There are two ways I like to listen to a Luca Mundaca.....

Everywhere she goes, Luca Mundaca seems to attract a devoted following of fans. Whether she’s playing a concert in Sao Paulo, Brazil, headlining a night of world music at New York City’s famous The Living Room club, or touring clubs in the United States, Luca’s combination of personal warmth and musical virtuosity captivates everyone who watches her perform. “Her abilities are unlimited,” says Seth Rothstein, vice president of marketing at Sony Legacy records. “She has a stunning voice of great intimacy and emotion, and her songwriting is first-rate.”

Luca’s music began at age 15 in Brazil, when her mother bought her the only guitar the family could afford: a clunky and cheap guitar that cost $30 new. With no money for sheet music, Luca taught herself to play, and wrote all her own songs. She locked herself in the bedroom of her family’s house south of Sao Paulo and practiced for 10 hours a day. The guitar’s cheap strings sliced her fingers, so she learned to stick her hands in the freezer to numb the pain before returning to play. She became the lead singer in a Brazilian pop fusion band, but soon discovered the music that spoke to her soul: Brazil’s own samba and bossa nova. “I loved the swinging rhythm, the intimacy of the music,” Luca says.

Luca played her first solo gig in 1997. She earned as much money in one night as she made in a month working the hot ovens of a soap factory. That’s when she decided to become a full-time musician. After building an underground following in the bars and jazz clubs of Brazil, she sold all her equipment for a one-way ticket to New York City. Within months, she was playing at The Living Room, auditioning for jazz labels and major record studios, and catching the attention of fans and music industry veterans. “Luca Mundaca is a classic example of a talent deserving wider recognition,” says Don Heckman, music critic for the Los Angeles Times. She is “(b)lessed with a sweetly engaging sound, impressive musicality and the rhythmic passion of her Brazilian roots.”

In addition to her own albums, Luca’s work has been featured on two Putumayo World Music compilations, “Women of the World Acoustic” and “Brazilian Lounge,” in which she appears alongside Brazilian music legends Bebel Gilberto , Adriana Calcanhoto and Marcos Vale. Her song “Ha Dias” was featured on the soundtrack for the movie “The Visitor,” and licensed for the TV show californiacation on Showtime. Luca was also named Best World Fusion musician in 2008 by the Independent Music Awards.

Through all of her travels and successes, Luca maintains those rare qualities that set her music apart. Intimacy. Playfulness. Soul. Hearing her play reminds us that life is a fun and romantic gift to be shared with the people we love. And like all things worth doing, good music comes when years of hard work evolve into an effortless expression of joy.

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There are two ways I like to listen to a Luca Mundaca album. One is to press “Play” just as friends arrive for a dinner party. Luca’s swaying rhythms and tender vocals slide under the conversation, creating a vibe of relaxed sophistication. Other times, I prefer to listen to Luca alone. It’s like diving beneath the smooth surface of a lake to glimpse complex layers below. First I feel the beat, a rich combination of Samba’s syncopation and Bossa Nova’s seductive sway. Complex arrangements turn each song into its own intricate journey. A jazz sensibility of free-roaming virtuosity sprinkles pathos and joy.

And then there’s that voice. Wow. Always close, always intimate, by turns powerful and delicate. It’s like a lover rolling over in bed to share something important. Few musicians have the confidence or the range to get this close. In concert and on her albums, Luca’s singing has an immediacy that suggests a confident, loving presence. Luca’s songs have appeared on “Women of the World” and “Brazilian Lounge,” two collections by Putumayo World Music. “Ha Dias,” from her album “Day by Day,” was named the Best World Fusion Song at the 2008 Independent Music Awards (IMA). It’s easy to see why. Indigenous Brazilian music forms the bones of Luca’s music. Jazz creates the muscle, and the stark honesty of modern folk and rock provides the flesh.

The true test of any art, be it a song, a novel or a painting, is whether one can return to it again and again, finding something new each time. As I write this, I’m playing Luca’s album in the background. I notice how much I look forward to those three minor-C piano chords she drops into the song “Day by Day,” like small clouds on an otherwise sunny day. I’ve been listening to Luca for two years now, and little discoveries like this keep me coming back for more.

-Christopher Maag is a national journalist for publications including The New York Times, Time magazine, Popular Mechanics and Slate.

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