Singer-songwriter Luedji Luna released two albums in June 2025, one week apart.
This Brazilian native from Salvador de Bahia definitely has a lot to say and a lot of music to offer. Um Mar Par Cada Um is a very interesting album, but, in my humble opinion, Antes Que a Terra Acabe is a cut above. Here we hear a near-perfect marriage of Brazilian popular music with the best of North American music: jazz, R&B, and suavity.
It’s a very contemporary sound that doesn’t lose its roots and origins. Synthesizers and brass shake things up, while still leaving enough room for the woman’s deep and charming voice, which also makes room for rap. It’s a record that could be described as “commercial,” but if all commercial music contained this level of refinement, we’d be talking about it constantly on PANM360.
The title means “Before the Earth Disappears” in French. But this album isn’t particularly pessimistic. It tells the story of a Black Brazilian woman’s quest for love and the best.
It features several well-known special guests, including Seu Jorge, Milton Nascimento, and American pianist Robert Glasper. It all sounds very good.
As I write this, I’m listening to Um Mar Par Cada Um, the album released seven days earlier. I notice it contains more jazz, but it’s more disparate in its design. But it’s also excellent music. British saxophonist Nubya Garcia features on one track.
In short, I recommend both. At 38, Luedji has not finished transporting us to his musical moon.
