May 23, 2018 | Felix Contreras -- Colombian pop star Juanes and Chilean singer Mon Laferte recently wrapped up a sold-out tour of the United States, which (lucky for us) included a stop at the Tiny Desk.
Laferte began the concert solo with the torch song "Pa' Dónde Se Fue" (Where Did You Go?). She sang the break-up story with a smirk that belied the heartache hiding in her poignant lyrics. Then, after a short set break starring the Tiny Desk engineer Josh Rogosin, Juanes joined her to perform the duo's sultry single, "Amárrame" (Tie Me Up).
It's rare to see Juanes in such an intimate setting. After almost two decades of performing solo, the Latin pop star is more of a stadium and arena kind of guy. It's a treat to hear his voice unencumbered by loud speakers or crowd noise, and to see his facial expressions as he sings lyrics that many of us know by heart. This marked a return to the intimacy that fueled his earliest days and that's still present in the personal lyrics that have sold millions of records.
That intimacy was heightened by the presence of Laferte. The duo performed a PG-13 version of "Amárrame," a passionate pop song with lyrics reminiscent of 50 Shades Of Grey. You can sense an obvious chemistry between the two during that song, as well as on the Juanes classic "Fotografia" (which originally featured Nelly Furtado).
Juanes closed out the concert solo with a stripped-down version of "Es Tarde" from his last album, Mis Planes Son Amarte. The performance demonstrates why Juanes and Laferte's duet tour sold out across the U.S. this year. There is a magic here that makes for repeated viewing. It's that much fun to watch.
SET LIST
"Pa' Dónde Se Fue" by Mon Laferte
"Amárrame [feat. Juanes]" by Mon Laferte
"Fotografía [feat. Mon Laferte]" by Juanes
"Es Tarde" by Juanes
CREDITS
Producers: Robin Hilton, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kara Frame, Dani Lyman; Production Assistant: Joshua Bote; Photo: Eslah Attar/NPR.
