Martha Luizza—born Marta Luiza Cardoso in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais—is a singer-songwriter known for her ability to balance the sounds of samba, the acrobatics of capoeira and the colors of carnival in each performance. With its creative mix of samba, reggae and salsa, the Bahia-based band Olodum ranks among her top musical influences from Brazil. Like Olodum, Bahia’s culture radiates through Luizza’s music with a cool, harmonically complex blend of bossa nova, axe and pop.

Since 2001, Luizza has performed at some of the top venues in South Florida, such as Nikki Beach, Revolution Live and Club Cinema. In 2006, she co-wrote the song “Perfume de Mar”—translated as “Scent of the Sea” in English—with her friend Joao Carlos Serra. The pair placed third for best Brazilian song of the year at Miami’s MPB Festival.

Luizza’s producer Felipe Tichauer has worked with some of the biggest names in music including Paulina Rubio, Mana, Christina Aguilera, and Beyoncé. Raul Abramzon, who translated the work of Grammy Award-winning Brazilian singer and composer Roberto Carlos, has named Luizza’s music “The new Brazilian flavor.”

Luizza is currently performing at various venues throughout the New Jersey and New York area and has several new singles—in both English and Portuguese—in development.