Omar: Tiny Desk Concert

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

Bobby Carter | August 14, 2025

As Omar performs “This Is Not a Love Song” at the Tiny Desk, I can’t help but think of how contradictory that particular selection is to his overall career in music. His knack for penning pure love songs has taken him on a 40-year musical journey around the world from Kent, England, and most recently, landing him at NPR headquarters.

Born Omar Lye-Fook, the singer-songwriter is a key figure in the history of British soul music. His debut single, “There’s Nothing Like This,” released in 1990, not only helped to set the stage for the “neo soul” movement but also led to collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and the late Angie Stone.

Dressed to the nines and wearing his signature high-top locs, Omar stepped behind the Desk with a look of disbelief on his face. I don’t know if it was the number of die-hard fans in the building or the proximity at which they stood; in any case, he fed off that energy and gave it right back to the crowd as they swayed and sang along to highlights from his timeless catalog.

SET LIST

“Can We Go Out?”

“The Man”

“Little Boy”

“This Is Not a Love Song”

“There’s Nothing Like This”

MUSICIANS

Omar Lye-Fook: vocals, keys

Mike Griot: bass, music director

Teddy Crockett: guitar

Eric Brown: drums, background vocals

Raliegh Neal II: keys

Vivian Sessoms: background vocals

Aaron Broadus: trumpet

Antonio Parker: saxophone

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern

Audio Engineer: Josh Newell

Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda

Series Editor: Lars Gotrich

Photographer: Sofia Seidel

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#tinydesk #nprmusic #omarabdullah

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