Álvaro Díaz: Tiny Desk Concert

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

Anamaria Sayre | July 19, 2024

Puerto Rican rapper Álvaro Díaz’s fresh take on his greatest hits at the Tiny Desk brought all the sal and soul of the Isla to NPR.

Opening with jazzy piano and synth riffs that evoked a sweet ocean breeze on “Todo Bien,” he quickly set the tone for the concert, throwing a shout-out to his mama, the inspiration for the track. Switching to “Chicas de la Isla,” he used smooth, electric guitar and stunning background vocals for a rendition of the first song he ever made, conveying a relaxed energy fit for a jam with friends.

After years of collaborating with all kinds of Puerto Rican artists from Jowell & Randy to Bad Bunny and everyone in between, despite being center stage for his Tiny Desk, Díaz took the opportunity to share the space with a whole crowd of Tiny Desk veterans and newcomers from all across the island. The community feel of his music fueled the energy and excellence of every single musician he shared the Desk with.

SET LIST

“Todo Bien”

“Chicas de la Isla”

“Miles De Mujeres”

“Groupie Love”

MUSICIANS

Álvaro Díaz: lead vocals

Ben Aler: piano

Manuel Lara: drums

Félix Lara: programming

Elisent Massanet: vocals

Tanicha López: vocals

Luis Alfredo Del Valle: bass

Xavier Rodriguez: guitar

Bebo Dumont: vocals, vocal arrangement

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Anamaria Sayre

Director/Editor: Maia Stern

Audio Technical Director: Hannah Gluvna

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Zayrha Rodriguez

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Keren Carrión

Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#alvarodiaz #nprmusic #tinydesk