On NPR's Morning Edition on April 24, Los Angeles' Naia Izumi was announced as the winner of the 2018 Tiny Desk Contest. A busker born in Georgia, his musical excellence will now get on the air and go on the road.
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"In the end, it was a soft-spoken, soulful guitarist who captured our hearts," wrote NPR's Bob Boilen. "Naia is a 34-year-old musician from Georgia who regularly busks on the streets of Los Angeles, where he now lives. He impressed the judges with his intricate, complex guitar playing and his sweet, emotive voice. The video he submitted for 'Soft Spoken,' recorded in the home studio he has built in his garage, showcases the incredible skillfulness and gentle spirit he brings to his music."
NPR thanked the Tiny Desk community and described the quality of the submissions this year as overwhelming. Izumi — check him out on Bandcamp, Instagram and Twitter — will be heading for Washington, D.C., to record his very own Tiny Desk concert and then will be featured on the Lagunitas Brewing Company Tiny Desk national tour, which will also feature other Tiny Desk Contest entrants.
