Carín León is an old soul. There is no other way to account for the power of the emotion in his voice. His 16-piece band tests the limited space behind the Tiny Desk, but when the brass takes over to punctuate a performance, Leon's commanding presence shows why he's one of the best at what he does.
Regional Mexican music is based upon song forms from another era, but León's lyrics add a new spin on heartbreak and love lost. This set opens with "Ese Vato No Te Queda," followed by two songs from the 2024 album Palabra De To's. Previously, León premiered "Primera Cita" for his Tiny Desk (home) concert, which became a major hit. That song "left a mark on our lives and completely shaped our careers," he shares. For good luck, León here premieres "Por la Suave," which was also written by Alejandro Lozano. "A poem that I love," León says.
SET LIST
- "Ese Vato No Te Queda"
- "Lado Frágil"
- "El Amor de Mi Herida"
- "Por la Suave"
MUSICIANS
- Carín León: vocals
- Arturo Garcia: guitar
- Luis Diaz de Leon Huez: guitar
- Miguel Abraham Nayares Moreno: 12-string guitar
- Alan Ortega: dobro
- Javier Humberto Sesma Rivera: tololoche
- Daniel Fuentevilla: keys
- Servando Quijada: alto horn
- Marcos Barbosa: alto horn
- Sebastián Quintero: saxophone, harmonica, clarinet
- Jhonatan Velázquez Villegas: clarinet
- José Angel Avila Llunez: trumpet
- Ismael Mendoza: trumpet
- Carlos Leon: trombone
- Abel Anguiano: trombone
- Antonio Zepeda: tuba
- Luis Carlos Pérez: drums
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producers: Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Grace Raver
- Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Copyright 2025 NPR
