미분류 Tiny Desk Playlist: NPR AZNs Pick Their Favorite Tiny Desk Concerts
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This playlist was put together by members of NPR AZNs, an employee resource group (ERG) that supports over 100 staff members who identify as Asian, Asian-American, and/or Pacific Islander at NPR. As Alexandria Lee, from NPR's Audience Relations team, and Emily Kwong, from Short Wave, explain: "Our group's mission is to serve our community through advocacy and cultural visibility, elevating APIA voices within and beyond NPR. We're very proud to curate a playlist for NPR Music and to present this compilation, thoughtfully curated by NPR AZNs members across the organization. They reflect on why these performances resonate with them."
• Japanese Breakfast — There's a sobriety — and a hint of bleak hilarity — that echoes in the voice of Michelle Zauner, who leads Japanese Breakfast. "I'm not the one I was then / My life was folded up in half," she sings. "I guess I owe it to the timing of companions / I survived the year at all." The three-song set is a kiss-mark impression of the band's 2017 album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet. Something about Zauner's storytelling sets off flares in my mind, and memories of home wash over me: drinking in a dimly lit parking lot bar, smelling the Kalachuchi trees on the way to class, feeling the dust settling under the arches of my feet. It's not fair to say the kinship I feel is simply because of her words. Her arrangements color the image of the past that I find myself yearning for, too. —Alex Ramos, News Assistant, NPR Music
• Taimane — So much magic unfolds in Taimane's Tiny Desk concert. Within her 2020 set, we hear her play fiery flamenco, an ode to Bach and a nod to her Hawaiian homeland, all on the ukulele. Band members on the guitar, violin and cajón join her to introduce her latest album, Elements, from which they bring the most feisty element — "Fire" — to the Tiny Desk. The intensity of their music is complemented by the performance of dancer Li'o, who moves through the intimate space to the beats of his stick percussion. Taimane's concert is sensual yet ecstatic. And her energy — rooted in her people, communities and land — possesses the power to bring us home. —Janet W. Lee, News Assistant, TED Radio Hour
• Mashrou' Leila — Like a lot of kids, I was subjected to my parents' choice in music. In my home, my parents — who are immigrants from Lebanon — always played Arabic classics. Upon developing my own musical taste, I left Arabic music behind, and I'll admit I haven't actively listened to it in years. But when my Short Wave teammate Emily Kwong shared Mashrou' Leila's Tiny Desk with me, I became captivated by the performance. The band performed at NPR the day after the devastating shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando in 2016. In response, the group opened its set with "Maghawir," a song the group wrote in response to two nightclub shootings that took place in Beirut the year before. You don't have to understand Arabic to feel the sorrow in this song — it's harrowing and beautiful, just like the rest of Mashrou' Leila's Tiny Desk. And the more you read into the lyrics, the more captivated you'll become. Its songs are imbued with striking references to topics like political unrest, LGBTQ+ rights, sexism and identity, which has caused a stir across the Arab world. This Tiny Desk is one of a kind, and regardless of the language you speak, Mashrou' Leila's gorgeous instruments, rich vocals and heart-rending lyrics make for a moving performance. —Rasha Aridi, News Assistant, Short Wave
• BTS — As a long time member of the ARMY, BTS's fan club, I couldn't have been more hyped to see BTS coming to Tiny Desk. I wish this was in-person, so I could say I bumped into a member in the hallway or something, but unfortunately the morning when it aired, I was a remote NPR intern sitting in my childhood bedroom. But as soon as Jungkook's clear vocals for "Dynamite" hit, the group quickly proved that none of that mattered when it came to enjoying the music. Seeing the members of BTS bring their unique energy and be unapologetically themselves brought me so much joy. And once they started singing the melancholic "Spring Day," I was hit with a rush of sadness. The lyrics and emotions made me realize that I hadn't fully processed all my feelings that were built up from the beginning of the pandemic. When it ended, I felt cathartic but also immediately wanted the group to come back as the screen faded to black. As someone who grew up with few Asian figures in the West to look up to, seeing these talented Asian artists be recognized across the globe makes me incredibly proud. —Julie Zhou, Junior Software Engineer
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