NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Yasser Tejeda and Palotré (2021x43)

Air date: Apr 06, 2021

If only I could have experienced Yasser Tejeda and Palotré at one of the bars along Austin's Sixth Street. Tejeda, a New York-based guitarist from the Dominican Republic, started his musical career on the Dominican cuatro (a folkloric guitar-like instrument) and has incorporated guitar stylings that have made him a "go-to guy" for Dominican artists looking for passionate elegance in their sound. Yasser Tejeda and his band Palotré begin their set behind a home desk with "Amor Arrayano," weaving a vaguely Caribbean feel with a killer R&B hook. After a brief introduction of his bandmates Tejeda launches into "La Culebra," the track that caught my attention from their album Kijombo. Palotré is a powerful groove machine behind Tejeda's virtuosic guitar playing and his playful dance moves.