Omar Sosa & Paolo Fresu: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

You don't really listen to an Omar Sosa concert so much as experience it. The Cuban-born pianist's overall demeanor exudes a sense of calm and deep reflection, while a spiritual connection to music and his ancestors comes through in his piano playing.
You can hear Sosa draw on more than 100 years of Cuban piano in the recognizable rhythms of his country's music. But in Sosa's hands, it's not all fiery and bombastic; he's most effective when he uses Afro-Cuban tradition as a guide to his distinct, subtle and nuanced approach.
In Paolo Fresu, Sosa has found a sympathetic musical partner. Fresu's work on trumpet and flugelhorn provides a perfect foil for Sosa's introspective intersection of jazz, Afro-Cuban sounds and a chamber-music mentality.
Sosa and Fresu's quietly energetic performance behind Bob Boilen's desk enveloped everyone in attendance like a soft mist. Fresu's use of digital delay never clashed with Sosa' acoustic piano, instead adding another color to the palette; at times, Fresu uses it to add a layer of rhythm with either the ring on his finger or a blowing technique into his horn.
Omar Sosa and Paolo Fresu were as much fun to watch as they were to hear. Watch this Tiny Desk Concert and see for yourself. --FELIX CONTRERAS
Set List
"Alma"
"S'Inguldu"
Credits
Producer: Felix Contreras; Editor: Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; photo by Elizabeth Chen/NPR

[@digmart]

Two and a half years ago my wife walked down the isle with this Tiny Desk Concert playing. So beautiful. Now I'm sitting here staring at my newborn son. NPR, thank you so much for this channel. And could you please give my thanks to Omar Sosa & Paolo Fresu?

[@myklmusic]

Martin van Diggele I easily imagine your joy... Now... and Then. Be well.

[@digmart]

Tnx myklmusic​!

[@digmart]

It's been exactly six years today. We played this again and I started crying. It's been so intense since having kids. I now have a daughter too. Wonderfully beautiful and intensely difficult intertwined. These songs are still fitting.

[@felixcontreras2540]

@@digmart Wow, what a beautiful thread to folo. congratulations and thanks for listening!

[@yeniarivarola]

Qué lindo

[@Juanqkarlios020]

10 years, incredible! Paolo fresu please I wish to come back to Lima, I couldn't go these day that you play your beautiful music in my country Peru!

[@thabokhumalo7533]

This piece has probably just saved my life, literally. Thank you!🇿🇦

[@digmart]

Hope you're well Thabo. Love from Holland.

[@keatonrood8746]

How are you today, Thabo?

[@tumelotumelo5636]

One love brother🇿🇦

[@johanneskraus8749]

I heard Paolo a several times live, but this performance together with Omar Is incredible. Thanks to NPR Tiny Desk for making it audible to everyone. What your Sound Team is doing here is simply worldclass.

[@jiwonkim5315]

Going to their live performance was one of the most amazing experiences. I honestly fell into a trance-like state 💕

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@sullivansquare1]

This piece of work is my ringtone! So every time I hear it I forget to answer my phone because I love this piece! Majestic! Cheers!

[@MaurizioMarinelli]

Due maestri dell'improvvisazione, una sintonia perfetta, senza parole.

[@batecoracao]

that is a espiritual sound journey direct to the soul... missing words to describe , Omar and Paolo perfect sintonia !!

[@marianchacon5289]

WITHOUT A DOUBT, THIS IS MELLOW, ELEGANT MUSIC. YOU CAN APPRECIATE GOD'S CREATION!!!! IT IS A PRIVLEGE + PLEASURE TO LISTEN TO LOVELY MUSIC. TWO EXCELLENT ARTIST!!!! TQ FOR A LOVELY RENDITION!!!!

[@alessandroserio7276]

Dove sono i commenti in Italiano? Grande Paolo! Orgoglio italiano nel mondo!

[@makyo1974]

Super orgoglio!

[@FrankBtc530]

Fresu N1

[@lospopularos]

Io posso commentare pero non parlo italiano bene, ma faccio quello che posso!

[@spadiu]

Fresu riesce ,dopo pochi minuti di ascolto, a scatenarmi un episodio di panico, e cerco disperatamente l'uscita della sala......

[@fabriziocrasta8717]

@@spadiu ciao buon rientro a casa

[@elvilopez.-1568]

SUBLIME !!!!! MAGISTRAL !!!! Música para tocarse el Alma !! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏✨✨✨ Ambos se " comen" literalmente los instrumentos !!! ( monstruos!!!!) 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🐞

[@johanneskraus8749]

This concert carried me over dark pandemic times. Every time when the repetion of other youtube ,spotify and whatever stuff started boring me i came back to this tiny desk event. It‘s always new,fresh and all thinkable emotions. Simply perfect, but everytime you hear it you find new wonderful details. I saw Paolo twice in a life Performance. Unfortunately never with Omar. Hope i will have a carbondioxide saving opportunity in germany in the near future. Thank you and keep on keeping on.

[@franciscourrra7624]

Son las 7:00 y escucho a estos genios musicales y no me agacho ante los anglosaxones. Cubano e Italiano Viva.

[@marie-joelleraussou]

Two exceptional talents have found each other to rejoice my ears, fantastic!

[@nataliao1977]

My heart & soul enjoyed this beautifull music... ♥

[@missixtyfour]

Un duo perfetto, di una tale bravura quasi commovente 🙏🏻👍🏻❤️❤️

[@pedro_mg]

will be watching them live, tomorrow, high expectations

[@ostrch]

I haven’t enjoyed Omar Sosa’s other collaborations as much as I enjoy his playing Paolo Fresu;it always evokes wonderful emotions which I can’t quite describe.

[@robertmessa8736]

This came up on You Tube from a mix based on Elvis Costello song "Shipbuilding". I guess it came here because of Chet Baker solo in the song. In any case, this is new to me and absolutely wonderful.

[@carlospaz2755]

Maravilloso maestro.....que tu angel te siga iluminando el camino.

[@1pedrojaime]

An incredible duo performance!

[@rosefinn]

WOW.....Totally mesmerising, beautiful, delicate, sensitive, what a joy to listen and watch them, effortless talent working together in such harmony. Love Rose 🌹

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@rajaemilindialux101]

So much presence, so much inspiration!

[@beacerveira]

É uma imensa felicidade viver no mesmo tempo de músicos geniais como vocês. Muchas gracias! 🇧🇷🥰👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jacquesfigueiredo251]

Hi, Thanks for sharing this incredible and magic moment!

[@marianchacon5289]

SIMPLEMENTE SUBLIME E EXQUISITA. GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR ESTA MUSICA CLASICA Y PRECIOSA. MUSICA ES ALIMENTO PARA EL CORAZON. MIL GRACIAS!!!

[@kalisodenetwork2667]

Interesting proportion in the world: 1.9K refined music listeners and some 21 other ones ... Omar & Paolo thanks for all this beauty!

[@MITFORD10]

Saturday morning chill time - loved it........ and will play it later for Saturday evening chill time x

[@jeannettegay9798]

Une pure merveille cet album , merci à vous deux!!🥰😍🤩

[@marcosantacesaria3780]

sensazioni che vorresti non avessero mai fine...tanto è il piacere! Grazie Omar e Paolo

[@zeldafitzgerald5294]

So touching! So beautiful!

[@edwardbutler9382]

SO SMOOTH ,RELAXING .. ... BEAUTIFUL 💯% +

[@nngemini13]

Ahhh ...Omar Sosa & Paulo Fresu great performance taking us to undiscovered places within in a buoyant conversation 🙏🏻 💚💛🧡

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@Visible.Friend]

SOUL music...ah i feel refreshed!

[@trejern]

Precioso. Felicidades a los dos.

[@klos156]

Wonderful!!! Very beautiful and inspiring music.

[@mercedeslb237]

Magnifique! Merci.

[@matcortese]

Es lindo ver que la carrera de Omar ha seguido su curso. Gran abrazo

[@knunne1]

Musical Elegance! Thanks for the music & the beautiful description.

[@juanvigo9724]

Well done ! EXCELLENT MUSICIANS !

[@marianchacon5289]

AWESOME!! EXCEPTIONAL!! QUITE RELAXING!!! TQ

[@MrDrewlips]

Did I hear Grazing in the Grass? Love you Omar. Love you Hugh.

[@emsterdemshe]

Beautiful!

[@miguelpangly3387]

really beautiful

[@keatonrood8746]

5:27 is very reminiscent of the jam at the end of “Warehouse” by The Dave Matthews Band. Beautiful performance

[@philmedina9523]

Luv this!

[@thabudmaster]

beautiful, thanks!

[@yingiho]

This is so beautiful.

[@EliDavidson]

Such incredible music. Mesmerized. Maybe we'll walk down the aisle to this!

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@matteomosolo]

Wow! Great performance!

[@Teona1212]

I love this album, "Alma", is a wonderful music.

[@jcmacias3815]

maravilloso! incluído el look de omar sosa

[@mattborman5780]

Love the little look/grin he gives the camera when he starts a guajira sort of thing around 4:14.

[@riccardoranaldi253]

Molto bello!!!!!! Si ascolta con immersione fino alla fine.......belle sensazioni......grazie!!! Dire bravi sarà scontato....ma lo dico lo stesso...

[@robertlonergan9401]

Absolute magic!!!

[@tizianacuccu4082]

ascoltarvi dal vivo è stato un vero privilegio! grazie per quello che trasmettete all'anima

[@joshmark7891]

ciao mi chiamo Josh mark ti porto buone notizie

[@GospelGrooveRecords]

Great set...Awesome rhythms... He reminds me of Vince Guaraldi; may he rest in peace.

[@andreabellettini8571]

Ieri sera...guidando...mi sono dovuto fermare...non riuscivo a trattenere le lacrime....MERAVIGLIOSI

[@WGBHMusic]

Great to see a piano behind the Tiny Desk! Wonderful music. Great video description, by the way. It's nice to see KZbin videos with such well written descriptions.

[@Mrflippy4]

For the longest time I thought he was wearing a headset

[@martinaristy6070]

Wow amazing

[@a.s.m.5371]

increíble...

[@eranimongelos5749]

Great !!!!

[@laurencelesterlin8251]

C'est trop beau....

[@ERM589]

Mágicos !!!

[@s.palmeiro9031]

The more you listen, the more you get it :-) One love!

[@elivazquez7582]

Wow! Good music

[@rosannacardinal4649]

E niente ... lo amo!

[@joshmark7891]

ciao mi chiamo Josh mark ti porto buone notizie

[@ThisSentenceIsFalse]

So good.

[@trejern]

Precioso!

[@user-gj3qu4jk9n]

Meraviglia!!!!!

[@petergreg2069]

Senza parole.....

[@glanasa]

really enjoyable

[@soobinha1279]

Superb!

[@laracavallimonteiro1709]

Io non vedo colore, non vedo latitudine, non vedo orgoglio, vedo solo la bellezza, perchè questa è musica che si vede, è musica che dolcemente taglia la carne del cuore e ci si infila dentro e non ne esce più, è acqua di mediterraneo che attraversa le colonne d' Ercole e di mescola all'Oceano, è mistura, è bellezza, è un NOI.

[@siphondhlovu1153]

Divine!

[@Juanqkarlios020]

10 años ya pasaron, increible 2013 Paolo Fresu y Omar Sosa y todavía no he tenido el privilegio de verlos en algún concierto. @rimaqperu

[@ichnos690]

Wow! thanks for sharing...

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@jatkin02]

Brilliant.

[@twood023]

This was really enjoyable to listen to and watch

[@vg5157]

Trevor Wood just to listen !

[@Jdanjah]

Magic ✨✨✨✨✨✨

[@pietralatte]

Η μουσική σας έχει ψυχή.!

[@maurizioevaristo4496]

Wow. Sono stato rapito in un mondo fatato dolce e ritmico dove le pure e gli affanni sono un lontano ricordo. Quale potere magico può fare questo?

[@mattie2007]

They will be scoring movies if they aren't already. Amazing and beautiful!

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@elisino52]

Due bravi musicisti.

[@emilianoj79]

great!

[@humbertopalacio7137]

EXCELENTE...

[@iuliangogu6217]

Bravo!!!!

[@joshmark7891]

ciao mi chiamo Josh mark ti porto buone notizie

[@Reifenthaler]

Tiny Desk, please: as I sit here and listen to Paolo Fresu, this makes me wish you might catch A Filetta from Corsica for a TD performance

[@AlessandroLusardi]

Sublime

[@gianluigidesantis4726]

Magnifica esecuzione!

[@hipolie]

THE BEST

[@cresplove]

Bombona!! 🧡

[@giovannasalvorossi2260]

Un duo che vola!

[@joshmark7891]

ciao mi chiamo Josh mark ti porto buone notizie

[@badlur4886]

Unica ed invidiabile music

[@gianlucamedina92]

Orgoglio Italiano al NPR. Dajeee

[@ramosisapirate]

estoy muy feliz oyendo la musica de me gente

[@BookooZenny]

This is fucking beautiful

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news

[@domenicobevacqua6523]

i grandi incontri

[@msmusicmaker14]

Lovely

[@joshmark7891]

hello my name is josh mark i bring you good news