Last week, we returned to NPR’s HQ to record Alisa Amador’s Tiny Desk concert – the first Desk performance with an audience in over 800 days. In her performance, Alisa took us on a journey through her multi-genre music; the songs in her Tiny Desk set are, in her words, “introspective, sad, joyful, English, Spanish, jazzy.”
Alisa acknowledged that a lot had happened since the pandemic began and forced us to put Tiny Desk concerts on hold, sharing that Tiny Desk videos have been an anchor for her during that time. “They were ways to help me wake up and feel inspired, ways that helped me feel hopeful, ways that helped me to feel connected to people in a time that was so isolating,” she said. The final song of her Tiny Desk set, “Together" (which Alisa also performed in her 2020 Contest entry), is “a celebration of the revolutionary power of love in the face of such division and opposition and challenges,” Alisa said. “We need to remember how not alone we are. I dedicate this to all of you.”
Everyday Everybody performing at the Washington, D.C., stop of our Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour Eric Lee/NPR
Also last week: We hosted the first stop of our Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour in Washington, D.C., with Alisa and an incredible lineup of artists from the D.C. area. Everyday Everybody kicked off the night with an energetic set that had everyone in the venue dancing; Outerloop kept the energy high performing its loud, invigorating, cathartic songs; and 2021 Contest winner NEFFY put on a breathtaking acoustic performance, including a soulful rendition of her Contest-winning song “Wait Up.” Alisa and her band wrapped up the night with a joyful, jazzy set – and, in response to the cheers of a couple hundred new fans in the audience, a celebratory encore.
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It was really special to gather with members of the Contest community for the first time in years – and to see all the featured artists collaborate and support each other. If you can, we hope you’ll join us at our other tour stops this June in Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles and Brooklyn!
From the Desk, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest team
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