Sampha brought songs from his 2023 album Lahai and one beloved deep cut for his second mini-concert for NPR's Tiny Desk. "Spirit 2.0," "Only," "Dancing Circles," and "Without," a song from his 2013 EP Dual were all performed with Sampha on piano and backed by a full band that included Ruthven, a future R&B artist signed to Jai Paul's label Paul Institute. Watch the performance lacks in banter, it makes up for in the loving recreations of Sampha's transcendent soul music. Watch above.
2023 has been a banner year for NPR's marquee video series. They transformed some Twitter shade from Juvenile into one of the year's best pieces of live music content, brought in Amarrae and an 11-piece band, and gave vets like Babyface, Charlie Wilson, and Gwar the spotlight.
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