Melissa Aldana with Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Tiny Desk Concert

From jazz and Tejano to norteño and ska, 'El Tiny' returns with a takeover from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for Latin Music Month.

Felix Contreras | September 29, 2026
What tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana and pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba offer at El Tiny is the soul of the Latin American song book. Most of these compositions come from Filin, their collaborative album of Cuban ballads from the 1940s to the '60s — songs that were originally popular for their lyrics, interpreted here with nuanced, instrumental performances.

Aldana grew up listening to jazz in her native Chile. Both her dad and her grandfather were jazz musicians. On tenor sax, Aldana takes a very dramatic lead with both her lyricism as well as her deeply resonant tone. From Havana, Rubalcaba is a master of space and time, having played the most well known names in both Cuba and the U.S. His presence adds a layer of musical and emotional heft, as well as a delicate authority that comes from a lifetime in jazz. Together they embody the deeply felt passions that fuel so much of the music from Latin America and the Caribbean.

SET LIST
"Dime Si Eres Tú"
"Imágenes"
"Little Church"
"Unconscious Whispers"

MUSICIANS
Melissa Aldana: tenor sax
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: piano
Pablo Menares: bass
Kush Abadey: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Felix Contreras
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer/Mix: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Mitra I. Arthur, Michael Zamora
Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Maia Stern, Kara Frame
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

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