Tag: NPR

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an ‘El Tiny’ takeover. Anamaria Sayre | October 10, 2025 Street sweeping by night in Mexico City and writing music when he could and where he could, Macario Martínez turned his longing into songs with beautiful lyrics and simple guitar picking. “¿Cómo es que me duele el no saber?” he sings on “Sueña Lindo, Corazón,” the song that exploded on TikTok. How come the not knowing hurts so much? Martínez translates that feeling — wanting what you’re not sure you can have — into [See More…]

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an ‘El Tiny’ takeover. Anamaria Sayre | October 6, 2025 The Tiny Desk has witnessed some pretty legendary guitar solos. Shrouded in fog, this one opens with some shred played by a puppet. Only the deeply beloved 31 Minutos could pull off such a dramatic feat, even at the Desk. 31 Minutos is a Chilean TV show, but more than that, it’s an institution of Latin American children’s programming. Known for being equal parts educational and just plain silly, it’s smart, cutting and dynamic [See More…]

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an ‘El Tiny’ takeover. Anamaria Sayre | September 25, 2025 The song that opens Chuwi’s Tiny Desk is quick, coy and questioning. In staggered vocals, keys and percussion, the Puerto Rican band gently tells a story about a life well-lived, but something lingers. “Que me faltara,” they all sing. What am I missing? This is a common theme throughout Chuwi’s music — that the members love their family, their island, their home — but, like many Puerto Ricans, they still seek something better: “un [See More…]

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an ‘El Tiny’ takeover. Felix Contreras | September 23, 2025 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 [See More…]

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an ‘El Tiny’ takeover. Felix Contreras | September 15, 2025 What an honor to host Fito Páez, one of the pioneers of Argentine rock, at the Tiny Desk for the start of Latin Music Month. In 1984, Páez released his debut solo album one year after a brutal dictatorship, joining the swell of Spanish language rock and roll that was growing in Argentina. His lyrical insight was poignant then and resonates now. In this set, his beloved storytelling is on full display as well [See More…]

Bobby Carter | September 12, 2025 Ed Sheeran’s Tiny Desk (home) concert from 2021 was a huge moment for NPR Music. During a time of uncertainty, his show — now at nearly 15 million views — honored the intimate nature of our platform while also reimagining his work. We knew that when the time was right, Sheeran would step behind the real Desk and that time is now. Featuring brand new songs from the album Play, plus an old favorite, watch Sheeran build the instrumental elements in real time with guitar, keyboard and a looping station. SET LIST “Sapphire” “A [See More…]

Lars Gotrich | September 10, 2025 An effortless hop from the carpet onto the office furniture. A split-second survey of the audience gathered. Two steps, then liftoff and barrel roll. Not only does Brendan Yates execute the first-ever stage dive — and ensuing crowd surf — at the Tiny Desk, but he does so with athletic grace. That’s how this Turnstile concert ends, but not before a wild reimagination of the hardcore band’s wide-ranging sound, featuring piano and a horn section. Ever since its inception 15 years ago, Turnstile has always turned its accessible, yet esoteric influences into something of [See More…]

Dora Levite | September 5, 2025 For those of us (like me) who wear the term “chronically online” like a badge of honor, PinkPantheress’ world is our everything. When we close our eyes, her glossy voice and Y2K nostalgia is a comfort. With a single roller in her bangs and the purse she’s never without, PinkPantheress has become our soundtrack, vision board and guide. For this set, the once anonymous dance-pop star sheds the electronic sounds that we know her for; to our complete delight, her voice is just as glossy and her presence just as entrancing in these new [See More…]

Elle Mannion | September 3, 2025 Mustafa maintains hope in dark times. For this Tiny Desk, the Sudanese Canadian artist features material from Dunya, one of the best albums of 2024, plus “Stay Alive,” an earlier song of his that he says became “the thesis of everything that I believe in.” A talented poet and songwriter, Mustafa has written for stars like Justin Bieber and The Weeknd — but as you see here, his artistry shines most when he sings heart-wrenchingly beautiful songs about his community. “I was born and raised in the largest housing project in North America,” he [See More…]

Bobby Carter | August 14, 2025 As Omar performs “This Is Not a Love Song” at the Tiny Desk, I can’t help but think of how contradictory that particular selection is to his overall career in music. His knack for penning pure love songs has taken him on a 40-year musical journey around the world from Kent, England, and most recently, landing him at NPR headquarters. Born Omar Lye-Fook, the singer-songwriter is a key figure in the history of British soul music. His debut single, “There’s Nothing Like This,” released in 1990, not only helped to set the stage for [See More…]