Spanish singer Amaia is walking contradiction. She's a multi-instrumentalist, easily traipsing between piano, chair flute and — not featured in this Tiny Desk performance — her signature harp. But all of this hardly compares to a voice that dances between ferocity and softness.
The opener here, "C'est La Vie," jumps from charged piano to luxuriant strings — a perfect embodiment of her musical duality. "Zorongo," a mashup of canon classics "Zorongo Gitano" and "Rumores de la Caleta," lets loose the tremor of flamenco. Her set leaves Spain for a moment with the bachata-fueled "Auxiliar." Last year's Si Abro los Ojos No Es Real aimed to incorporate more global Latin elements and experimental production; this Tiny Desk version of "Giratutto" presents that edgier side of her sweetness.
Back at the piano, Amaia closes with a tribute to a park in her hometown. It's a tender reminder that, even as she plays with her sound, that she will always return to Pamplona.
SET LIST
- "C'est La Vie"
- "Nanai"
- "Zorongo"
- "Auxiliar"
- "Giratutto"
- "Yamaguchi"
MUSICIANS
- Amaia: vocals, piano, chair flute
- Victor Martinez: guitar, percussion, music director
- Luis Martinez: guitar, electronics, percussion
- Anika: violin, charango, percussion, background vocals
- Zazo: keys, viola
- Pedro Campos: bass, keys
- Abril Saurí: drums, background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Anamaria Sayre
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Ben de la Cruz
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Alina Edwards
- Photographer: Michael Zamora
- Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
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