Marta Pereira da Costa: Tiny Desk Concert

Marta Pereira da Costa: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

Felix Contreras | November 15, 2023

From the very first beat in this performance, it's clear we are being transported to another time and space with Marta Pereira da Costa's enchanting time behind the Tiny Desk.

Considered to be the first and only woman to professionally master the traditional Portuguese guitar used in fado music, Pereira da Costa caught my attention in a crowded bar in Austin, Texas in 2019 during South by Southwest. In fact, with echoes of Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson's experience with Laura Gibson that gave birth to the Tiny Desk concert, I also wanted to hear Pereira da Costa's melodic fingerpicking prowess without the noisy crowd.

Accompanied by second guitarist João José Pita Junior and percussionist Pedro Segundo, the trio bridges centuries of history with immaculate playing and plenty of smiles. As Pereira da Costa states in between songs, the entire performance is a musical journey through her homeland, from land to sea and everything in between.

Fado has achieved international recognition outside of Portugal among the musically curious, and I usually associate it with a variety of renowned vocalists. But Pereira da Costa reminds us to pay attention to the accompanists and their instruments for a deeper appreciation of tradition and music made in the moment.

SET LIST

"Terra"

"Movimento"

"Encontro"

"Minha Alma"

"Dia de Feira"

MUSICIANS

Marta Pereira da Costa: guitar

João José Pita Junior: guitar

Pedro Segundo: percussion

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Felix Contreras

Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant

Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin

Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern

Audio Assistant: Neil Tevault

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Michael Zamora

Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills, Kara Frame

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#nprmusic #tinydesk #martaperieradacosta