Grammy™ award winner Sergio Mendes will headline the 2012 Silver Spring Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 8.

Known for his bossa nova/jazz/funk musical style, Brazilian-born Mendes rose to fame in 1966 with his hit “Mas Que Nada” produced by Herb Alpert. It was the first time that a song, sung entirely in Portuguese, reached the top five on the Billboard magazine pop chart and sparked his rise as the most popular Brazilian entertainer.

Earlier this year, Sergio Mendes was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song as co-writer of "Real In Rio" from the animated film “Rio.” In recent years he has collaborated with Will.i.am and The Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, India Arie, Justin Timberlake, Erikah Bahdu and many others. Mendes’s CD “Celebration,” a compilation of his work, was released in May 2011, celebrating his 50 years as a Grammy™ winning recording artist, and his Gold and Platinum hits.

The ninth annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival will be held Saturday, September 8 in Downtown Silver Spring on Veterans Plaza at Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive. The free, outdoor program kicks off at 4:30 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m.

For more information, call Montgomery County Recreation at 240-777-6821.

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Media Contact: Susan Hoffman, 240-777-6962 or
Elizabeth Gallauresi, 301-793-2928