In the key of joy

If you take all the world’s emotions and put them into one sound, wrote the Los Angeles Times, it’s Sérgio Mendes. The personification of the vibe that is Brazilian music, Mendes will attend the July 7 Sonoma screening of Sergio Mendes In The Key Of Joy, a documentary about his extraordinary 60-plus year career.

Mendes brought the Bossa Nova and swinging Samba groove to pop music in the heyday of his band Brasil ‘66, which burst on the scene with “Mas Que Nada,” a monster hit sung in Portuguese. “People didn’t know what it meant, and it didn’t matter,” he said. “It just made people feel good.”

Still an influential figure, Mendes, in his L.A. studio, collaborates with the likes of  rap producer wil.iam, Stevie Wonder, Eryka Badue, John Legend, and more. Joining Mendes for a Q and A will be filmmaker John Scheinfeld, whose previous films include The U.S. vs. John Lennon, and Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary. “Amazingly,” says the director, “Sergio has found a way to transform his sound from decade to decade while always remaining relevant and staying true to his musical roots.”

Thursday, July 7. 6:15, $20. VIP reception 5 p.m. $50. Sebastiani Theatre. Sebastianitheatre.com