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La Santa Cecilia: Tiny Desk Concert

La Santa Cecilia spreads joy every time its members plug in to do a show. They do it one dance step at a time, with cumbias, corridos, elegant mambos and plain old rock 'n' roll.

I first saw La Santa Cecilia perform in an Austin, Texas, parking lot about five years ago. As all great bands do, it showcased an It Factor that has only intensified as the L.A.-based, Mexican-American group works tirelessly to perfect its musical vision.

The video here provides just a hint of the band's dynamic live shows, albeit a spectacular one. No matter how small the device you use to watch this, the songs ought to have a significant impact on your personal joy meter. A bailar!

Set List

  • "Falling"
  • "El Hielo (ICE)"
  • "Monedita"
  • Credits

    Producers: Felix Contreras, Denise DeBelius; Editor: Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Becky Harlan, Abbey Oldham; photo by Meredith Rizzo/NPR

    Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.