Rita Payés: Tiny Desk Concert

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an ’El Tiny’ takeover. Anamaria Sayre | October 2, 2024 Admiration is the spellbinding tenor of Rita Payés’ Tiny Desk performance. Flanked by mother Elisabeth Roma and husband Pol Batlle, the Spanish multi-instrumentalist’s presence at the Desk reflects the way she creates and lives her music: in the cradle of familial love. Payés performs a variety of Spanish jazz that is contemporary and nimble in its delivery, yet leans heavily on tradition. Born to a musical family in the same coastal town in Northern Spain where she now resides, she was raised surrounded by deep, musical tradition which she was able to identify as ripe for revival. Across earlier, softer songs composed alongside her mother, to her now more grandiose string-laden, percussively rich arrangements, authentically representing her home and creating music fit for intimate exchange is always central to Payés’ craft. In the longing trill of her trombone or her sweetest vocal note, a sense of generational respect and understanding is born anew in Payés’ revered harmonies. SET LIST “El Cervatillo” “Por qué Será” “Nana Per Les Mamas” “Quien lo diría” MUSICIANS Rita Payés: lead vocals, trombone, guitar, composing, arranging Pol Batlle: guitar, palm tree leaf Elisabeth Roma: guitar Horacio Fumero: upright bass Juan R. Berbín: drums, percussion Jonathan David Lewis: violin Turkkan Osman: violin Anna Arnal Ferrer: viola Cristina Arista: cello TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Anamaria Sayre Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer Photographer: Michael Zamora Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins #nprmusic #tinydesk #ritapayes