Tiny Desk Brasil: João Gomes

Suraya Mohamed | December 29, 2025
In October, the third international edition of the Tiny Desk concert series launched at the Google office in São Paulo, Brazil. Recorded live in front of an audience, the performances are selected and produced by Anonymous Content Brazil and Amabis with input from NPR Music. You can watch all of the shows on Tiny Desk Brasil’s YouTube channel. Here is the series premiere featuring João Gomes. The description below, translated here from Portuguese to English, was written by journalist and contributor Lorena Calábria.

On his way to Tiny Desk Brasil, João Gomes was approached by a fan outside his hotel. When asked, “What are you doing in São Paulo?” the singer promptly replied, “I’m going there to make history!” It is with this conviction that the artist from Pernambuco inaugurates the Brazilian version, representing contemporary Northeastern Brazilian music. The choice makes even more sense considering the similarities between the artist’s trajectory and the program’s concept. Like Tiny Desk, Gomes began his career unpretentiously, with intimate recordings in limited spaces. His music, authentic and simple, reflects the characteristics of the program’s performances. Both achieved notoriety through the internet.

Born in Serrita, Pernambuco, João Fernando Gomes Valério moved to Petrolina in his childhood, where he attended the church choir. Later, he ventured into rap battles. It was during his technical course in agriculture that, encouraged by friends, he discovered his talent as a singer. He began recording homemade videos, standing out for his deep and calm voice. In 2021, his career took off: with the release of “Meu Pedaço de Pecado” at the age of 18, he went viral on social media. Since then, he has become a phenomenon, uniting forró de vaquejada with piseiro, a popular subgenre in the Northeast of Brazil. His voice captivates crowds, celebrating the culture of the sertão (Brazilian hinterland) in romantic verses.

After six studio albums, João Gomes released ‘Dominguinho’ in 2025, a musical project in collaboration with Mestrinho and Jota.pê. Featuring new songs and reinterpretations, the work evokes the tranquility of a Sunday.

For Tiny Desk Brasil, João prepared something different, with a band specially assembled for the occasion. He describes the group enthusiastically: “It’s full of great musicians. I called musicians I like and wanted to play with. What we’re going to do is going to be crazy. Can we make mistakes? Yes. But it will all be genuine,” he says, excitedly. The repertoire includes two songs that, in his words, “deserved a second chance, a new heart”: “Reencontro” and “Deusa de Itamaracá.”

SET LIST
“Dengo”
“Deusa de Itamaracá”
“Meu Cafofo”
“Pra que fui me Apaixona”
“Meu Pedaço de Pecado”
“Reencontro”
“Aquelas Coisas”
“Eu Tenho a Senha”

MUSICIANS
João Gomes: vocals
Kainã do Jêje: drums
Gilu Amaral: percussion
Michael Pipoquinha: bass
Chibatinha: guitar
Pedro Porto: acoustic guitar
Jeovanny: accordion
Nilson sax: woodwinds