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Silvana Estrada: Tiny Desk Concert

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an 'El Tiny' takeover.

Silvana Estrada was born and raised in Veracruz, a seaside state known for its breathtaking ocean views and son jarocho, one of Mexico's most storied folk styles. But against the backdrop of its beauty, there's pain. Estrada confronts these realities in her art; she brings audiences to tears with her powerful, yet elegant vocals, but never leaves them without hope.

In the five years I've come to work — and become friends — with Estrada, I've discovered the magnetic, joyful and wiggly person beneath who drives the richness of her music. I have seen Estrada perform in concert halls, hometown historic venues, televised broadcasts and Grammy showcases. But none of those have ever rivaled a small space with just her voice and a cuatro venezolano, surrounded by five or six people... until her stunning debut behind the Tiny Desk.

Vendrán Suaves Lluvias, from which this set is drawn, is her most honest work, yet. In the making of this album, she lost a friend and parts of herself — "And me, who is no more than an ocean of doubts," she croons on "Como un Pájaro." But, as is sometimes the case of artistic creation in capable hands, her voice finds a way to bend wounds to her will and become whole.

SET LIST

  • "Como un Pájaro"
  • "Good Luck, Good Night"
  • "Si Me Matan"
  • "El Alma Mía"

MUSICIANS

  • Silvana Estrada: vocals, guitar
  • Roberto Verástegui: piano, keys, arrangements
  • Alex Lozano: drums, percussion
  • Joe Grass: guitar, lap steel
  • Rémi-Jean Leblanc: bass
  • Owen Pallett: cello da spalla
  • Diego Franco: clarinet, euphonium
  • Andy Clausen: trombone
  • Chloe Rowlands: trumpet, flugelhorn
  • David Aguilar: vocals, baritone guitar

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Anamaria Sayre
  • Director: Kara Frame
  • Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
  • Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Video Editor: Joshua Bryant
  • Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
  • Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
  • Production Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Dora Levite
  • Photographer: Maansi Srivastava
  • Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
  • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
  • Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

Copyright 2025 NPR

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Anamaria Artemisa Sayre
Anamaria Sayre is a multimedia producer for NPR Music with a focus on elevating Latinx stories and music. She's the producer for Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture, and the curator of Latin artists at the Tiny Desk.