Kevin Kaarl: Tiny Desk Concert

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Published 2024-01-08
Anamaria Sayre | January 8, 2024
Singer-songwriter Kevin Kaarl applies his indie-drenched vocals with an entirely new vision at his Tiny Desk concert. Pairing folksy, trumpet rhythms with twangy banjo, the Chihuahuan artist transfigures traditional Sinaloan instrumentation into styles more recognizable among American folk bands.

Opening with "Me Va a Costar," twin brother and trumpet player Brian spins sweet harmony on the track. Transitioning to the guitar and banjo-driven, trumpet adorned "Te Quiero Tanto," Kaarl strings together romantic melodies with endlessly rich vibratos and stunning falsetto.

He switches to one of his earliest hits, the relentlessly romantic "Vámonos a Marte." "Vámonos de viaje a las estrellas y a Marte (Let's go on a trip to the stars and Mars)," he coos, "A olvidar nuestros problemas, tan punzantes (To forget our stinging problems)."

He pauses to leave a regalo (one of his boots, and he confirmed he walked home with one foot shoeless after doing so) and then ends with the folky "San Lucas" — a track fit for any indie king.

Multi-faceted in his lyricism and vocal abilities, Kevin Kaarl took his banda Sinaloense roots and shined in performing a style that virtually none in his part of the world are playing with, innovating and smiling all the while.

SET LIST
"Me Va a Costar"
"Te Quiero Tanto"
"Vámonos a Marte"
"San Lucas"

MUSICIANS
Kevin Hernández: vocals, guitar
Bryan Hernández: vocals, trumpet
Francisco Rueda: drums
Daniel Chaparro: bass
Ulises Villegas: guitar, banjo

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Zayrha Rodriguez, Maia Stern
Audio Assistant: Ted Mebane
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Catie Dull
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #nprmusic #Kevinkaarl

All Comments (21)
  • @nprmusic
    WIN A TRIP TO SEE A TINY DESK CONCERT! Enter here for your chance to win by supporting the content you love: bit.ly/tiny-desk-giveaway (enter before 3/28/24 at 11:59pm PT!) No purchase or donation required for entry. Void where otherwise restricted or prohibited by law. Must be 18 years or older and a resident of the 50 us states, D.C. or Canada (excluding Quebec) to enter. Entry deadline is March 28, 2024 at 11:59:59pm pt. Odds depend on the number of entries received. ARV of total prize: $2,300. Max. 10,000 entries per person. Official rules, including an alternative free method of entry, can be found at propeller.la/support/1936/official-rules.
  • @lizzethhdez8
    Al escuchar la trompeta recorde esos tiempos cuando desde mi casa los escuchaba ensayar❤️, muy orgullosa de los vecinos!
  • @jakart1404
    And this is why I like listening to foreign songs. I may not understand fully even with translation but I can hear the singer's emotions more and the instruments soft touches. Thank you NPR, another artist on my playlist 😄
  • @nickbeam9180
    I don't speak Spanish but what I do speak is Max volume on the tv, this was absolutely beautiful.✌️❤️
  • @angeloliver970
    I didn’t knew Kevin until today. My favourites bands in the world are Mumford and Sons and Bon Iver and I speak Spanish so you can imagine what I felt listening to this guy. Absolutely amazed.
  • @En_Luz
    My wife and I heard Kevin Kaarl for the first time on a trip to the Texas Mountains/Desert, not knowing this guy was from Chihuahua, just across from where we were. Since then his songs have become our playlist when road tripping. His music is essentially a combination of the spirit of wanderlust and adventure but also of the melancholy and mundane.
  • @orlandorojas9742
    Cuando subió la historia de que habían grabado esto me salieron lágrimas porque sentí mucha felicidad por ellos. Es increíble todo lo que han logrado. Gracias por tu música Kevin.
  • @cbschrader
    I don’t speak Spanish so I have no idea what you are singing, but I love your musical style. And as always, the Tiny Desk sound engineers did an amazing job capturing it all in such clarity and detail. You guys really need to release these recordings on streaming services! Maybe an album by release year?
  • @CHINO_HUERTA21
    Kevin y Bryan Kaarl son un orgullo para México, Viva México 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
  • @lonewalker-7563
    Pretty cool that someone took the time to ad subtitles for the people who don't speaks spanish, the lyrics of Kevin are beautiful
  • @Pacoooooooo.
    Que honor ser parte de esto! Gracias a todos lo que lo hicieron posible❤️
  • QUE CABRÓN VER HASTA DONDE HA LLEGADO EL FOLK MEXA. GRANDES KEVIN Y BRYAN !!!!!
  • @yeloautosports
    I've been learning a bit of Spanish. Just discovered you yesterday and spent the whole rest of the day learning the lyrics and learning what they meant. This might be a great way for me to keep learning Spanish through your lyrics and music. Love it!
  • @leoordaz6488
    Hace más de 5 años que sigo a Kevin, me alegra el alma hasta donde ha llegado, desde tocar en los cafés de Chihuahua hasta hacer un tiny desk. Estoy más que contento que más personas conozca su música.❤️‍🩹
  • Hace años que escucho a Kevin Kaarl, y la vdd que bonito es verlo ahora en Tiny Desk. Orgulloso de ellos de lo que han logrado y también no me canso de escuchar tan hermosas canciones que nos han dado 🫂❤️
  • @stephaney9266
    San lucas will always have a special place in my heart, it was one of the first songs that started my interests in playing guitar and also made we want to start learning Spanish!!! Kevin is an amazing artist and i hope he keeps making music that is as enjoyable and inspiring❤ Thank you NPR for bringing him and his amazing band on!!!!