This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an 'El Tiny' takeover.
Silvana Estrada was born and raised in Veracruz, a seaside state known for its breathtaking ocean views and son jarocho, one of Mexico's most storied folk styles. But against the backdrop of its beauty, there's pain. Estrada confronts these realities in her art; she brings audiences to tears with her powerful, yet elegant vocals, but never leaves them without hope.
In the five years I've come to work — and become friends — with Estrada, I've discovered the magnetic, joyful and wiggly person beneath who drives the richness of her music. I have seen Estrada perform in concert halls, hometown historic venues, televised broadcasts and Grammy showcases. But none of those have ever rivaled a small space with just her voice and a cuatro venezolano, surrounded by five or six people... until her stunning debut behind the Tiny Desk.
Vendrán Suaves Lluvias, from which this set is drawn, is her most honest work, yet. In the making of this album, she lost a friend and parts of herself — "And me, who is no more than an ocean of doubts," she croons on "Como un Pájaro." But, as is sometimes the case of artistic creation in capable hands, her voice finds a way to bend wounds to her will and become whole.
SET LIST
"Como un Pájaro"
"Good Luck, Good Night"
"Si Me Matan"
"El Alma Mía"
MUSICIANS
Silvana Estrada: vocals, guitar
Roberto Verástegui: piano, keys, arrangements
Alex Lozano: drums, percussion
Joe Grass: guitar, lap steel
Rémi-Jean Leblanc: bass
Owen Pallett: cello da spalla
Diego Franco: clarinet, euphonium
Andy Clausen: trombone
Chloe Rowlands: trumpet, flugelhorn
David Aguilar: vocals, baritone guitar
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Director: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Editor: Joshua Bryant
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Dora Levite
Photographer: Maansi Srivastava
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
