Felix Contreras (2:07)

To be clear, some of the conversation is very, very negative. People online are saying, why is someone from another country coming to perform? Which, first of all, like, people aren't.

Ana Maria Sayer (2:18)

It goes without saying almost, but it doesn't.

Felix Contreras (2:20)

Yeah, people are ignorant about the status of Puerto Rico and the United States, but also which is that it is part of the United States.

Ana Maria Sayer (2:28)

We have to say it.

Felix Contreras (2:29)

Yeah.

Ana Maria Sayer (2:29)

It feels weird that we have to say it, but we have to say it.

Felix Contreras (2:31)

God. Anyway, and I'm with you. It feels weird that he would agree to do something like this because it's 15 minutes and it's compact and it's.

Ana Maria Sayer (2:42)

Like a tiny desk.

Felix Contreras (2:43)

It's this big. Exactly. It's like this big extravaganza. Lasers and, you know, all kinds. I mean, it's a big, giant production that takes over. And he just did three hours of homage to his island. Like, how? Like, what is he going to do? What can he do? How will it reflect on his career and his projection through, you know, through the music industry? Like, there's so many unanswered questions. The main one being like, why? Why do this?

Ana Maria Sayer (3:12)

I don't think I'm surprised in many ways. I mean, that's. That's what he's been moving towards, right? Is like, bring everyone to me now. Let me put myself on this incredibly, incredibly large platform. I know for a fact he's rejected a lot of previous high profile US Appearances. I think this one does make sense to me. What's interesting is a lot of the conversation this has kicked up is things that feel very natural in Puerto Rico. Like, I did something with the BBC when this was announced, and there were two things. One, they asked me why people not in Puerto Rico or not Spanish speaking, like, his music, and I was like, I don't know if I'm the best person to answer that question, because half of it to me is the lyricism or at the very least, a tie to what sonically represented. And two, they made a comment about, like, oh, he's really in with the LGBTQ community. Like, this is something that he's a real champion. And I just said yes because I was like, I don't know how to describe this, because in Puerto Rico, what he's done and how, like. And I'm seeing this brought up in the conversation. I had not even thought about the fact that this would come up. But of course, I saw something this morning that, like, oh, he's demonic on tmz, whatever. Because of. Literally because of the way that he's, you know, dressed in women's clothing or he's like, embodied women in different moments across his music videos and his lyricism and songs. It feels very natural from where he's coming from. It hasn't really felt. Yes, it was a statement at the time, but in a lot of ways, it just sat really nicely with how gender is represented and talks about on the islands, how people move in Puerto Rico. And so now for it to be taken out, I feel like he's running for president. They're, like, digging up all of his old stuff and putting it in the perspective of, like, white American social conversations. And that's like, that's not a. That's not a light I wanted to view Bad Bunny under, but it's, It's.

Felix Contreras (5:06)

It's a reality.

Ana Maria Sayer (5:06)

Totally.

Felix Contreras (5:07)

Okay. So one of the things that I did was I did a little research on the super bowl thing. And so very quickly, the very first super bowl was in 1967. The first time they had a big giant was 1991. New kids on the Block. Curiously, you know who was in 92? Gloria Estefan, representing Latino culture way back then. Right. And then Michael Jackson was in 1993. So, like, it's. It's become this thing. And so now he's the latest adventure in this of presenting Latino culture 2020. There was JLo and Shakira, and he was, in fact, part of that performance. He was on. I counted it. It was like 58 and a half seconds. Okay, so I saw the picture, right? So it's. He's been part of this, and now he's on the top of this. And this is after, you know, he's announced that he's going to host snl. He's strictly in mainstream America lane at just being himself. So that my curiosity is, how's he going to present himself in this big, giant mainstream American spectacle?

Ana Maria Sayer (6:13)

So he's going to make all these people that are pissed off now after they see that show. It's over. This is where it all. This is where it all begins and ends.

Felix Contreras (6:24)

Who knows? You know, does he lean more on the hip hop side and the reggaeton side? Does he present Bomba on the Super Bowl?

Ana Maria Sayer (6:31)

Whatever. It'll be. It'll be very Puerto Rican and it'll be very political.

Felix Contreras (6:34)

We will see.

Ana Maria Sayer (6:36)

Which Felix, brings us to what we're actually talking about today. Our 2025 El Tiny Line, who we've brought, who we're still bringing. And the reason I feel like this all fits perfectly, because it always kind of does, is that so much of what we do and how we bring this together every year is thinking about representing different parts of not only Latin America as two continents, but as a diaspora within this country, and what that means and what that represents, and who can say something about that and whose music is saying something about that? So without further ado, Felix, wait.

Felix Contreras (7:09)

Ana, before let's take a step back. What is El Tiny?

Ana Maria Sayer (7:13)

It's the Tiny desk. It is the tiny desk. I think this is important to clarify. It is the Tiny Desk. It's like any other Tiny Desk concert we do throughout the year. Anyone who plays it would play it at any other time of year. But it's a month we take out to dedicate from September 15th to October 15th to entirely Latin American artists.

Felix Contreras (7:31)

Of the 11 artists we have spread out over the month, the first one that published this year was Fito Paez from Argentina. Very rarely do we get to see some of the architects of Argentine rock in this country touring and performing. And Fito Paes is certainly, you know, known for his very poetic lyrics and just the fact that he was there and presenting this music along with a lot of these other Argentine rock acts. It's a rare opportunity to see him and this contemporary setting, plus the performance, the band he killed it.

Ana Maria Sayer (8:48)

Is one of those pillars of not only Argentine culture, but Roquenol. I mean, he was part of the movement, part of the wave of those artists who were not only making an innovative sound, but also representing something very important in Argentina in a very difficult political time. And to have one of the architects of a sound and of a political movement based in music play in our building, Felix, I mean, it's a big deal. It doesn't get more El Tiny than that.

Felix Contreras (9:21)

Exactly.

Ana Maria Sayer (9:29)

One of the artists I was most excited about, Felix, is an artist that neither of us brought in.

Felix Contreras (9:34)

Correct.

Ana Maria Sayer (9:34)

And her name is Luis Sabrina, our amazing colleague. Lars got rich, found her, saw her, got excited about her, decided to bring her in. I had been following her music and thought, ah, maybe one day. And he was like, no, today needs to be that day. And he was 100% correct because she is absolutely gorgeous. She's from Brazil, which I have been. We have been pretty bad at representing, I think, our Brazilian audience. They're our fourth largest country in terms of viewers on the platform on the tiny desk. Maybe it's the Portuguese where I get lost. I don't know why we let them fall through the cracks, but I'm so glad that Lars saw her and realized that she needed to come play because she really does have such a unique sound, not only for. For us, but for Brazil. I mean, what she's doing is unlike anything else that I've heard. Absolutely stunning performance.

Felix Contreras (10:54)

J. You know, over the summer I went to this great two day Latin music festival here at the Wolf Trapp center for the Performing Arts here in Virginia in the D.C. area. And one of the artists that I saw was Lido Pimienta, who I've been dying to see again. I saw her at south by years ago and she's got a great new album out. So she was here presenting that. And she came the day after to perform here at the Tiny Desk. That was very, very special to see that.

Ana Maria Sayer (12:21)

K. And there was someone else you saw that weekend, Felix, who also came and played A Tiny Desk, which I was really excited about.

Felix Contreras (12:37)

So I was very, very excited to bring in Carlos Vives giving us a Tiny Desk for a lot of different reasons, but mostly because the way that when you watch his video, you know, when you look at all the instrumentation, number one, you can see like the entire history of Colombia in that presentation with the gaitas, the Pre Columbian gaetas, the West African allegra drums, the European accordions. Like, all of that stuff is presented in his music. And like, if you're not tapping your foot at a Carlos Vivas concert, at least you're dead. He presented at the Tiny Desk a celebration of the 30th anniversary of his iconic album La Tierra de Olvido. And let's hear a little bit of that track from his Tiny desk concert to R.A.

Ana Maria Sayer (15:21)

Felix. One of the best parts of this job is getting to bring it like a feto, a Carlos Vives, who really is, I mean, there's few things that are more essentially Colombian and essentially Latin American, I think it'd be fair to say, than Carlos Vives. I mean, he is one of those bringing the Vallenato, bringing the energy, bringing what he does. He is like, he said everything for La Provencia, like that is his thing. He can't step into a room and not do that. And so I think this was one of those that was so long overdue. One of honestly the best shows I think I've seen in that room. I remember thinking that at the time.

Felix Contreras (15:55)

And for people who are not familiar with his music, you know, he does play very rural based cumbia, all these different styles and genres that come from, you know, rural traditions. And he doesn't really change them that much, but they became incredibly popular, especially because of that album over the years. All of his music is based on that. He's done stuff with cumbia, he's done documentaries, he's done all of these things to bring the attention back to the folk traditions of Colombia. So it was. It was really actually was really an honor to be able to present them here. Okay, we have some more artists to talk about from this year's El Tiny, but we're going to take a break. We'll be right back.

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Felix Contreras (18:15)

And we're back talking about El Tiny Ana. You brought in a ban that I was not familiar with.

Ana Maria Sayer (18:21)

Oh, you mean I showed them to you in two ears, wouldn't you say? Remember when I showed you Chewy?

Felix Contreras (18:26)

No, I will admit that this is. I did not know this band.

Ana Maria Sayer (18:39)

So they're a band from Puerto Rico. Kind of going back to to what we were talking about earlier with Bad Bunny. They actually did play with him on his record at his residency. They were kind of like the in house band or one of them. But before all of that, back in November, I went to see PJ Consuela. He's been on the show, he's played a tiny desk, played a lanfy in Puerto Rico and they opened for him and it was one of those. You know Felix, when you see those bands, they're so young and I was like this is not. It's not an if. It's a when they have to come play in our building. I don't know if you've ever been to Elan, Felix. It's like this very tropical, beautiful. It's almost like the Greek. But in The Tropics. It's like, great energy, amazing. And they got up there with this incredible percussion, which obviously now you've seen them play it was the percussion. And then they're triggering all these, like, really cool, like, tropical effects. And just the way that they did their sound was so unique to them. So from the west side of Puerto Rico. And I just. I knew they had to come in so chewy from Puerto Rico. So that song is called Tierra by Chewy. What they do in this song, it's pretty simple. It's just reflect the experience of almost every single Puerto Rican person I have spoken to. It's like, I just wish that all my family and all my friends could live in the place that we all grew up and that we all want to die in, period. It's not like it's a statement, it's not a stance. It's just I miss the people I love, and I wish we could all live where we're from.

Felix Contreras (21:53)

Okay. Again, we're doing this over this period of like, just about four weeks. And just this week, Adrian Casada's tiny desk just dropped. He brought in his Boleto Cico Delicos theme, which is. He just released an album. It's the second volume, like a who's who of vocalists doing different songs. Classic bolettos, original bolettos. And in his very, very Austinish way, it's kind of R B. Very Mexican, very border, but very R B. And for this performance, he brought in Angelica Garcia, Mirea Ramos, Trish Toledo, and Ile. And Ile does this song called Mentiras con Carinho. Check this one out. That was a magic moment because I really appreciated the four different styles of approaches to boleros. And in fact, Mire Ramos, who performs with the mariachi Flor de Toloche and.

Ana Maria Sayer (24:10)

Now has her own solo project, she.

Felix Contreras (24:12)

Brought in her violin and did a nice little solo on her track. You know, I had Adrian Casada on the show years ago, I think was 2014. And back then he had four bands that he was working full time with. And he's just so prolific, so creative. His Tiny Desk was a joy to watch. It's gonna be interesting to watch to see what he does next. But for now, check out His Tiny Desk. It just published this week. Okay. We're halfway through our run this year of El Tiny. We have a few more shows left, including Rubio Trente, Un Minutos and Macario Martinez.

Ana Maria Sayer (25:19)

But we also have two incredible female vocalists. I guess that's what brings them together.

Felix Contreras (25:25)

That Is correct.

Ana Maria Sayer (25:26)

Gloria Estefan and Silvana Estrada. We can't play the audio for either of these shows yet because they haven't come out. But we did sit down with both of them after their shows in front of the tiny desk and do interviews.

Felix Contreras (25:37)

And the interview with you and Sylvana was like talking to the same person you guys are. It's pretty well known that you guys have become very close over the years and really connect on a lot of different things in your approach to life and all that. And I asked her about one of the songs that she played. Cause it sounded like a combination of, like, a New Orleans DGE and what I think I refer to as a drunk corrido. Which, of course, we can't play right now. But let's hear the track that'll be on the album that's coming out soon. Okay. Anna, like we said, we had a chance to talk to Silvana after her tiny desk, and I asked her about that song. Check it out.

Silvana Estrada (27:13)

I was actually listening to Laza de Sela, and I was, you know, trying to learn her songs from the Laza album. And I. I don't know, there was something super dark and, like, super, like. I don't know, something very, like, dark and strong energetically. And I get super inspired by that. And actually, at that time, I was struggling with this.

Ana Maria Sayer (27:45)

Yeah.

Silvana Estrada (27:45)

Like, I had a. On desen quentro amoroso actually with a friend of mine. He kind of. Yeah, ghosted me for years.

Ana Maria Sayer (27:57)

And I was so. I was pissed.

Silvana Estrada (28:05)

I started this song, and I remember I did the first verses, and then. Yeah, I did the whole song. And then I went actually with Natalia. Natalia. And I showed this song to her, and she was like, this is great, but you should, you know, do it a little bit longer. The entrance. So that's why I started, like. And then the song, and she was like, that's so Juan Gabriel.

Ana Maria Sayer (28:37)

I love it.

Felix Contreras (28:38)

Do it.

Ana Maria Sayer (28:39)

And so I did.

Felix Contreras (28:41)

And.

Silvana Estrada (28:43)

Yeah, she's awesome. She always helped me. And then the groove and the production and the energy. I was very inspired by Lassa, very inspired by the Waits. I wanted to. To this song to be kind of, you know, full of, like, lobo in English.

Felix Contreras (29:08)

Mud.

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Mud.

Ana Maria Sayer (29:10)

Like mud.

Felix Contreras (29:14)

You answered. How do you say it in English? And you answered in Spanish.

Ana Maria Sayer (29:18)

That's always. That's always with. She's been translating for me into English all day.

Felix Contreras (29:25)

Being with you guys is a laugh fest. Okay, I'm just gonna say it. All right.

Ana Maria Sayer (29:30)

It's like, the second I see her, I don't Even. We don't even say anything yet. And we're, like, crying, laughing, like it's like.

Felix Contreras (29:38)

And what's really special is that that that passion for life, that passion for everything about it really comes through in her tiny desk 100% when it comes out later this month. I think people are just going to be mesmerized.

Ana Maria Sayer (29:49)

If you don't know she's gone through a lot of. And she's come out the other side of it, I think, more beautiful and profound and happy than ever.

Felix Contreras (29:58)

The other artist that we spoke to was Gloria Estefan.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:01)

Not every day that you get to talk to one of the pioneers, you.

Felix Contreras (30:05)

Know, Ana, I'll be honest with you. I was nervous.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:07)

I know you were nervous.

Felix Contreras (30:08)

I was very nervous.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:09)

I know.

Felix Contreras (30:10)

Yeah. Cause she's just. She means so much, and it was really a lot of fun. So we talked to her about a lot of different things, and we're gonna make a whole episode out of it. So let's just save that for now.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:19)

I'll leave it.

Felix Contreras (30:20)

Yeah.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:21)

We're not going to give it away just yet.

Felix Contreras (30:23)

Okay, Anna, to close us out and to get people excited about hearing all of our tiny desk concerts that we call Il Tiny. Just one. One moment, one performance, one line, one instance.

Ana Maria Sayer (30:36)

Okay. We never have encores. Casin Unca every once in a blue moon. But when you have Carlos Vives in the building and people start chanting otra, what are you going to do but have an encore? So he played Fruta Frescas, which, by the way, you told me they were trying to cut. I would have literally died if they cut that because. Wow, that was my favorite part of the show.

Felix Contreras (30:58)

That's what I was gonna choose. Man, you stole, right? Let's just go out.

Ana Maria Sayer (31:03)

Apparently, it was the best moment.

Felix Contreras (31:04)

This was really. It was spectacular. Very rarely do we get encores. The room was just blessed. The room was buzzing. Yeah. So. All right. We both will go out in one song. This is it.

Ana Maria Sayer (31:15)

Fruta Fresca.

Felix Contreras (31:41)

Africa. You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music. Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell.

Ana Maria Sayer (32:13)

Saray Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.

Felix Contreras (32:17)

I'm Felix Contreras.

Ana Maria Sayer (32:18)

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer.

Felix Contreras (32:20)

Thank you for listening.

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