Alex Cuba: Tiny Desk Concert

04:20

Lizz Wright Sings 'Speak Your Heart' at NPR

04:24

Shakira - Te Aviso, Te Anuncio (Tango) (Official HD Video)

12:00

The Creole Choir Of Cuba: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

03:40

Rachael Yamagata Performs "Faster" at NPR

03:08

GAYLE - 15 (official lyric video)

08:13

Omara Portuondo: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

322,903 views

Alex Cuba: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

This Latinx Heritage Month Tiny Desk is celebrating with an 'El Tiny' takeover, featuring a wide array of artists from all corners of Latinidad.

Felix Contreras | October 4, 2023

Alex Cuba starts his turn behind the Tiny Desk with the barest of musical essentials: a percussive guitar rhythm, the soft scratch of a güiro and a miniature choir. "Ciudad Hembra (La Habana)," a lament for his hometown, sets a deliberate slow burn for this performance.

Alex Cuba's superpower is his undeniable charm as he weaves evocative imagery into musical arrangements that not only call to mind his native Cuba but anywhere an acoustic guitar and engaging voice command attention. "De Camino'' offers a good case in point. Propelled by bass, drums and congas, the deeply personal love song is full of celebration — Cuba's guitar and light hand percussion remind us that we are, in fact, in the Caribbean.

"Chekere" is named for the Afro-Cuban instrument made of a dried-out gourd covered by beads used in all types of Cuban music. The song's soft beginning evolves into a percussion-inspired explosion before Alex Cuba segues into a delicate love song dedicated to his wife, "Sarah."

SET LIST

"Ciudad Hembra (La Habana)"

"De Camino"

"Chekere"

"Sarah"

MUSICIANS

Alex Cuba: guitars, vocals

Yoser Rodríguez: bass

Alain Bergé: drums

Javier García: vocals, minor percussion

Roberto Vizcaino Jr.: percussion

TINY DESK TEAM