I don’t know about you, but “Havana” instantly transports me to Camila Cabello’s amazing Grammys opening performance with Ricky Martin, J. Balvin, Arturo Sandoval, and Young Thug. It’s the pinnacle of the grandiose Cuban banger, and it’s the perfect way to start Cabello’s NPR Tiny Desk (Home) broadcast from Miami, which was released today.
“This is Tiny Desk, but I’ve got a full band!” she exclaims. Cabello exclaimed as she got started, and boy did she get started. Throughout the crowded beachside venue, around 24 players joined the pop vocalist. She stated that if she sounded nasally when speaking, it was due to a “small sinus infection,” but it didn’t show up in her vocal delivery at all. She completely destroyed the five tracks, which comprised “Real Friends” (from her debut album Camila), “Seorita” (without Shawn Mendes, but with a larger-than-life trombone by Mayerlin Carrero), “Don’t Go Yet,” and “La Buena Vida,” a fresh new song from her upcoming album Familia.
She declared her passion for Tiny Desk the entire time and went all out for her performance. Cabello was joined by a full-fledged mariachi band for “La Buena Vida,” which was definitely the highlight of the show. With the mariachi horns and violins, she displayed her remarkable range.
