When you listen to her voice you immediately catch a taste of womanhood and culture. Her music, her voice, and her style encompasses rich colors, cultural sounds, and sacred stories of her Mexican heritage. She was born in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, within the Sierra Madre mountains of Southern Mexico, and she carries the beauty of both of her parents talents with her. You can see her artistic style from her father, a cinematographer and painter, pouring from her body; and hear sacred sounds like her mother, who sang all the same.
Her music is not just made up of pretty words, but she tends to tell a story, to re-create history within the present, to make a statement. Such as that of the song “Dignificada” from her album “Una Sangre”(One Blood). This song is about a woman by the name of Digna Ochoa, a Mexican Human Rights Attorney, who fought for many Indian communities in Mexico, and was assacinated in 2002. Lila stated in her 2004 interview on NPR's “All Things Considered”, that this song reminds her of women crying and yelling, and asking for someone to listen.
You may have caught a glimpse of Lila as a tango dancer in the Award winning film “Frida”, the masterfully colorful movie about Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo, and you definately heard her sounds on its Grammy nominated Soundtrack. Lila began her musical career at the age of eight as she sang mariachi songs. While growing up, she listened to the eclectic mix of Ranchera music, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Bob Dylan. Her eclectic style and taste is represented well through her versatile ranges in music and depth. She creates art by just stepping on stage with her bright eclectic patterns and jet black hair braided and intertwined amongst colorful threads.
Where she comes from is evident. She combines her journeys into melodies that takes her listeners on a whimsical ride into love, politics, history, culture, and beauty. She reminds me of Frida, but her uniqueness is nothing but Lila.
To read more about Lila Downs, visit her site at: www.liladowns.com"
Many Props!
I've loved the music, style, and overall artistry of Lila for years, but until now I had not seen any articles that gave her due recognition. I love that Lila has found a "happy medium" with all aspects of her mixed heritage, instead of feeling she has to choose between them.