Omar Apollo: Tiny Desk Concert

From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Tiny Desk is celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with an “El Tiny” takeover, featuring Jessie Reyez, Susana Baca and more musicians from all corners of Latinidad.

Fi O’Reilly | September 15, 2022
What a way to get our second annual El Tiny series going! Omar Apollo kicks off Latinx Heritage Month with a full-band rendition of “En El Olvido,” backed by Las Mariachis Lindas, as he channels a childhood spent listening to Juan Gabriel into his performance of the Mexican corrido.

In the eternal wisdom of Alt.Latino co-host Anamaria Sayre, it’s not a Mexican party until someone starts crying, and Apollo embraces esta melancolía as the band slips into the easy R&B number “Evergreen.” “We’re about to get more sad,” he says to the crowd with a grin.

Despite the heartbreak and unrequited love songs, there’s a sense of ease in this Tiny Desk concert — an easy camaraderie among the group as the members sing through “Evergreen” and “Petrified” before finishing with the (slightly) more upbeat “Endlessly.” El corazón puede estar adolorido, but in community, the pain never seems hopeless.

As Apollo’s Tiny Desk comes to an end, he offers the audience a homework assignment for self-improvement, for putting the negative behind you and making yourself available to participate in building community: “I want y’all to think about something,” he says. “I want you to go home, I want you to meditate and I want you to just burn the bridge.” He laughs. “I’m playing!” But as his and the band’s joyful energy attests, in the world of Omar Apollo, there’s only room for building each other up.

SET LIST
“En El Olvido”
“Evergreen”
“Petrified”
“Endlessly”

MUSICIANS
Omar Apollo: vocals
Jonah Feingold: guitar
Jackson Shanks: drums
Manny Barajas: bass
Harrison Hawkins: keys, music director
Astyn Turrentine: vocals
Phylicia Hill: vocals
Brian Antonio Gazo Martinez: vocals
Fabian Anthony Chavez: saxophone
Marcus Clayton Paul: trumpet
Silvia Estrada: guitarrón
Mayra Martínez: guitarrón

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Kara Frame
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editor: Joshua Bryant
Animator: Alanté Serene
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Pierre Kattar
Audio Assistant: Hannah Copeland
Production Assistants: Jill Britton, Alanté Serene, Joby Tanseco
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#TinyDesk #NPRMusic #ElTiny #OmarApollo

NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts is a popular video series featuring live, intimate music performances by diverse artists, from major stars to up-and-coming musicians, recorded in the small workspace of Bob Boilen’s NPR office in Washington, D.C.brought to you by SloppBoxx.Com.

Share on Facebook

Post on X

Follow us