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Latin Music Takes Over NPR Tiny Desk for El Tiny 2025
NPR kicked off the fifth annual Latin music takeover of its iconic Tiny Desk concert series, known as ‘El Tiny’, on September 15. Running through October 15, this year’s lineup features 11 artists, including Gloria Estefan, Carlos Vives, and Adrian Quesada, spotlighting the richness, diversity, and global influence of Latin music. The series is produced by Alt.Latino co-hosts Félix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre, who described this edition as a celebration of the “depth, complexity, and brilliance of Latin culture.”
This year’s performances also mark the 15th anniversary of Alt.Latino, NPR’s flagship Latin culture show, which Sayre lovingly calls its quinceañera. The milestone comes alongside recognition for co-host and co-creator Félix Contreras, who recently received the prestigious Journalism Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for his decades-long work uplifting Latin voices.
Already Released Performances
Fito Páez (Argentina) – September 15The series opened with none other than legendary Argentine rocker Fito Páez. His set bridged past and present, drawing from his classics while showcasing his latest artistic reflections. Páez delivered stirring versions of early ‘90s hits like “A Rodar Mi Vida” and “Mariposa Tecknicolor”, alongside his new track “Sale el Sol.” The performance concluded with “Circo Beat” segueing into a reimagined “Tercer Mundo” with updated lyrics for 2025. It was a homecoming of sorts for one of the pioneers of Spanish-language rock, whose work first broke ground during Argentina’s post-dictatorship cultural resurgence.
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Luiza Brina (Brazil) – September 17
From Brazil, Luiza Brina brought a tender, meditative set rooted in the orações (prayers) she began writing during a personal period of panic and reflection. Songs from her 2024 masterpiece Prece unfolded with transcendental beauty, weaving nylon-string guitar, woodwinds, keys, and percussion. Her ethereal voice carried prayers for life’s journeys, joy, and survival, reminding the audience with one luminous phrase: “Do not distinguish God from happiness.” Brina’s performance situates her firmly in the lineage of Minas Gerais soul-seekers like Milton Nascimento while adding her own cosmic layer.
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Lido Pimienta (Colombia) – September 19
Lido Pimienta returned to the Tiny Desk with a set that transcended performance, transforming into ritual. Clad in black, she led a ceremonial journey that blended Afro-Caribbean rhythms, strings, marimba, and winds into an otherworldly ensemble. The performance included “Quiero Que Me Beses”, “Mango”, “¿Quién Tiene La Luz? (El Perdón)”, and “Eso Que Tú Haces”, all elevated by her magnetic stage presence. Pimienta’s concert echoed themes from her 2025 album La Belleza, creating a space for spirituality, vulnerability, and resistance.
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Carlos Vives (Colombia) – September 23
Global icon Carlos Vives brought the joy of Colombian vallenato and beyond with a 12-piece band that filled the NPR office with vibrant sound. His set revisited his landmark 1995 album La Tierra del Olvido, performing “La Cachucha Bacana”, “Pa’ Mayte”, “Agua”, “Diosa Coronada”, “Ella”, and the title track “La Tierra del Olvido.” He closed with “Fruta Fresca” from 1999’s El Amor de Mi Tierra. With his vast catalogue spanning cumbia, champeta, bambuco, and rock, Vives reaffirmed why he is one of the best-selling Latin music artists in history.
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Chuwi (Puerto Rico) – September 25
Chuwi, a family-and-friends collective from Isabela, Puerto Rico, offered a joyful yet reflective performance. Their set opened with the contemplative “Que Me Faltara” and unfolded into a landscape that blended bomba, plena, salsa, and jazz-inflected breaks. Known for backing Bad Bunny during his historic residency, Chuwi brings Puerto Rican identity and longing into their music, embodying both love of homeland and the quest for something more: “un guarapo de jengibre y un Puerto Rico libre.”
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Upcoming ‘El Tiny’ Performances
- Adrian Quesada (Texas, USA) – September 30
- Rubio (Chile) – October 2
- 31 Minutos (Chile) – October 6
- Macario Martínez (Mexico) – October 8
- Gloria Estefan (Cuba) – October 10
- Silvana Estrada (Mexico) – October 15
‘El Tiny’ continues to affirm the importance of Latin music in global culture, bridging generations and genres with a platform that celebrates its diversity. This year’s series is more than a lineup, it’s a living archive of Latin creativity, heritage, and resilience. Stay tuned as the remaining performances roll out through October 15, adding even more voices to the vibrant chorus of El Tiny.”
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