This song stuck out in the movie “Rio” as I stated in my previous post because it triggered memories of me dancing at the Afterlife which was a party in SoHo NYC in the 90′s that eventually moved to Brooklyn. This song has been remixed, and redone by so many artists, and even for the movie “Rio.” Regardless of the remakes, it has never lost the feeling that the smooth, sultry, and flowery vocals add to the musical depth of this piece. I found the original version of this song on Youtube that was performed by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben Jor in the 1963.

The next version posted below is footage of Sergio Mendes performing his 1966 version, back in 1966, that made the song popular.

In 2004, Master’s at Work put out a version of “Mas Que Nada” on their Latin Verve Sounds Album. The album was titled “Masters At Work Present Latin Verve Sounds.”

Excerpt from their discography: Masters At Work Present Latin Verve Sounds, is a new collection of some of the classic Latin-flavored songs in the The Verve Music Group’s archives. The tracks were chosen by the popular DJ collective of “Little” Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, better known as Masters At Work.

The compilation features a wide range of artists, composers, sounds, and grooves. Kicking off with the classic tropical vibe of Dave Pike’s “Sandunga,” driving through the percussive “Boss Trés Bien” by Quartette Trés Bien, and sliding into Eugene Arango and Carlos “Patato” Valdés’ gritty interpretation of Jorge Ben’s “Mas Qué Nada,” Masters At Work Present Latin Verve Sounds is a vibrant musical journey of Latin jazz rhythms.

Then Masters at Work released a remix version of the song that appeared on Sergio Mendes’newer album “Timeless.” Its not as smooth as the original, but I would still get down to it in the club.

Then there is the version Will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas did on the song that appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Rio. This version kept the feel of the original. The more hip hop sounding remixes, the Black Eyed Peas did on the song of are interesting, but not my cup of tea. Enjoy, compare and get into the evolution and tradition of this classic Brazilian work of art.

Here is the “Rio” Version–the energy of the remake is very cinematic and a nice way to introduce children to culture.

Here is the Black Eyed Peas version of the song with Will.i.am spitting lyrics over the track. Not sure how I feel about it. I am very much into preserving the integrity of a body of work when it comes to musical compositions. You be the judge.