Mexican regional trio Yahritza y Su Esencia is the latest Latin music act to perform on NPR’s popular “Tiny Desk” concert series.
The siblings from Washington’s Yakima Valley have had an impressive run since younger sister Yahritza Martínez went viral on TikTok in early 2022. The band’s first single, “Soy El Unico,” would go on to debut at No. 20 in the Billboard Hot 100 list, and the band is currently on a nationwide tour that kicked off in Seattle earlier this month.
The series provides an intimate listening session with big name artists such as H.E.R., Alicia Keys, Coldplay and Usher, without a big stage and added effects. Other notable Latin music acts with “Tiny Desk” performances include Juanes y Mon Laferte, Ozuna and Karol G.
The trio’s set included songs “Soy El Unico,” “Dejalo Ir,” “No Se Puede Decir Adiós,” “Inseparables” and “Frágil.”
Recently, the Yakima Valley has received some attention because of the impressive rise of local band Yahritza y su Esencia.
The performance comes a few weeks after the band faced backlash because of comments they made about Mexico City in a recent interview.
Yahritza responded to a question about how Mexico City was treating the siblings by saying that she liked the city and was having a good time, but didn’t like waking up there “because you can hear the cars, the police sirens and everything.”
Older brother Armando added that he preferred the Mexican food of Washington state, “where they really give it a seasoning that is spicy and tastes good.” Latino migrants relocated to Yakima Valley for work opportunities in the past and have been able to build a community of their own, including their own style of Mexican food.
The trio said that the response from fans was “heartbreaking” for them.
It’s been a rough month for Yahritza y Su Esencia, whose comments in past interviews about Mexico have resulted in controversy. In a De Los exclusive, the band clears the air.
“It’s not our parents’ fault,” Armando told columnist Suzy Expostio. “My dad always told us that Michoacán is really different from Mexico City. We’re so used to that peaceful life — no traffic, going fishing with your family — but we’re not used to the big-city lifestyle. We weren’t prepared for it, and now, we’re learning from it.”
The group will return to Mexico City in September to perform at Festival Arre.
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