Cimafunk: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Watch Cimafunk play “Alabao“, “Cocinarte“ and “Me Voy“ at the Tiny Desk. Did you know you can watch new Tiny Desk concerts on ONE WEEK before they go up on YouTube? Click here: Follow NPR Music: Twitter: Instagram: Feb. 28, 2020 | Felix Contreras -- When I presented Cimafunk at the SXSW showcase last year, it was easily one of the most dynamic performances I had seen in more than ten years of attending the annual music festival. I couldn’t wait to get them behind the Tiny Desk so the band could strut its intoxicating mix of Afro-Cuban dance music and 1970s funk-and-soul from the US. From the moment Cimafunk and his band start their feathery intro to “Alabao,“ it’s clear that something different is about to go down. Lead vocalist Cimafunk (Erik Rodríguez) has mastered the mash-up of Cuban soneos (vocal improvisations) and deep, soul-singing over music that I swear could have been played by any of