Ana Tijoux: Tiny Desk Concert

Anamaria Sayre | May 22, 2024 In the transfixing world of Ana Tijoux, joy and protest are perennial lovers. For three decades, the French-born Chilean rapper has traveled around the world, offering refuge for those seeking ways to sing of their outrage and heartbreak. At the Tiny Desk, she does the same, featuring tracks from across her catalog rich with cultural commentary and political critique. Her first album in 10 years, Vida, teems with life. Blending danceable beats with her typical cutting delivery, she invites the listener to find her back where she started — living for the love of music and dancing for the love of life. To close this performance, she conjures an enduring spirit of protest. During “Vida,“ featuring guest vocalist Monica Blaire, Tijoux quotes a song by Víctor Jara: “Yo no canto por cantar / Ni por tener buena voz / Canto porque la guitarra / Tiene sentido y razón.“ The Chilean musician and activist was arrested, tortured and murdered by t