Latest news with #TinyDesk
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
L.A.'s answer to Tiny Desk is hiding inside Mercado La Paloma
Yesi Ortiz has been chasing a sense of home ever since her mixed-status family was forced to bounce between Southern California, Las Vegas and Baja California, Mexico. Now, the former radio host of L.A.'s hip-hop station Power 106-FM and cast member of VH1 series 'Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood' is building that home herself — by transforming a Historic South-Central food hall with a Michelin-star pedigree into a DIY concert venue. There, she hosts what's known simply as 'The Rehearsal.' (Because it must be said: No, it's not related to Nathan Fielder's HBO series of the same name.) The Rehearsal, which opened its sixth season last month at Mercado La Paloma, is a live showcase for young musical talent hoping to be seen and for seasoned musicians who want to try out new material in front of an audience. It's also streamed live on Twitch and YouTube each Friday night. Ortiz and her team describe it as the kind of show 'you go to find the real ones before they break.' 'I love the Tiny Desk comparison because that's what Tiny Desk used to be: a place to find undiscovered talent,' Rehearsal co-founder Levi Downey explained. 'I still love it, but it's not that anymore.' Downey said NPR Music's flagship video series has increasingly catered more to established talent, like gospel singer Marvin Sapp, and superstars such as Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish. For Ortiz, the Rehearsal represents something even deeper: a culmination of decades spent navigating survival, sacrifice and ambition. 'I spent a lot of my life basically chasing jobs because I had a family to take care of,' recalled Ortiz, who adopted her seven nieces and nephews when she was in her early 20s. 'I had seven kids, my mom, my sister, my brother, my stepdad and my dad, who was in a nursing care facility, who all depended on me. If I need to go work a red carpet so I can get a check, I'm making that happen. If I need to move to Tijuana, I'm making that happen.' After almost 20 years raising a family while hosting radio shows, reality shows, talk shows and red carpets, Ortiz said the Rehearsal finally feels like she's gotten to where she was meant to be. 'I love music,' she said. 'I want to represent my community. I want to represent my people, and that's all I want to do. I get to do that with [the Rehearsal].' According to Ortiz, the idea to create a space for 'real ones' was born in the spring of 2022 as a counter to L.A.'s notoriously predatory 'pay-to-play' live music scene. Pay-to-play is a custom where fledgling artists are given a set number of tickets they have for pre-sale in order to perform at a venue. Any tickets they don't sell come out of the artists' own pocket. In these kinds of deals, artists hardly get a share in any ticket sales. 'I was managing this musician and she was like, 'I just want to perform onstage,'' Ortiz said. 'But the way live music in L.A. works for up-and-coming artists is you have to essentially pay venues to perform there.' Ortiz partnered with music producer David Tam to turn her Boyle Heights backyard into a showcase for undiscovered talent. 'That first show was a disaster,' she recalled. Yet from that show, Ortiz and Tam connected with like-minded musicians, such as Downey and Shani Gaines-Bernard, the niece of disco legend Donna Summer, to create the Rehearsal. 'It feels like a watering hole,' Gaines-Bernard said. 'Artists come to [the Rehearsal] to drink and to showcase their stuff. Industry people who are looking for new artists come to this watering hole to discover that. There are people that come because they love the vibe. Everyone's coming to be nourished from this watering hole.' In the summer of 2023, Ortiz and her team partnered with Mercado La Paloma to premiere the revamped Rehearsal. In 2024, Mercado La Paloma became best known for its Michelin-star-winning ceviche counter Holbox — and rightly so. Chef Gilberto Cetina Jr. and his brigade of talented line cooks make an uni-topped ceviche tostada that make the finest caviar blinis seem like Cheese Whiz on Ritz crackers. But Ortiz pointed out that Mercado La Paloma has always been a place to find community. The Mercado was founded some 30 years ago by Mexican immigrants who missed the beloved open-air markets of their hometowns. These days — at least on Friday nights — the space offers musicians an equitable spotlight. Ortiz is no stranger to chasing stardom herself. After moonlighting in the music world while working full time as a nurse, Ortiz got her first break hosting a Latin hip-hop show in Las Vegas, then worked stints on music radio stations in Tijuana and San Diego. She eventually landed a hit show on Power 106-FM, L.A.'s No. 1 hip-hop station; for several years, Ortiz led the midday airwaves with her 'New at Two' segment, where she would introduce new music from established artists and underground artists that had not broken into the mainstream yet. 'My first day on Power, the music director comes in and he's like, 'So I know it's your first day. Congratulations. You're interviewing Sean Paul in 10 minutes.'' Ortiz recalled. 'I was like, 'Wait, what? Hold on!'' She parlayed her radio success into TV notoriety, starring in the first season of 'Love & Hip Hop' and hosting an entertainment segment on 'The Talk.' Ortiz said she was on a mission to be 'the female Ryan Seacrest, because he had lots of jobs.' Yet these days, she is much more comfortable working with her team to foster the next generation of talent with the Rehearsal. And she hopes it grows to multiple venues, cities and even countries. 'That's the goal. Just to make a bigger space for more artists. But without losing the intimacy of it,' she said. 'We like how it's small and mighty. But hopefully we can scale that organically.'
CBC
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
How NPR's Tiny Desk became one of our favourite places on the internet
Social Sharing For almost 20 years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts have featured some of the biggest artists and promising upcoming musical talents. Everyone from Adele, to Usher and even Blue Man Group have fit themselves into the internet's most beloved cluttered office space in order to give fans an acoustic set like no other. In a conversation recorded live in front of an audience at this year's Radiodays North America conference, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with series producer Bobby Carter about the journey of Tiny Desk, and the role he played in making the series a crucial and trusted hub for Black and other racialized musicians. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: I think about that time period and about the similar spaces to Tiny Desk. MTV had Unplugged. Right here in Canada, MuchMusic had Intimate and Interactive. When you think about Tiny Desk, what do you think makes Tiny Desk a different space? Bobby: First of all, the intimacy. I think that's key. And now over the years, the thing is we have a fingerprint, right? When you see a Tiny Desk, you know exactly what it is because of those shelves, because it's in a regular office. Many artists come into the space thinking that's a soundstage. It is not, and it's the first thing we tell artists. Like, "Look. This is exactly what this is. This is a regular-ass desk in a regular-ass office. There's no great acoustics…. So be prepared." But it's the intimacy. We strip away all of the bells and whistles. As much as I love Unplugged, we don't even give you that. Like, the monitors in front of the stage where the artists can hear themselves? We don't give you that. You either got it, or you don't. And I think that's one of the things that really separates us from a lot of the music platforms. Elamin: Okay, so Tiny Desk starts in 2008. You join the team in 2014. If I'm not mistaken, the very first Tiny Desk concert you produced was this one right here: WATCH | The Foreign Exchange's NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert: Bobby: That's my guy Phonte. This is a duo called The Foreign Exchange. Actually, one of the very first groups to put together an album over the internet before meeting each other. This was in 2014. This wasn't the first band that I pitched. This is the first band that got approved. Elamin: How long did it take between the first artist you pitched? Bobby: I have no clue, but it was a long road to get there because, you know, it's NPR. And NPR has thankfully evolved in a lot of different ways. They changed a lot of their perspectives and views on what belongs at NPR. But we weren't quite there yet, right? But this really sort of proved that the stuff that I love not only belonged, but there are millions of others out there that love it as well. Elamin: So that journey happens kind of quickly because you get to Foreign Exchange, and then … T-Pain. What ends up happening is this takes off in ways that I imagine maybe surprised some of the people on the team. Do you want to talk about how big of a viral moment this was? WATCH | T-Pain's NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert: Bobby: It was the first real moment. It truly put Tiny Desk on the map. I always say, if you ask me what Tiny Desk is, I point them to this, because it's T-Pain. If you know T-Pain, you know when you listen to his music, his voice is altered through Auto-Tune. Elamin: The most Auto-Tuned singer of the early aughts, yeah. Bobby: He helped to pioneer Auto-Tune — not necessarily the first one to use it, but he was the first one to use the way he used it, and it changed the music industry. And what my colleague, Frannie, challenged him to do was to come in and perform without Auto-Tune. And when you take that away, there was this discovery that this dude does not need Auto-Tune. He can really sing. Elamin: A generational talent when it comes to singing, yeah. Bobby: He utilized it as a tool, and it was his identity. But in that, he sang, and it was completely stripped. Not even drums; it was keys and that voice. It was an eye-opening moment for the music industry, NPR, culture at large. It changed the game for us.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ruby Ibarra Ignites NPR's ‘Tiny Desk' Concert: ‘This Immigrant Is Here'
Ruby Ibarra, a Filipina-American rapper from the Bay Area known for her potent storytelling, made her debut on NPR's Tiny Desk this week. Chosen among 7,500 entries from independent artists across the country, Ibarra secured the top spot for the series' annual contest with her entry track, 'Bakunawa,' which released last fall. With her hair slicked back into a ponytail and wearing an 'I Love Pinays' tee for the moment, Ibarra performed alongside her all-Filipino band and together, they delivered a heavy-hitting trio of tracks buoyed by shimmering instrumentals. More from Rolling Stone Grupo Firme Cancel La Onda Performance in Napa Amid U.S. Visa Issues This $75 HP Home Printer Comes With Three Months of Free Ink The Best Sonos Deals Ahead of Summer - Save Up to $180 It was a moment Ibarra seized. 'Being human is not illegal. Immigrants have been here, lived here, worked here,' she said before introducing herself: 'And this immigrant is here. From Tacloban City, Philippines, all the way to Washington, D.C., my name is Ruby Ibarra.' When speaking to Rolling Stone over the phone, Ibarra, who was born on the Leyte island, recalls her early influences. 'A lot of the early memories that I have kept from spending the first few years in the Philippines involved a lot of music,' says the artist. 'At a young age, a lot of my cousins, uncles were all part of bands, and they perform at local festivals. So, music was always in and outside of my household.' After moving to San Lorenzo in San Francisco's East Bay, Ibarra says she was later influenced by hip-hop's Golden Age, from the likes of Tupac, the Fugees, and Wu-Tang Clan. Throughout her music, Ibarra weaves in elements of storytelling embracing the rhythms and narratives of the genre, while also bringing her relentless blend of Tagalog and English to her lyrics. When discussing her choice of tracks for her NPR appearance, along with 'Bakunawa,' Ibarra also featured 'Someday' (what she says is a 'reminder' to herself that some of the best things in life happen in due time) and '7000 Miles,' a song she says felt important to include 'because of the state that we're in right now in this country.' 'There's a lot of questions about who belongs here, and for me, I've always been such a strong advocate, as an immigrant myself, of making sure that people feel seen, people feel visible, people feel like they're welcome,' she says. 'It was a perfect opportunity to create conversation around that and at the same time, to also celebrate my experiences as a Filipina immigrant.' The single, from her 2017 album Circa 91, portrays her mother's journey from the U.S. to the Philippines and Ibarra's own evolving frame of mind while watching her mother struggle and fight for a better life for their family. The rapper says that during her Tiny Desk performance, her mother was in the audience. 'Where the chorus goes, 'Mama will make it in America,' it was so special,' says Ibarra. While the camera didn't capture the crowd that included a small group of family and friends, Ibarra says that when she would look over, 'they were crying, they were passing around a box of tissue, and I was starting to get soaked up myself just seeing my mom's reaction, and it was just special.' She says the moment was an important experience for her and her band, as well as a 'collective win.' The ensemble included June Millington of Fanny, Ouida, and Charito Soriano on vocals; Jojo Ramirez on drums; Camille Ramirez on flute and bass; Angelo 'Lasi' Macaraeg on acoustic guitar and keyboard; and Anna Macan on electric guitar. She adds, 'We do hope to see more Filipino American artists on that stage, in that space, there's so much great talent out there, and we're hoping that we can keep that door open.' When looking ahead, Ibarra has her efforts focused on her sophomore album that will be released through her Bolo Music Group, which she founded with producer Lasi in 2023. 'I want to make sure that the music that I share always has as a message, has a point. I'm not the type of rapper to ever waste even just the word. Every word is in the song for a reason,' she says. Ibarra says that her music, like her, will continued to evolve, and that the experience of motherhood has made her 'revisit a lot of the lyrics that I have.' Passing on the stories of those before her, Ibarra says 'I want to continue becoming a songwriter so that the songs I release can help create dialog with my daughter someday.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carín León Brings 16-Piece Mexican Band to Tiny Desk Concert
Carín León is the latest Latin star to perform his very own Tiny Desk concert for NPR Music. The Mexican superstar went all out for his set, which included a 16-piece band that helped him bring to life 'Ese Vato No Te Queda,' 'Lado Frágil,' 'El Amor de Mi Herida' and 'Por la Suave.' León exuded Mexican pride with instruments like charchetas (alto horn), tololoche, tuba, trumpets and trombones, which give regional Mexican music that rich and nuanced sound. After opening with 'Ese Vato,' León expressed a few words. 'Thank you for having us here, que viva la música mexicana,' he said. More from Billboard PJ Sin Suela Makes History on NPR's Tiny Desk by Incorporating a Sign Language Interpreter Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem' Breaks Streaming Records on Spotify & Amazon Music in First Day Alex Warren Achieves Rare Chart Feat as 'Ordinary' Hits 9th Week as U.K. No. 1 A man of few words, León went on to serenade the crowd that gathered there to see him, showcasing his signature vocal-ranging abilities and his musical palette, made up of a fusion of genres, including R&B, country and pop. During the 15-minute set, he also premiered his new song, 'Por La Suave,' that is set to be part of his upcoming Palabra de To's – Seca out on May 22. The new album is a deluxe version of León's 2024 Palabra de To's. Most recently, the Sonora-born artist teamed up with fellow regional Mexican music star Alejandro Fernández for 'Me Está Doliendo,' a stripped-down pop ballad with a bit of a twang. The collaboration will also be part of the new LP. Other artists who have recently performed a Tiny Desk concert include Bad Bunny, Grupo Frontera and PJ Sin Suela, who became the first artist to incorporate a sign language interpreter as part of the performance. Watch Carín León's Tiny Desk concert below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Tiny Desk Radio gives behind-the-scenes look at popular NPR concert series
Twenty million people tune in every month for NPR's Tiny Desk concert series, which has blossomed to more than 1,200 shows featuring artists like Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift and Doechii. Now, Tiny Desk has a radio show hosted by Bobby Carter and Anamaria Sayre, airing on public radio stations and online. "It was a long time coming," Carter said. "I think that we have such a storied history now. I think there's such a history of, you know Tiny Desk started as one thing, and it has turned into this cultural phenomenon." The radio show, which launched last month, showcases the performances and behind-the-scenes stories of the Tiny Desk concerts. "If you haven't seen the show, we're trying to paint the picture for you, and it'll lead you to the show … because there's so much of a backstory. There's a unique story with every single show," Carter said about the reason behind the radio show. Tiny Desk concerts The series focuses on bringing in diverse artists of different genres, revealing even some major artists are nervous to perform. "You get to see these massive artists as human beings at the end of the day. Some of the greatest artists in the world, they're stripped down to their core, which is just being a human," Carter said. The two hosts added that it's the ability to connect people all around the world that has helped to make Tiny Desk concerts and now the radio show successful. "The way that a singer hit the same note might hit someone in Tennessee and Nigeria and Argentina, you don't know. So it's like you're connecting with the world whether you know it or not, and I think that people can feel that when they watch it in the way artists get intimate," said Sayre. While people tune in worldwide, in the small space, the crowd is primarily NPR staff. "When you hear that crowd noise, there is energy in the room because you're right there, face to face. The artists, they feel that and they feed off of that. It's special for them," Sayre said. Recently, one of their biggest crowds was for when Bad Bunny performed. Carter and Sayre credit their impactful shows to their intimate settings. "Stripping all that stuff away, that's when you see what they really can do … And we challenge the artist and we present them in a new way," Carter said. When asked what's next, Carter said it's up to his colleagues, "they're going to take what I've been doing for a long time and a lot of my other colleagues, they're going to take it to whatever is next."
