Carlos Vives: Tiny Desk Concert

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 style. Thirty years later, this performance revisits some of those songs with a 12-piece band that barely fits in our space. The instrumentation of this band — featuring several members who have been with Vives for decades — reflects the influence of Europe (accordions), Africa (alegre drums) and Indigenous cultures (gaita). There's history in this music, all of which gets equal space during the fiery opener "La Cachucha Bacana" — there's even an electric guitar solo! Even when the music slows down, the deep-seated groove is impossible to resist.

SET LIST
"La Cachucha Bacana"
"Diosa Coronada"
"Ella"
"Agua"
"La Tierra del Olvido"
"Pa' Mayte"
"Fruta Fresca"

MUSICIANS
Carlos Vives: vocals, harmonica
Daniel Cadena: guitar
Andrés Leal: guitar, tiple, cuatro
Luis Ángel "El Papa" Pastor: bass
Mayte Montero: gaita, maracas
Kike Cuao Jr.: legüero, guacharaca, percussion
Darwin Escorcia: caja, alegre
Adrian Viáfara: cununos, clarinet, background vocals
Carlos Iván Medina: keys
Christian Camilo Peña: accordion
Melissa Mejia Flomin: background vocals, percussion
Paola Lacera: background vocals
Rashid "El Bombón" Zawady: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Felix Contreras
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel
Audio Engineers: Josephine Nyounai, Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez
Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriquez
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

#nprmusic #tinydesk #carlosvives

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