This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an 'El Tiny' takeover.
Imagine the burden of not only being a well known and respected musician but also an indelible icon of your country's folk tradition. That is the mantle that Carlos Vives carries for his native Colombia. During his turn behind the Tiny Desk, he takes on the role with a deep sense of pride and musical mastery.
In 1995, Vives released La Tierra del Olvido, a landmark recording that introduced the world to Colombia's vallenato style. Thirty years later, this performance revisits some of those songs with a 12-piece band that barely fits in our space. The instrumentation of this band — featuring several members who have been with Vives for decades — reflects the influence of Europe (accordions), Africa (alegre drums) and Indigenous cultures (gaita). There's history in this music, all of which gets equal space during the fiery opener "La Cachucha Bacana" — there's even an electric guitar solo! Even when the music slows down, the deep-seated groove is impossible to resist.
SET LIST
- "La Cachucha Bacana"
- "Diosa Coronada"
- "Ella"
- "Agua"
- "La Tierra del Olvido"
- "Pa' Mayte"
- "Fruta Fresca"
MUSICIANS
- Carlos Vives: vocals, harmonica
- Daniel Cadena: guitar
- Andrés Leal: guitar, tiple, cuatro
- Luis Ángel "El Papa" Pastor: bass
- Mayte Montero: gaita, maracas
- Kike Cuao Jr.: legüero, guacharaca, percussion
- Darwin Escorcia: caja, alegre
- Adrian Viáfara: cununos, clarinet, background vocals
- Carlos Iván Medina: keys
- Christian Camilo Peña: accordion
- Melissa Mejia Flomin: background vocals, percussion
- Paola Lacera: background vocals
- Rashid "El Bombón" Zawady: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Felix Contreras
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel
- Audio Engineers: Josephine Nyounai, Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez
- Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
- Photographer: Zayrha Rodriquez
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
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