From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Tiny Desk is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with an "El Tiny" takeover of the (home) concert series, featuring J Balvin, Camila Cabello and several more musicians from all corners of Latinidad. Read more about the 10-video series here.
Six hands, holding pencils as drumsticks, tap out a simple percussive beat on a Wurlitzer and two desks. Zooming out, the camera reveals the members of Diamante Eléctrico, accompanied by a colorful 10-piece backing ensemble in their home country's capital, Bogotá.
Diamante Eléctrico's brand of Colombian indie rock can be described in three words: funky, inventive and necessary. The Latin Grammy-winning band's music emphasizes community and place — two things that are displayed front and center as the band takes the stage in the second "El Tiny" performance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
"NO MIEDO!!!" (no fear) and "VERDAD" (truth) adorn the worn-down desks as the collective powers through a politically-charged four-song set. Opening with 2018's "Rotos," they breathe champeta life into their songs through horns and instruments like the guacharaca, played by singer Juan Galeano's brother Mario. They follow with "Suéltame Bogotá," an upbeat plea to escape a suffocating home, and feature a spirited guest performance by Nicolai Fella of LosPetitFellas. "Amalia" leads into a genuine expression of thanks and solidarity, as Galeano gives gratitude to those protesting on "primeras línea y segunda línea," shouting out the students and farmers challenging the government before finishing the set with "A Veces."
It's why Diamante Eléctrico has made themselves so crucial, not only in the Latin indie rock scene, but in music at large: the band's tether to its home country is substantial, no matter how fraught it may seem. Through both its music and stage presence, Diamante Eléctrico curates a shared sense of Latin roots and family, expanding outward from its home of Colombia and resonating across Latinidad, from Puerto Rico to Panama.
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MUSICIANS
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TINY DESK TEAM
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