91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn

La Santa Cecilia: Tiny Desk Concert

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

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 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Email
    Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.
    More Stories
    1. Bearing witness, celebrating strength: How poetry has changed lives for NPR's audience
    2. Katie Ledecky tells NPR about her plans for the Paris Olympics — and L.A. in 2028
    3. Hope Hicks, former Trump confidant, testifies against him in New York criminal trial
    4. Siblings can share the darndest quirks — like picking up coins & keys with their toes
    5. How do you help patients who show up in the ER 100 times a year?