The Boston musician beat out thousands of entries with her song, 'Milonga Accidental,' which explores Amador's quest for a sense of belonging across cultural identities.
In 2018, Alisa Amador submitted a video to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest for the first time. She performed the song, called “Talkin’,” in front of a classroom whiteboard, electric guitar slung over her shoulder, flanked by a drummer and a bassist. Upbeat and witty, “Talkin’” paired wry lyrics about dating in the social media age with a swingy hook and, most notably, Amador’s powerful voice. It was clear from the young singer’s deft musicianship that she was an artist to watch.
I caught up with Amador over Zoom the day after the announcement. The win, she told me, came as a shock — not least because she had recently decided to quit pursuing a career in music, an endeavor she described as “wrought with despair.” In our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we talked about Amador’s love for the Boston folk music scene, how she found community through the Tiny Desk Contest, and what it means to belong.
I was actually really scared when I first got the news. Like, honored and amazed, but really scared. 'Cause, especially having just been in the process of stepping away from music, to suddenly be thrown into a national spotlight is, like, a total 180. It's just new to me. I don't know. I've never had this much attention at once.
Well, the thing about entering the contest for me is that it was never about winning, ever. It was about being part of a community. Through the contest, and then through your work with WBUR featuring the Massachusetts entries, I've made some of the greatest friends and colleagues of my life.. Those are two of my closest friends. And we've played together, toured together, written together. These are people who have made me who I am, thanks to the Tiny Desk Contest.
But something that I want to emphasize is that my music is about holding all of these experiences that can feel contradictory in the same space. And how lived experience has all of that. So my music is funky and rocky and jazzy, and then it's also quiet and introspective. And it's also in English, and it's also in Spanish. It's also joyful and it's also heartwrenching. And all of those things can be true. All of those things are a part of all of us.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Home Page Tiny Desk CarouselA collection of featured Tiny Desk Concerts.
Read more »
Jennifer Koh and Missy Mazzoli: Tiny Desk ConcertTwo adventurous musicians trace the history of their fruitful collaboration in a set of pieces both ferocious and beautiful.
Read more »
Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford Lead Broadway Cast in Tiny Desk PerformanceJosh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford lead the Broadway cast in a Tiny Desk performance with Tiny Desk-sized orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. The performance includes songs from the musical 'Sweeney Todd' and is no less impactful than the full production at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Read more »
Justin Timberlake: Tiny Desk ConcertThe artist, who just dropped his new album Everything I Thought It Was, comes to the Tiny Desk with a set that leans heavily on his early solo catalog.
Read more »
Justin Timberlake Rocks NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’ With Funky Throwback Set of ClassicsJustin Timberlake rocked NPR's 'Tiny Desk' series with a funky, 25-minute set of mostly throwback classics and his recent single, 'Selfish.'
Read more »
See Justin Timberlake Cram Lots of People, Hits Into His Tiny Desk ConcertJustin Timberlake’s promotional tour in support of new album 'Everything I Thought It Was,' out today, included a Tiny Desk Concert.
Read more »