Last week, we launched the sixth Tiny Desk Contest, our annual search for great, undiscovered musical talent. We started accepting entries yesterday, and have already received over a hundred videos, including our very first entry: Anaís Azul's "Mi Piel."
Azul's entry video features a ballad that celebrates showing up fully for oneself, rather than dismissing fragments of our true self to make other people comfortable. "I wrote this song to embrace all of my multitudes — that I am queer, bilingual, Peruvian, a teacher, a musician, an immigrant, and just a human being who has been hurt but still keeps living," Azul tells NPR via email. "Just because there are many broken pieces that make me who I am doesn't mean I'm not a whole being or that those broken pieces aren't a part of my wholeness."
In the video, Azul is joined by Niko Umar-Durr on violin and Sam Marston on piano. They filmed the video in Azul's mother's backyard in Berkeley, Calif. (though via email, Azul says that they "want to acknowledge that the video was filmed on stolen Ohlone land").
This is Azul's second year entering the Contest and we're always thrilled to see returning musicians while we welcome newcomers to the Tiny Desk Contest community.
If you're planning to enter the Contest this year, remember: There's no need to feel limited by the resources you have. Your entry is what you make of it! All you need is a desk, a camera and an original song. You have until Monday, March 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET to submit your entry via our website. We can't wait to see what you create!
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