Panteón Rococó: Tiny Desk Concert

From jazz and Tejano to norteño and ska, ‘El Tiny’ returns with a takeover from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for Latin Music Month.

Felix Contreras | October 1, 2026
Panteón Rococó has been at the forefront of Mexican ska for over three decades. With lyrics that stare down its country’s toughest sociopolitical struggles, the band’s skankin’ grooves slide easily between cumbia and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. At El Tiny, the music and the message is heard loud and clear.

After “Arreglame el Alma,” lead singer Dr. Shenka greets the crowd and launches into “1993…,” a devastating testimonial about the countless desaparecidos (missing) throughout Mexico. For the uninitiated, it might seem counterintuitive for such a sensitive subject to be set to upbeat music. But Panteón Rococó’s frenetic energy allows for an emotional and physical release of the despair and hopelessness of daily life that can beset modern Mexico. And when surrounded by others hopping up and down, singing songs of resistance, you’re no longer alone.

SET LIST
“Arreglame el Alma”
“1993…”
“Cha-Cha Love”
“La Dosis Perfecta”
“La Carencia”

MUSICIANS
Dr. Shenka: vocals
Monelo: guitar
Don Gorri: guitar
Dario Espinosa: bajo, bass
Paco Barajas: trombone, background vocals
Missael: sax, EWI, background vocals
Felipe Bustamante: keys
Tanis: percussion
Eduardo Torruco: drums
Armando “Pinaca” Espinosa: timbales
Hércules Martínez Pineda: trumpet
Hugo Moreno: trumpet

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Felix Contreras
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Translator: Phoebe Smolin
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#tinydesk #eltiny #panteónrococó

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