{"id":21555,"date":"2019-10-25T09:01:19","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T09:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2019\/10\/25\/rio-mira-tiny-desk\/"},"modified":"2019-10-25T09:01:19","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T09:01:19","slug":"rio-mira-tiny-desk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/rio-mira-tiny-desk\/","title":{"rendered":"Rio Mira: Tiny Desk"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Felix Contreras<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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Credit: <\/span> Shuran Huang\/NPR<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For just about fifteen minutes, the members of Rio Mira<\/a> created a living and very melodic connection to Africa. Set behind a large marimba \u2014 and drums that are unique to their corner of the world \u2014 the members of the band performed music that is the legacy of enslaved people who were in both Ecuador and Colombia. Rio Mira takes its name from a river that separates Ecuador and Colombia and empties into the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

Rio Mira’s three songs in this performance are dominated by the marimba and accompanied by drums from both Europe and Africa. “La Pepa de Tangar\u00e9” references the culinary joys of life and, like the rest of their set, celebrates life along the river: soft breezes, loving friends, the embrace of Africa and, of course, lots of festejando<\/em> (partying)!<\/p>\n

If you’re a little rusty on your college Spanish classes, the extended narration in “Rom\u00e1n Rom\u00e1n” tells the tale of a village man who has healing powers and challenges death.<\/p>\n

For me, the principal attractions to this group are the instruments and the musical skills that were handed down for generations along the river, and how they eventually ended up here on this video for you to enjoy. I dare you to not move your hips along with these infectious grooves!<\/p>\n