Carin León: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Tiny Desk is celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with an "El Tiny" takeover, featuring Jessie Reyez, Susana Baca and more musicians from all corners of Latinidad.

Felix Contreras | September 19, 2022
Having played the music myself, I have always lovingly referred to Mexican Regional music as “cowboy hats and accordions.” But this is not your grandparents’ Mexican Regional. Younger musicians today are rejecting the restrictions of that industry-imposed title and adding contemporary sounds like hip-hop and trap while still maintaining the emotional spirit and rough edges of the genre.

Then there’s Carin León — a game changer if there was one. His Tiny Desk (home) concert is a deep dive into this moment in time as the genre actually changes. He starts with a traditional bolero “El Amor De Tu Vida” but the second song, “Alguien Mejor,” is an example of how he and his amazing group are changing things. It starts with a traditional bajo sexto guitar as he raps and sings the lyrics, but when the mournful strains of a pedal steel guitar popular with trad country music enters the arrangement, the cross cultural reality of life along the border where this music comes from springs to life with the passion of both genres and cultures.

It’s an exciting moment from a four song performance that beautifully represents how a culture changes and develops as outside influences become part of its aesthetic. The music’s rustic roots are on display in the barroom set, complete with strategically placed bleached-out cattle skulls. You still see accordions and cowboy hats in this video but you hear so much more — you can actually hear a society in transition.

SET LIST
“El Amor De Tu Vida”
“Alguien Mejor”
“No Es Por Acá”
“La Primera Cita”

MUSICIANS
Carin León: vocals
Orlando Aispuro: guitars, bajo sexto, keys
Abraham Noe Reyes: guitars
Luis Carlos Perez: drums, percussion
Martin Caro: percussion, octapad
Antonio Z. Rivera: bass, tuba
Leonardo Barahona: tololoche
Luis Araujo: accordion
Cheché Ávila: trumpet
Abel Anguiano: trombone
Alan Ortega: pedal steel, dobro, lapsteel

CREDITS
Video: Orlando Aispuro, Kran Rosas, Kevin Rosas, Yerick Johnsson
Audio: Alberto Medina, Baruc Llamas, Salatiel Granillo
Diego Valenzuela: photographer
Emilio Moreira: gaffer
Angel Moreno: gaffer
Diego Hernandez: gaffer
Jesus Eden Camacho: engineer
Jesus Valdez: stage manager
Israel Aispuro: stage tech, guitar tech, recording assistant
Manuel Valverde: guitar tech
Ramon Herrera: rhythm tech
Uzziel Hernandez: video tech
Ivan Villa: lightning tech

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre, Felix Contreras
Video Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Bobby Carter, Joshua Bryant, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#TinyDesk #ElTiny #carinleon

[nprmusic]

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[benjamincanama]

This music really surprised me a lot, it's so cool hearing mexican music for the first no se crean soy de guanajuato

[mannyv]

As a person that does not speak Spanish, I randomly came across this guy and wow. I was listening to a song and it had me feeling like I understood what he was saying. That is what music is supposed to do. No matter the genre or language. Music should make u feel something. Good music. A new fan here

[ElProducer]

Soy rockero de toda la vida. Como mexicano sabía de la existencia de Carin y honestamente no había escuchado detenidamente sus canciones. Se sabe que el regional mexicano siempre la rompe, pero esto es otro nivel. Independientemente de la gran calidad de sonido del Tiny Desk, que grandes músicos y que increíble suena la fusión de country, jazz, y norteño. Ahora entiendo el éxito de este compa. Ahora si que, me quito el sombrero. 👏

[indhiraestevez]

Soy Dominicana. Desde que descubri a Carin Leon, me he enamorado de este genero. Que viva Mexico!

[israhernandez]

quien es el ingeniero de audio debería de darle un latín grammi un Oscar y premio novel de pasada dios mío esto tiene mejor calidad que muchos discos que he escuchado de bandas famosisimas

[JuanitaHernandez-ophb]

Dominicana con Carin Leon 🎉🎉Viva México y su folclore y mi compa Carin Leon Dios te Bendiga siempre ❤🎉🙏🇩🇴🇲🇽❤️

[tamraarthur]

Little old white girl from Arizona never learned Spanish but, love the music and can feel the passion even if I don't understand ❤❤❤❤ and that's what music does for the world!!!!

[emanuelolivares]

Wow! Tiny Desk! abrieron la puerta a la buena música sin prejuicios. No le pide nada los Black Pumas o a Alabama Shakes, y Mexicano 100%

[GOODiTSustainability]

I’m an Ethiopian who enjoys world music, I discovered this artist today and couldn’t stop listening to his albums
Beautiful melody, original vocals just authentic at every level
I only wish I could’ve spoken the language

[kaliye]

Don't know what he saying but i feel it. Indeed music is a universal language. Amazing performance.

[Adan_Bustillos]

Mi madre me dió la vida y el Tiny Desk de Carin León las ganas de vivirla.

[Etherealnow]

Que ARTISTAZO Carin Leon compa, el que hizo que este argentino se enamore del regional mexicano. Tremendo como todos los tiny

[javiergonzales]

Me volví fanático de este tipo.
saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷

[ieff]

As a Polynesian girl, I'm loving all these hispanic tiny desk musics so much!! 🥰 Voices and instruments just hits different 🔥 Me encanta tu música 💛

[carlosalbertobc]

EL MUNDO DEBE VALORAR A CARIN LEON ¡QUE ARTISTA!🤌🏻 Greetings from DR. 🇩🇴

[lveyuky]

En México debemos apoyar a Carin león, el si canta bien en vivo y además tiene letras muy bonitas. Está si es musica. ❤

[dariojimenezsoto]

Es el jefe del regional me tiene como loco son la música que saca y soy español jamás había escuchado nada mexicano y ahora me gozo todas sus rolas son chingonas ❤ viva México perro

[nadyaespinola]

a los 5 seg esa conjunción de TU VOZ DEL y ése sonido DEL

[MissLiveLaughLove]

I am a single language speaker. The only words I understood during this set were Tiny Desk, muchas gracias, and poquito, oh but I thoroughly enjoyed every second. Good music is good music. Thanks for sharing your gift and talent with us here on the World Wide Web.