Tiny Desk Meets AFROPUNK: Luedji Luna

Tiny Desk Meets AFROPUNK was the opening event of AFROPUNK's "Black Spring" festival. The virtual celebration, hosted by Jorge "Gitoo" Wright, highlighted outstanding talent in Afro-Latin and Afro-Caribbean music across the globe. Our showcase featured four artists who honored their homes and celebrated the art their heritage has inspired.

"I feel that we are living in a crazy moment in a crazy time and music has been a safe place for me — the only safe place for me," Luedji Luna says in a low, alluring voice as she explains the purpose of her latest album, Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D'Água. The album, much like the Brazilian singer-songwriters's Tiny Desk performance, is a respite from these times. Elements of jazz and blues are infused with African rhythms as Luna uses music to express her ongoing struggles for autonomy as a Black woman. She performs from her coastal hometown of Bahia in the city of Salvador, Brazil, where African culture flows in abundance. Luna is a powerhouse, entrancing and elegant, soulful and spiritual, as she uses her platform to discuss individual and systemic forms of anti-Blackness.

SET LIST

• "Lençois"
• "Erro"
• "Chororô"

MUSICIANS

• Luedji Luna: vocals
• Weslei Rodrigo: bass
• Sergio Machado: drums
• Gabriel Gaiardo: keys
• Vinicius Sampaio: guitar

CREDITS

• Video: Flow Creative Core, Aline Juliet, Kadu Borges, Dilson Laguna
• Audio: André Ramos
• Scenographer: Juliana Laguna
• Executive Producer: Gabriel Ramos
• Assistant Producer: Reginaldo Vilela

TINY DESK TEAM

• Producer: Abby O'Neill
• Video Producer: Maia Stern
• Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
• Associate Producer: Bobby Carter
• Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame
• Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey
• Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

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