Felix Contreras
Credit: Photo: Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR
From jazz and Tejano to norteño and ska, 'El Tiny' returns with a takeover from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for Latin Music Month .
Draco Rosa 's trajectory from '80s boy band star to enigmatic solo performer music fascinates me to no end. Behind the Desk, Rosa creates shimmering, electric guitar-driven ruminations on life and love.
After his tenure in Menudo and some solo success, Rosa went on to produce and co-write some of his former bandmate Ricky Martin 's biggest pop hits, including "Livin' la Vida Loca," "She Bangs" and "The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)." But it was in 1996 that Rosa released what I consider to be one of the best rock en Español albums of all time. Vagabundo spiritually hovers this Tiny Desk performance, culminating in an extended take on the title track's existential themes.
Special mention must be made of Puerto Rican jazz trumpeter Charlie Sepulveda, who adds a late-career Miles Davis stamp to the song's climax.
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TINY DESK TEAM
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