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Lila Downs is the daughter of a Mixtec Indian woman, Anastasia Sanchez, who ran away from her village at 19 to sing in Mexico City cantinas and a Minnesota-born, Scottish-American film & photography professor, Allen Downs, who saw her singing and fell in love. Lila Downs was born in the Oaxacan mountain town of Tlaxiaco, 7,000 feet up in the heavens. The first songs she remembers are her mother singing Lola Beltrán's heartfelt rancheras, and her father singing Woody Guthrie's ''This Land Is Your Land.'' Her border-blurring, multicultural upbringing infused Downs with a firm world view in support of the disenfranchised working classes and an aesthetic vision that embraces cross-cultural pollinations.
As a result Downs has become one of the most innovative exponents of Mesoamerican music on both sides of the border. Her lyrics are high-minded and sentient and her sound is all encompassing. By drawing on a pan-Latin palette of music as well as American folk, jazz, blues and rock, Downs and her worldly band of kindred spirits, La Misteriosa, have won accolades and a devoted following of world music fans. Known for her smoky voice and magnetic performances, Downs has created a unique body of work that defies categorization in any single genre.
With eight studio albums and one live album released since 1999, Lila Downs has long been recognized by the music industry. She received a Latin Grammy for the 2004 release “Una Sangre,” and a Grammy nomination for 2008’s “Shake Away,” as well as various performance awards from around the world. Her 2011 release, "Pecados y Milagros" garnered both a Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album, and a Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Music Album. It also hit #1 on the Mexican music charts immediately after its initial release, and reached Double Platinum status there.
In addition to headlining venues all over the world, Lila Downs has performed at major festivals and events including WOMAD; Live Earth; Montreal Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, the World Sacred Music Festival - appearing with such luminaries as the Dalai Lama; the Latino Inaugural Ball for President Barack Obama, the Bicentenario de Mexico, the opening ceremonies for the 2011 Pan American Games, and the 2012 Latin Grammys on Univision.
Lila Downs is an amazing artist, she has a marvelous gift. The energy on the stage was amazing, her voice better than ever- Not many singers posses this wonderful gift. I was dying to jump to the stage and dance with her, but in my chair I could feel all that energy. A wonderful lady who respect our mother nature, life, etc.... what a wonderful show. I had the best night ever in my life.
Lila Downs is a talented and highly entertaining performer. Be ready to have the time of your life if you see one of her shows.
The event was awesome. Lila downs was amazing like always.
I did not expect to see her dance as much as she did. Having listened to most all her CD's, she pleasantly surprised me with her presentation, showmanship, her energy to dance the way she does, it is really a different Lila seeing her live. I highly reccomend if you are a fan, to see her live.
Lila came out bursting with energy and had the crowd going within the first 45 seconds of the show starting. Black Magic Woman was an excellent way for her to launch the start of a non-stop, exhilarating show. All of the musicians in her band are multi-talented and could be a stand alone show. Quality was 5 Star all the way!!!
We had a great awesome time!!! Lila is so talented and professional. Unique .
Lila Downs embodies entertainment--her rich strong voice and physical endurance display mastery of technique in both song and dance. She also has a wealth of energy! The band backs her virtuoso efforts with grace and talent--the sound is complex and haunting. truly great live experience!
Did not disappoint. Energetic, captivating performances with wonderful nuances in delivery of lyrics and prose. A top rate performer that is difficult to classify but all should experience.
She is amazing!!! her music, her voice, her message! Over all A GREAT ARTIST!!!! I loved her music and unique style!
She is something beautiful, I had never seen her before and I was highly satisfied, specially when she tried to dance like the pet when she was singing about, and she really captivated the whole people.
This was such a good show, she sounds really good live and has a wonderful and talented voice. She was memorizing on the stage doing her thing.
Lila Downs has a very privileged voice and a great spirit. She has images that play on a big screen during her songs that give a touch of color & bring out to life her music. She made people dance with many of her songs. She has a very special way of singing Mexican folk music. Both her music and her dances combine many rhythms. Her attitude on stage clearly reflects her love for the music she sings and she reflects it throughout her performance. It was a great concert and I would definitely recommend it to friends and family.
How do you mix traditional with contemporary, rock con cumbia, bolero con jazz, mariachi con electronic? You bring in Lila Downs to weave it together and make it look seamlessly easy. On April 9th she performed to a sold out venue in LA which was packed with all races, generations, and styles. She opened the show with "Black Magic Woman", which Santana made famous in the 60s and she made it her own. She performed for almost two hours and included new songs from her most recent album "Shake Away/Ojo De Culebra". To the delight of all, she sang her own hits such as "Cumbia Del Mole" y "Corrido de Tacha" and classic songs such as "Paloma Negra" y "La Llorona". Between songs, she engaged the crowd with stories in SPANGLISH in some instances educating many on the backstory behind some of her songs. My one criticism of the concert was the location...UCLA Royce Hall is a great venue, small and cozy but with restrictiones. I felt many around us wanting to jump, dance, and celebrate the music but we were restricted by the seats and environment. This type of performer is better enjoyed with a drink in one hand, a standing room venue and people singing along to every song. Suggestion for next time...House of Blues, Club Nokia, or Wiltern Theatre!
