It’s clear from the very first beat of this performance that Marta Pereira da Costa’s time behind the Tiny Desk takes us to a different place and time.
Pereira da Costa caught my attention in a crowded bar in Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest 2019. She is thought to be the first and only woman to officially learn how to play the traditional Portuguese guitar used in fado music. It made me think of Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson’s time with Laura Gibson, which led to the Tiny Desk show. I also wanted to hear Pereira da Costa’s melodic fingerpicking skills without the loud crowd.
With the help of drummer Pedro Segundo and second guitarist João José Pita Junior, the trio connects different times and places with flawless playing and lots of smiles. Between songs, Pereira da Costa says that the whole show is a musical trip through her home country, from the land to the sea and everywhere in between.
People who are interested in music outside of Portugal have heard of Fado, and I usually think of a number of famous singers when I hear it. But Pereira da Costa says we should pay more attention to the accompanists and their instruments to get a better sense of history and music that was made right then.
LIST OF SETS
- “Terra”
- “Movimento”
- “Encontro”
- “Minha Alma”
- “Dia de Feira”
MUSICIANS
- Marta Pereira da Costa: guitar
- João José Pita Junior: guitar
- Pedro Segundo: percussion
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Felix Contreras
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
- Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
- Audio Assistant: Neil Tevault
- Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Michael Zamora
- Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills, Kara Frame
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
- Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann