib | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  54. ↑ Chepape, Bongeka Gumede, Lesego (27 March 2023). "One Album Two Takes: Mass Country AKA". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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