LUEDJI LUNA – Live @ Moods (2023) | Qwest TV

The Bahian signer Luedji Luna will be a new discovery for some. Less wild than Gal Costa in her youth, she possesses, like her predecessor, an enchanting vocal sensuality. The daughter of teachers who campaigned for racial equality, she launched Palavra Preta (“Black Word”), a movement that brings together the work of Afro-Brazilian women poets and composers, with references to the great Clementina de Jesus, the samba singer and composer Leci Brandão, and the singer Virginia Rodrigues. Her unusual first name, which translates as “river,” was given to her in homage to an Angolan queen, inspired by a novel by the Angolan writer Pepetela.

While she has been hailed as the revelation of the female Afro-Brazilian community, Luna makes little reference to ancestors and spirituality during the concert, though she does mention the Candomblé divine spirit Oxalá. On Djavan’s advice, she sings songs about love, and the main thread running through her performance is the covers of tracks from her albums: “Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D’água” (“it’s really good to be under water”), “Um Corpo no Mundo” (“a body in the world”) and “Remix.” One of the highlights of the set is the duet with her husband, a rapper from São Paulo, and the song written for the first birthday of her son Dayo, who was born during the pandemic. She finishes the concert off with “Axé,” a very Bahian blessing. – Philippe Lesage