Sun, Nov 12, 2017
Wyclef Jean doesn't get his just due. It was only after The Fugees had the world in their collective palms, and then disbanded, when we got to know his unadulterated abilities as a musician - his first solo album The Carnival was a project equal to (if not greater than) his greatest successes with The Fugees. From there, his focus shifted to discovering and producing stars, stretching all genres in his solo mission, and philanthropic work for his homeland of Haiti. A seasoned pro, he walked through our doors greeting and charming anyone within arm's reach. Once in front of an audience, he was in attack mode, playing every instrument in sight. Clef doled out stories ranging from his upbringing and rise with The Fugees to intimate musical encounters with Whitney Houston and Destiny's Child. The mentions were properly placed and added substance to the performance, but to me, he pulled what I'd call a "subtle stunt." Hip-hop is and has always been about youth and freshness, so most elder statesmen of rap aren't celebrated to the degree of their peers in rock 'n' roll and country music. Every now and again it's necessary to inform the younger generation, who would otherwise never know these epic moments ever happened. Over the past few years, we've seen a resurgence of sorts for Wyclef. Young Thug noted a heavy influence, naming a song after him and then tag-teaming on a different track on last year's Jeffery; one of the biggest songs of 2017, DJ Khaled's "Wild Thoughts," prominently samples Wyclef's colossal collaboration with Carlos Santana on "Maria Maria." His career trajectory was recently documented on TV One's Unsung, and in September he dropped the third installment of The Carnival. He starts his set with two highlights from his latest record, and finishes with a climactic rendition of his signature hit like you've never seen or heard.
Sun, Feb 18, 2018
Legendary Hip-Hop artist Big Daddy Kane appears on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series to perform many of his classic song with a live band.
Wed, Feb 28, 2018
A live performance by legendary jazz-funk musician Roy Ayers on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, backed by keyboardist Mark Adams, bassist Trevor Allen, and drummer Christopher De Carmine.
Thu, Apr 19, 2018
Jorge Drexler is a poet with a gift for song. The Uruguayan singer-songwriter, like the iconic Latin American lyricists of the past (Mercedes Sosa, Victor Jara and Silvio Rodriguez, to name just a few), has that rare ability to surround multi-layered prose with music that lends an even deeper resonance to the words. Drexler has his share of fans here in the U.S., mostly Latin American expats and others whose grasp of the language allows them to appreciate the nuances of his storytelling. But, as if often the case with music performed in languages other than English, audiences here sometimes miss out on an emotional connection with artists they would otherwise celebrate if they only knew what they were singing. So, we decided to do something about that with Jorge Drexler's appearance at the Tiny Desk. With the cooperation of the artist, we translated Drexler's thoughtful and playful ruminations on the human condition, and included them as subtitles. Those clever lyrics wouldn't hit as hard if not for Drexler's backing band of magicians. The mix of guitarists and percussionists conjured a stunning cloud of sound that allowed Drexler to take flight, like the existential dreamer that he is.