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

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