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

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