Gloria Estefan: Tiny Desk Concert

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an 'El Tiny' takeover.

Anamaria Sayre | October 13, 2025
As Gloria Estefan embarks on a 50-year retrospective of her career, this Tiny Desk takes on the same tone, heart and air of reflection. After all, the pioneering vision, authentic insistence and undeniably captivating rhythms of Estefan created the path for Spanish-language music to thrive in the U.S.

In the 1980s, Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine proved to a broader audience that Latin American sounds are so magnetic and our souls so on fire that the rhythm at some point did get everyone. At the Tiny Desk, their level of artistic savvy shines brighter than ever. In spotlighting Cuban percussion and the gorgeously refined vocal acumen of the hailed pop star, this set gives space for the mountainous musicianship of forever hits and Latino cultural staples like "Rhythm is Gonna Get You" and "Conga."

This joyous performance is another example of what many of us have always known to be true: Gloria Estefan transcends borders, unites communities and gets people on the dance floor.

SET LIST
"Rhythm is Gonna Get You"
"Raíces"
"Mi Tierra"
"Chirriqui Chirri"
"La Vecina (No Sé Na')"
"Wrapped"
"Conga"

MUSICIANS
Gloria Estefan: vocals
Clay Ostwald: keys, music director
Javier Concepcion Jr.: keys, assistant music director
Adrian Gines: drums
Edwin Bonilla: percussion
Yeismel Grandal: percussion
Yorgis Goiricelaya: bass
Lindsey Blair: guitar
Julio Martinez: tres
Osvaldo Fleites: trumpet, percussion
Teddy Mulet: trumpet, percussion
Robbie Elias: background vocals
Claudia Lopez: background vocals
Leesa Richards: background vocals
Emilio Estefan: conga

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel
Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
Production Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Dora Levite
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Ashley Pointer
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#nprmusic #tinydesk #gloriaestefan

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