SOUNDTRACK: JUANES AND MON LAFERTE-Tiny Desk Concert #746 (May 23, 2018).
Juanes did a solo Tiny Desk Concert back in 2011. Amusingly, seven years ago the blurb said: The blurb says that “he usually plays arenas and large venues, so it’s a treat to see him up close like this,” (see the third quoted paragraph below).
Colombian pop star Juanes and Chilean singer Mon Laferte recently wrapped up a sold-out tour of the United States, which (lucky for us) included a stop at the Tiny Desk.
Laferte began the concert solo with the torch song “Pa’ Dónde Se Fue” (Where Did You Go?). She sang the break-up story with a smirk that belied the heartache hiding in her poignant lyrics. Then… Juanes joined her to perform the duo’s sultry single, “Amárrame” (Tie Me Up).
It’s rare to see Juanes in such an intimate setting. After almost two decades of performing solo, the Latin pop star is more of a stadium and arena kind of guy. It’s a treat to hear his voice unencumbered by loud speakers or crowd noise, and to see his facial expressions as he sings lyrics that many of us know by heart. This marked a return to the intimacy that fueled his earliest days and that’s still present in the personal lyrics that have sold millions of records.
That intimacy was heightened by the presence of Laferte. The duo performed a PG-13 version of “Amárrame,” a passionate pop song with lyrics reminiscent of 50 Shades Of Grey. You can sense an obvious chemistry between the two during that song, as well as on the Juanes classic “Fotografia” (which originally featured Nelly Furtado).
Juanes closed out the concert solo with a stripped-down version of “Es Tarde” from his last album, Mis Planes Son Amarte. The performance demonstrates why Juanes and Laferte’s duet tour sold out across the U.S. this year. There is a magic here that makes for repeated viewing. It’s that much fun to watch.
SET LIST
- “Pa’ Dónde Se Fue” (Where Did You Go?) by Mon Laferte. She sings and plays guitar and has a beautiful, powerful voice.
- “Amárrame {Tie Me Up} [feat. Juanes]” by Mon Laferte. An additional guitarist plays the cool funky riff while Mon Laferte sings (and rolls her r’s beautifully). Juanes sings (and makes some asides, “Mon Dios!”) the (beautiful, soaring) chorus and alternating verses. They sound fantastic together, with his voice being particularly sultry and steamy.
- “Fotografía [feat. Mon Laferte]” by Juanes. This is a sweet ballad, with again both singers playing off of each other and joking with each other (there’s a phone gag that is pretty funny). It’s delightful. And their voices meld perfectly once again.
- “Es Tarde” by Juanes. It’s just him singing on this one (with the guitarist on accompaniment). His voice has a slight gravel to it but is mostly smooth and delightful. The middle of the song has a kind of whispered spoken word. It’s quite obvious why he is a megastar.
[READ: January 22, 2017] “The End of the End of the World”
This is an essay about birding in the Antarctic and the death of Franzen’s Uncle Walt. Both of these stories were fascinating.
Two year earlier, Franzen’s Uncle Walt died and left hims $78,000. Wow. (My uncle left me a pitchfork and sheep shears). He wasn’t expecting it, so he decided to do something special with it in honor of his Uncle. He had been planning a big vacation with his longtime girlfriend, so this seemed like the thing to us it for. When he suggested a deluxe cruise to Antarctica, she was puzzled but agreed.
After booking the cruise, he was filled with reservations, and so was she. Her concerns were more serious–an ailing parent–and his were just nerves.
He intersperses this trip with memories of his Uncle. Like in August of 1976 when he found out that Walt’s daughter had died in a car crash. Walt and his wife Irma were his godparents, although his mother couldn’t stand Irma (Franzen’s father’s sister). She said that Irma had been spoiled at the expense of his father. Walt was far more likable anyhow. (more…)
Laura Gibson performed the first Tiny Desk Concert in 2008. The whole enterprise was started because of her. Bob had seen her in a club and her quiet music was overpowered by the audience. So he invited her to play in his quiet office. And now, here it was 200 shows later and Gibson is back–the first person to headline twice.
I Just Read About That... 