Lila Downs
Encyclopedia
Lila Downs is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music
. She also incorporates indigenous Mexican influences and has recorded songs in indigenous languages such as Mixtec, Zapotec
, Maya, Nahuatl
and P'urhépecha
.
Her debut album, La Sandunga, was released in 1999 and she achieved international success in 2001 with the album Border.
, Mexico, the daughter of Anita Sanchez, a Mixtec
cabaret singer and Allen Downs, a British-American professor of art and cinematographer from Minnesota
. From an early age Lila showed interest in music; at the age of eight she began singing rancheros and other traditional Mexican songs. She began her musical career singing with mariachi
s. At fourteen she moved to the United States with her parents. She studied voice in Los Angeles
and learned English, which her father helped her to perfect. When she was 16 her father died and after this event she decided to return to her native Tlaxiaco with her mother.
One day while she was working in a store in the Mixtec mountains a man came in to ask her to translate his son's death certificate. She read that he had drowned trying to cross the border into the United States
. This so deeply affected her that it continued to influence her work throughout her career. She talked about this in an NPR interview Lila Downs: 'Border'.
Although today Downs is proud of her origins there was a time when she felt shame regarding her Native American roots. "I was embarrassed to have Indian blood. I was embarrassed that my mother spoke her language in public". This lead her on a path to find herself, which included dropping out of college, dying her hair blonde and following the band, The Grateful Dead. After some time Downs found herself back in Oaxaca
working at her mother's auto parts store where she met her future husband and musical collaborator, Paul Cohen.
Downs studied Anthropology
and Voice at the University of Minnesota
and attended the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca to complete her studies.
always encouraged her to venture in music and joined a group percussion called Yodoyuxi's Cadets Because Paul Cohen had business in the United States
she began to live in both Minnesota and Oaxaca.
During her stay in Minnesota Downs formed a group called La Trova Serrana which achieved great popularity among the latin public of the United States, singing songs on the Zapotec and values culture them upon his return to Mexico started singing in bars, restaurants and clubs in the City of Oaxaca
, Philadelphia and California
in United States
, always with the support of saxophonist U.S. Paul Cohen getting much positive impact on the criticism, why decide to undertake an extensive tour of Mexico
.
is a collection of items traditionals by Oaxaca
and mexicans
. This album also contains songs written by singer from the beginning with lyrics sung in spanish
mixtec and zapotec
are languages native of Oaxaca
, the material was carried out independently and with the support of the Oaxacan Cultures Institute. Because this album
was not only promoted commercial success in LP and cassette
, never released a version in CD.
In 1996 Downs recorded at album sound in a live session of a renowned café-bar of the City of Oaxaca
, on this record Lila was accompanied by a set of well-known musician
s who supported and helped in its interpretation of traditional themes as well as country music
and parts of jazz
. Lila Downs With this work became known in different parts of the Republic of Mexico and was their first album was released in CD but had a big impact and was directly promoted in presentations, published only a small number of copies so that this material is now discontinued and although not physically part of the official discography of Lila Downs is available at digital format
.
of study prior to his international career, the performance of this material as a model before items to be included in later albums such as La Sandunga , Tree of Life and Border. It made an extensive compilation of items of repertoire traditional but like Mexicanwith its album
s previous boom had no commercial or spread massively so this disc is currently out of print.
It was not until 1999 Downs sign with the label Narada Productions
have achieved commercial success and made known to internationally with the album La sandunga (recorded at year earlier), this material came to the fore within the mexican music and this drive was one of the first traditional music
that merged sound
s and modern rhythms as jazz
, blues
and bolero
. Lila Downs "La Sandunga"] The album is played in spanish
and mixtec and was produced by Lila Downs and Paul Cohen with the support of Xquenda Cultural Association. Because of this work Lila participated in the sound track of the mexican film
Green Stones and achieved great popularity in countries such as Mexico
United States
, Spain
, France
, England
and Germany
selling over 500,000 units worldwide.
and Mexico
. With this album Downs merged sounds from different genres such as traditional folk music, hip hop, rock and chilena. It included fifteen songs, eleven of which are in Spanish, three in English and one in Mayan. The album received generally good reviews and placed seventh in "Top charts" of world music
.. It also stirred up controversy due to it's frank discussion of immigration, Native American marginalization and the Acteal massacre
. Downs was criticized by various organizations, especially politicians and the church.
The album's first single was released in Mexico
, "Mi corazón me recuerda" a poem by Chiapas poet Jaime Sabines
set to music achieved moderate success on the Mexican music charts. In Spain
the song "La Llorona
" was released and in France
the song "Corazoncito Tirano" was released as a single. In the United States
the song "Medley: Pastures of Plenty/This Land Is Your Land/Land" was released. The latter incorporates two Woody Guthrie songs, "Pastures of Plenty" and "This Land is Your Land" as well as original lyrics by Downs, "Land".
Spain
and Mexico
the lyrics on this album are about the migration, the discrimination
and the case of Mexican human rights defender Digna Ochoa
. In addition to traditional traditional sounds as "La Bamba" "Viborita" comprising sounds as son jarocho
, chilena
, jazz
, rock
and folk
. This album contains thirteen tracks of which three are in english
, one triqui, one Purepecha and eight spanish
letters were authored by Lila Downs, Paul Cohen, Celso Duarte
and Jose Marti
, Lila Downs with the material obtained in 2005 Grammy Latino
in the category of Best album of world music and reached the top of the charts in United States, Mexico
, Spain
, United Kingdom
, Germany
and France
.
, rock
, northern, cumbia
and hip-hop
. This CD contains fifteen tracks of which twelve are the three traditional Mexican repertoire are authored by Lila Downs and includes a version in english
of "La cumbia del mole" song
that gave fame to Downs and to date is the letter of the artist
.
The most successful theme of this album was "La cumbia del mole", this song refers to the preparation of this mexican dish
and tradition
by Oaxaca
, this simple managed to position itself among the top of the charts in Mexico
, United States
, Canada
and United Kingdom
.
Downs in 2007 published a CD with more success in spanish
to date, containing songs from their previous album La Sandunga, Tree of Life
, Border/The Line, One Blood and La Cantina It was entitled simply The Very Best of Lila Downs; was accompanied with a DVD
containing thirteen tracks recorded live at a concert in Madrid
, Spain
.
, North America
, Australia
and Latin America
. The album reached sixth place in sales in Mexico
, Colombia
, Argentina
, Spain
and several Latin American countries. The first single is titled "Ojo de Culebra" that was attended by singer spanish
singer La Mari by group of flamenco Chambao
. The song
is a merger of rock cumbia
and flamenco
with some influences of reggae
. This song was the first places in the charts of world music
in several countries The second single was "Perro Negro" a merger of rock
with ska
that was not so international presence as its predecessor, this song with the participation of Rubén Barragan singer of the mexican rock band Café Tacuba. "Little man" (released in the U.S. alone) and "Justice
" would become the next two singles, the latter with the participation of the spanish singer Enrique Bunbury
also participated in this album Raul Midon
, Gilberto Gutierrez and Mercedes Sosa
.
The single "Black magic woman
" achieved moderate success in Europe
, United States
and Canada
, later pitched for the British market the single "Silent Thunder" which was well accepted by the public.
In October 2009 placed the imprint of Lila Downs on the outskirts of the birthplace in his hometown Tlaxiaco
, Mexico
, also was awarded the keys the city for its work of media of Mixtec
and as one of the greatest personalities who were born there.
with an edited version of the live concert on DVD and was number one in sales of Gender World Music for the music chain Mixup for three consecutive weeks. Although receiving little promotion the album has received moderate success on the Mexican charts. In a survey of the best albums of 2010 conducted by the Mexican television network Channel 22, this album was ranked number one.
Downs is currently preparing her ninth studio album, Pecados y Milagros (Sins and Miracles), to be released on October 30, 2011. She will be joined on the album by La Mala Rodriguez
, Celso Piña
and Toto la Momposina
. Downs also announced that she is preparing an international tour, the Sins and Miracles Tour, which is expected to start in Mexico
.
and Asia
as Philippines
, Japan
, China
, Egypt
and Afghanistan
where Downs caused a sensation because it was the first time I ran these countries taking his music
, which was well received by the public.
In May 2007, Downs published a DVD
collection as a document of that tour in a concert in Oaxaca
and Mexico City
; this DVD
contained thirteen live tracks and a documentary as well as special features like interviews, short films by Allen Downs (Lila’s father) and videos.
In Latin America, Mexico
was the country with the highest number of submissions (21 in total), the tour officially ended on October 30 2009 giving a free concert in the Zocalo of Mexico City, followed by Colombia
and Costa Rica
, with three each.
Although not part of the tour, Lila Downs appeared in the Live Earth
in Germany
, where she played three songs, and in late 2008 had a share in the Harmony Festival that is held in the California
in United States
.
2010 Lila Downs announced a world tour Black Magic Woman Tour which began in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
with three presentations continue to have a full. This tour was introduced in several countries in America Asia
and Europe
in several of which broke attendance records. The tour officially ended on November 17 2010 in Square Dance by Oaxaca City where she had an audience of approximately seven thousand people, that within the framework of book fair in Oaxaca.
,Fados
and Hasta el último trago corazón; the latter is a documentary
on Mexican music involving various exponents of the genre. Currently, Downs is working on the composition and arrangements for the musical Como agua para chocolate, based on the book by Laura Esquivel
, which will premiere at the Public Theater of New York
and Broadway
in late 2011 or early 2012. She will participate in the filming of the U.S. film
"Mariachi Gringo" directed by Tom Gustafson , where she will work alongside Mexican actresses Adriana Barraza
, Martha Higareda
and canadian actor
Shawn Ashmore
, the film is expected to be released in early 2012.
of the Mexican film Piedras Verdes where she performed "Cancion mixteca
", in 2002 she participated in the soundtrack
for the film Frida
singing the song Burn It Blue which was nominated in the 75th edition of the Academy Awards
in the category of Best original music which was the winner. Downs has also participated in other soundtracks for film
s such as Real Women Have Curves and Tortilla Soup
. In the film by Carlos Saura
, Fados
(2007), she sings an unforgettable version of Foi na Travessa da Palha in Portuguese
.
There has been much speculation in the media
about the couple's personal life and that the couple could not have children.
She talked about some of these aspects of her life in NPR Interviews: Lila Downs Woos Fans with 'Shake Away' and Lila Downs' Cross-Border Musical Influences.
In June
2010, Downs announced on their web site that, after several years of trying to be parents, they had adopted a child, Benito Dxuladi. They currently reside in Coyoacán
in Mexico City
and Oaxaca
although most of the time they spend traveling.
When asked if she is a politician, Lila expresses that she does not want to be a politician because she is not interested in power, instead she wants to support and change society through music..
On Friday, October 9, 2009 Downs, along with actress Salma Hayek
represented to Mexico
in a broadcast worldwide campaign for the foundation One Drop
, to preserve water, where they performed the founder of Cirque du Soleil
, Shakira
U2
Vice President Al Gore
and other world-class personalities.
, Academy Awards
, Lunas del Auditorio, among others.
She has recently unveiled her mark on the Walk of Fame located in the outskirts of Auditorio Nacional
in Mexico City
for her career. Some of her most successful songs include: "Tengo miedo de quererte", "Estrella oscura", "La línea", "La llorona
", "La cumbia del mole" y "Ojo de culebra".
2006) The Very Best Of/El Alma de Lila Downs [CD] (EMI
2008) Shake Away (Ojo de Culebra) (Manhattan Records
2008) Lila Downs y La Misteriosa en Paris – Live À FIP [CD (Harmonia Mundi-Global Village Europe/USA; various labels worldwide), (CD + DVD EMI Mexico) (2010)]Pecados y Milagros (2011)
Music of Mexico
The music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of different musical styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably indigenous Mexican and European, since the Late Middle Ages...
. She also incorporates indigenous Mexican influences and has recorded songs in indigenous languages such as Mixtec, Zapotec
Zapotec language
The Zapotec language are a group of closely related indigenous Mesoamerican languages spoken by the Zapotec people from the southwestern-central highlands of Mexico. Present-day native speakers are estimated to number over half a million, with the majority inhabiting the state of Oaxaca....
, Maya, Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
and P'urhépecha
P'urhépecha
The P'urhépecha, normally spelled Purépecha in Spanish and in English and traditionally referred to as Tarascans, are an indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of the Mexican state of Michoacán, principally in the area of the cities of Uruapan and Pátzcuaro...
.
Her debut album, La Sandunga, was released in 1999 and she achieved international success in 2001 with the album Border.
Biography
Lila Downs was born on September 19, 1968 in TlaxiacoTlaxiaco
Tlaxiaco is a city, and its surrounding municipality of the same name, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is located in the Tlaxiaco District in the south of the Mixteca Region, with a population of about 17,450. The city is formally known as Heroica Ciudad de Tlaxiaco in honour of a battle waged...
, Mexico, the daughter of Anita Sanchez, a Mixtec
Mixtec
The Mixtec are indigenous Mesoamerican peoples inhabiting the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla in a region known as La Mixteca. The Mixtecan languages form an important branch of the Otomanguean language family....
cabaret singer and Allen Downs, a British-American professor of art and cinematographer from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. From an early age Lila showed interest in music; at the age of eight she began singing rancheros and other traditional Mexican songs. She began her musical career singing with mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
s. At fourteen she moved to the United States with her parents. She studied voice in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and learned English, which her father helped her to perfect. When she was 16 her father died and after this event she decided to return to her native Tlaxiaco with her mother.
One day while she was working in a store in the Mixtec mountains a man came in to ask her to translate his son's death certificate. She read that he had drowned trying to cross the border into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This so deeply affected her that it continued to influence her work throughout her career. She talked about this in an NPR interview Lila Downs: 'Border'.
Although today Downs is proud of her origins there was a time when she felt shame regarding her Native American roots. "I was embarrassed to have Indian blood. I was embarrassed that my mother spoke her language in public". This lead her on a path to find herself, which included dropping out of college, dying her hair blonde and following the band, The Grateful Dead. After some time Downs found herself back in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
working at her mother's auto parts store where she met her future husband and musical collaborator, Paul Cohen.
Downs studied Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and Voice at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and attended the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca to complete her studies.
Early life
At 25 after completing academic and music studies Lila decided return to Tlaxiaco. Paul CohenPaul Cohen
Paul Cohen is the name of:*Paul Cohen , Australian industrial designer*Paul Cohen , renowned historian of China*Paul Cohen , Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender...
always encouraged her to venture in music and joined a group percussion called Yodoyuxi's Cadets Because Paul Cohen had business in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
she began to live in both Minnesota and Oaxaca.
During her stay in Minnesota Downs formed a group called La Trova Serrana which achieved great popularity among the latin public of the United States, singing songs on the Zapotec and values culture them upon his return to Mexico started singing in bars, restaurants and clubs in the City of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
, Philadelphia and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, always with the support of saxophonist U.S. Paul Cohen getting much positive impact on the criticism, why decide to undertake an extensive tour of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
1994-1996: First albums
In 1994 Lila Downs made her first album recorded independently entitled Ofrenda the songs included in this materialMaterial
Material is anything made of matter, constituted of one or more substances. Wood, cement, hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to...
is a collection of items traditionals by Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
and mexicans
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. This album also contains songs written by singer from the beginning with lyrics sung in spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
mixtec and zapotec
Zapotec language
The Zapotec language are a group of closely related indigenous Mesoamerican languages spoken by the Zapotec people from the southwestern-central highlands of Mexico. Present-day native speakers are estimated to number over half a million, with the majority inhabiting the state of Oaxaca....
are languages native of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, the material was carried out independently and with the support of the Oaxacan Cultures Institute. Because this album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
was not only promoted commercial success in LP and cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, never released a version in CD.
In 1996 Downs recorded at album sound in a live session of a renowned café-bar of the City of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
, on this record Lila was accompanied by a set of well-known musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s who supported and helped in its interpretation of traditional themes as well as country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and parts of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Lila Downs With this work became known in different parts of the Republic of Mexico and was their first album was released in CD but had a big impact and was directly promoted in presentations, published only a small number of copies so that this material is now discontinued and although not physically part of the official discography of Lila Downs is available at digital format
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
.
1997-1999: La Sandunga
In 1997 Lila Downs made her second label materialDisco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
of study prior to his international career, the performance of this material as a model before items to be included in later albums such as La Sandunga , Tree of Life and Border. It made an extensive compilation of items of repertoire traditional but like Mexicanwith its album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s previous boom had no commercial or spread massively so this disc is currently out of print.
It was not until 1999 Downs sign with the label Narada Productions
Narada Productions
Narada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
have achieved commercial success and made known to internationally with the album La sandunga (recorded at year earlier), this material came to the fore within the mexican music and this drive was one of the first traditional music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
that merged sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
s and modern rhythms as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
. Lila Downs "La Sandunga"] The album is played in spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and mixtec and was produced by Lila Downs and Paul Cohen with the support of Xquenda Cultural Association. Because of this work Lila participated in the sound track of the mexican film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Green Stones and achieved great popularity in countries such as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
selling over 500,000 units worldwide.
1999-2000: Tree of Life/Yutu Tata
Downs' next album, The Tree of Life, was released in 2000, with this album Downs' fame continue to spread to other markets and countries such as England, Switzerland, Canada and especially the United States. This work found Downs turning to her indigenous past and the album features pre-Hispanic sounds and instruments. Several of the songs on the album are sung in native Mexican languages such as Mixtec, Zapotec and Nahuatl. In October 2000 she began a two month tour called the Tree of Life/Árbol de la vida which included concerts in Latin America, Europe and the USA. The tour began in Mexico and ended in Spain.2001-2003: Border/La Linea
Border, released on EMI music in 2001, was the first album by Downs to feature songs sung in English. The album was released simultaneously in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. With this album Downs merged sounds from different genres such as traditional folk music, hip hop, rock and chilena. It included fifteen songs, eleven of which are in Spanish, three in English and one in Mayan. The album received generally good reviews and placed seventh in "Top charts" of world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
.. It also stirred up controversy due to it's frank discussion of immigration, Native American marginalization and the Acteal massacre
Acteal
Acteal is a small village in the municipality of Chenalhó, in the Mexican state of Chiapas, about 20 km north of San Cristóbal de las Casas. It became known internationally at the end of 1997 for the massacre of 45 indigenous people....
. Downs was criticized by various organizations, especially politicians and the church.
The album's first single was released in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, "Mi corazón me recuerda" a poem by Chiapas poet Jaime Sabines
Jaime Sabines
Jaime Sabines Gutiérrez was a Mexican contemporary poet. Known as “the sniper of Literature” as he formed part of a group that transformed literature into reality, he wrote ten volumes of poetry, and his work has been translated into more than twelve languages...
set to music achieved moderate success on the Mexican music charts. In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
the song "La Llorona
La Llorona
La Llorona is a widespread legend in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America. Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria killing her children by drowning them, in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she kills...
" was released and in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the song "Corazoncito Tirano" was released as a single. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the song "Medley: Pastures of Plenty/This Land Is Your Land/Land" was released. The latter incorporates two Woody Guthrie songs, "Pastures of Plenty" and "This Land is Your Land" as well as original lyrics by Downs, "Land".
2004-2006: Una Sangre/One Blood
One Blood one of Lila Downs most successful albums was released in April 2004 simultaneously in United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
the lyrics on this album are about the migration, the discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
and the case of Mexican human rights defender Digna Ochoa
Digna Ochoa
Digna Ochoa was a human rights lawyer in Mexico. She was born in Misantla, in the state of Veracruz.- Biography :...
. In addition to traditional traditional sounds as "La Bamba" "Viborita" comprising sounds as son jarocho
Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the...
, chilena
Chilena
Chilena is a genus of Moth in the family Lasiocampidae....
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. This album contains thirteen tracks of which three are in english
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, one triqui, one Purepecha and eight spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
letters were authored by Lila Downs, Paul Cohen, Celso Duarte
Celso Duarte
Celso Duarte is a virtuoso of Paraguayan harp and Mexican jarocho harp, arranger, singer, and multi-talented instrumentalist...
and Jose Marti
José Martí
José Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature. In his short life he was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political theorist. He was also a part of the Cuban...
, Lila Downs with the material obtained in 2005 Grammy Latino
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category of Best album of world music and reached the top of the charts in United States, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
2006-2008: La Cantina, entre copa y copa…
Lila Downs took approximately one and a half to prepare this project came to light on April 2006. This CD draws on Mexican ranchero songs and runs merging sounds as popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, northern, cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
and hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. This CD contains fifteen tracks of which twelve are the three traditional Mexican repertoire are authored by Lila Downs and includes a version in english
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
of "La cumbia del mole" song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
that gave fame to Downs and to date is the letter of the artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
.
The most successful theme of this album was "La cumbia del mole", this song refers to the preparation of this mexican dish
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
and tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
by Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, this simple managed to position itself among the top of the charts in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Downs in 2007 published a CD with more success in spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
to date, containing songs from their previous album La Sandunga, Tree of Life
Tree of life
The concept of a tree of life, a many-branched tree illustrating the idea that all life on earth is related, has been used in science , religion, philosophy, mythology, and other areas...
, Border/The Line, One Blood and La Cantina It was entitled simply The Very Best of Lila Downs; was accompanied with a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
containing thirteen tracks recorded live at a concert in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
2008-2009: Shake Away/Ojo de Culebra
Two years after the release of La Cantina, Lila launched Ojo de Culebra during the month of September 2008 in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. The album reached sixth place in sales in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and several Latin American countries. The first single is titled "Ojo de Culebra" that was attended by singer spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
singer La Mari by group of flamenco Chambao
Chambao
Chambao is a flamenco-electronic band originally from Málaga, Andalusia, Spain, known for a Flamenco Chill sound that fuses flamenco sounds and palos with electronic music...
. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
is a merger of rock cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
and flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
with some influences of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. This song was the first places in the charts of world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
in several countries The second single was "Perro Negro" a merger of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
with ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
that was not so international presence as its predecessor, this song with the participation of Rubén Barragan singer of the mexican rock band Café Tacuba. "Little man" (released in the U.S. alone) and "Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
" would become the next two singles, the latter with the participation of the spanish singer Enrique Bunbury
Enrique Bunbury
Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izardui , born August 11, 1967 is a Spanish rock singer-songwriter.Bunbury was born in Zaragoza, Spain. He got involved in music in the early 1980s, making his debut in a high school band called Apocalipsis, and later played along with Proceso Entrópico...
also participated in this album Raul Midon
Raul Midón
Raúl Midón is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from New Mexico, based in New York City. He combines his distinct voice, strumming, beats, and vocal mouth trumpet sounds to create a one-man performance. His unique style shows influence of virtually every musical genre which came before him,...
, Gilberto Gutierrez and Mercedes Sosa
Mercedes Sosa
Haydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both...
.
The single "Black magic woman
Black Magic Woman
"Black Magic Woman" is a song written by Peter Green that first appeared as a Fleetwood Mac single in various countries in 1968, subsequently appearing on the 1969 Fleetwood Mac compilation albums English Rose and The Pious Bird of Good Omen . In 1970, it became a classic hit by Santana, as sung...
" achieved moderate success in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, later pitched for the British market the single "Silent Thunder" which was well accepted by the public.
In October 2009 placed the imprint of Lila Downs on the outskirts of the birthplace in his hometown Tlaxiaco
Tlaxiaco
Tlaxiaco is a city, and its surrounding municipality of the same name, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is located in the Tlaxiaco District in the south of the Mixteca Region, with a population of about 17,450. The city is formally known as Heroica Ciudad de Tlaxiaco in honour of a battle waged...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, also was awarded the keys the city for its work of media of Mixtec
Mixtec
The Mixtec are indigenous Mesoamerican peoples inhabiting the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla in a region known as La Mixteca. The Mixtecan languages form an important branch of the Otomanguean language family....
and as one of the greatest personalities who were born there.
2010-present: Lila Downs y la Misteriosa, Pecados y Milagros
"Lila Downs y la Misteriosa en Paris - Live à FIP" is the second live album by Downs, released on April 13, 2010 in Spain and France, the album was recorded in 2009 in Radio Francia estudio 105 in Paris, France. The album was released in May 2010 in the United States and in July in most other countries. It received positive feedback from critics. Lila Downs y la Misterosia en Paris was released in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
with an edited version of the live concert on DVD and was number one in sales of Gender World Music for the music chain Mixup for three consecutive weeks. Although receiving little promotion the album has received moderate success on the Mexican charts. In a survey of the best albums of 2010 conducted by the Mexican television network Channel 22, this album was ranked number one.
Downs is currently preparing her ninth studio album, Pecados y Milagros (Sins and Miracles), to be released on October 30, 2011. She will be joined on the album by La Mala Rodriguez
La Mala Rodríguez
María Rodríguez, also known as La Mala, La Mala María, or Mala Rodríguez , is a Latin Grammy Award-Winning Spanish hip hop singer.-Early life:...
, Celso Piña
Celso Pina
Celso Piña is a professional singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist mainly in the genre of cumbia.Celso Piña is a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of musica norteña, sonidero, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc...
and Toto la Momposina
Totó la Momposina
Sonia Bazanta Vides, better known as Totó la Momposina, is a Colombian singer of traditional mixed indigenous Colombian and Afro-Latin music. She was born in the northern Colombian town of Talaigua Nuevo near Mompox in the Bolívar Department...
. Downs also announced that she is preparing an international tour, the Sins and Miracles Tour, which is expected to start in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
2005-2006: One Blood Tour
Due to the success of One Blood and Border, between 2001 and 2004 was the One Blood Tour with Lila performed 30 international presentations. This tour was presented on three continents in countries having an impact in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
as Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
where Downs caused a sensation because it was the first time I ran these countries taking his music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, which was well received by the public.
In May 2007, Downs published a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
collection as a document of that tour in a concert in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
; this DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
contained thirteen live tracks and a documentary as well as special features like interviews, short films by Allen Downs (Lila’s father) and videos.
2008-2009: Shake Away Tour
In September 2008 started Ojo de Culebra World Tour, that took her to visit different countries on four continents, this being the most successful Mexican, who with his One Blood Tour visited 30 locations.In Latin America, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
was the country with the highest number of submissions (21 in total), the tour officially ended on October 30 2009 giving a free concert in the Zocalo of Mexico City, followed by Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, with three each.
Although not part of the tour, Lila Downs appeared in the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where she played three songs, and in late 2008 had a share in the Harmony Festival that is held in the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
2010: Black Magic Woman Tour
In MarchMarch
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2010 Lila Downs announced a world tour Black Magic Woman Tour which began in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
with three presentations continue to have a full. This tour was introduced in several countries in America Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in several of which broke attendance records. The tour officially ended on November 17 2010 in Square Dance by Oaxaca City where she had an audience of approximately seven thousand people, that within the framework of book fair in Oaxaca.
Acting
Downs has had small parts in such films as FridaFrida
Frida is a 2002 biographical film which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award nominated portrayal as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as her husband, Diego Rivera....
,Fados
Fados
Fados is a 2007 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. The film, a fusion of cinema, song, dance and instrumental numbers, explores Portugal's most emblematic musical genre, fado, and its spirit of saudade ....
and Hasta el último trago corazón; the latter is a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
on Mexican music involving various exponents of the genre. Currently, Downs is working on the composition and arrangements for the musical Como agua para chocolate, based on the book by Laura Esquivel
Laura Esquivel
Laura Esquivel is a Mexican author making a noted contribution to Latin-American literature. She was born the third of four children of Julio César Esquivel, a telegraph operator, and Josefa Valdés.-Literary career:...
, which will premiere at the Public Theater of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in late 2011 or early 2012. She will participate in the filming of the U.S. film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
"Mariachi Gringo" directed by Tom Gustafson , where she will work alongside Mexican actresses Adriana Barraza
Adriana Barraza
Adriana Barraza is a Mexican film and television actress and director. She has also been nominated for a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Broadcast Film Critics Association and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is also a veteran actress of Televisa telenovelas...
, Martha Higareda
Martha Higareda
Martha Elba Higareda Cervantes is a Mexican actress.Higareda was born in Villahermosa, Tabasco, the daughter of actress Martha Cervantes and artist Jose Luis Higareda, and sister of the actress Miriam Higareda...
and canadian actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Shawn Ashmore
Shawn Ashmore
Shawn Robert Ashmore is a Canadian film and television actor, perhaps best known for his role as Jake in the Animorphs television series and Iceman in the X-Men films. He is the twin brother of actor Aaron Ashmore.-Early life:...
, the film is expected to be released in early 2012.
Soundtracks
In 2001 Downs was invited to participate in the soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the Mexican film Piedras Verdes where she performed "Cancion mixteca
Cancion mixteca
Cancion Mixteca is a Mexican folk song written by Oaxacan composer José López Alavez. Lopez Alavez wrote the melody of the song in 1912. He later added the composed the lyrics in 1915. Lopez Alavez composed it originally about Lopez Alavez's feelings of homesickness for his home region of Oaxaca...
", in 2002 she participated in the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the film Frida
Frida
Frida is a 2002 biographical film which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award nominated portrayal as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as her husband, Diego Rivera....
singing the song Burn It Blue which was nominated in the 75th edition of the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
in the category of Best original music which was the winner. Downs has also participated in other soundtracks for film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s such as Real Women Have Curves and Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Maria Ripoll. The screenplay by Tom Musca, Ramón Menéndez, and Vera Blasi is based on the film Eat Drink Man Woman, which was written by Hui-Ling Wang, Ang Lee, and James Schamus.-Plot:...
. In the film by Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...
, Fados
Fados
Fados is a 2007 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. The film, a fusion of cinema, song, dance and instrumental numbers, explores Portugal's most emblematic musical genre, fado, and its spirit of saudade ....
(2007), she sings an unforgettable version of Foi na Travessa da Palha in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
.
Personal life
Since the beginning of her career she has been involved with Paul Cohen who is as a partner and her artistic director.There has been much speculation in the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
about the couple's personal life and that the couple could not have children.
She talked about some of these aspects of her life in NPR Interviews: Lila Downs Woos Fans with 'Shake Away' and Lila Downs' Cross-Border Musical Influences.
In June
June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...
2010, Downs announced on their web site that, after several years of trying to be parents, they had adopted a child, Benito Dxuladi. They currently reside in Coyoacán
Coyoacán
Coyoacán refers to one of the sixteen boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City as well as the former village which is now the borough’s “historic center.” The name comes from Nahuatl and most likely means “place of coyotes,” when the Aztecs named a pre-Hispanic village on the southern shore...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
although most of the time they spend traveling.
Social activism
Downs has been a Social Activist throughout her entire career because she works to maintain a cultural identity in the eye of social distress. For example, she sings with passion, and admiration for her home in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her music draws out many socially significant issues, such as the mistreatment and misunderstanding of indigenous peoples of Oaxaca, by celebrating their Mixtec heritage through song. Her albums are socially significant, especially her album, One Blood, or Una Sangre, which includes songs such as La Digificada, which is a song about Dina Ochoa's assassination. She was a social activist, and Lila featured her story on her album One Blood.When asked if she is a politician, Lila expresses that she does not want to be a politician because she is not interested in power, instead she wants to support and change society through music..
On Friday, October 9, 2009 Downs, along with actress Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
represented to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in a broadcast worldwide campaign for the foundation One Drop
One Drop Foundation
The ONE DROP Foundation—an initiative of Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil®—is a non-governmental organization established on October 29, 2007, in Montreal, Canada...
, to preserve water, where they performed the founder of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and other world-class personalities.
Contributions
- In 2003 she was invited by the Twelve Girls BandTwelve Girls BandTwelve Girls Band are an all female Chinese musical group that initially consisted of twelve members before the addition of a thirteenth. Twelve Girls Band use traditional Chinese instruments to play both traditional Chinese and Western music. Formed on June 18, 2001, the women were selected by...
concert in ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
where she sang in englishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and frenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. - In 2005 collaborated with the galician band Luar Na LubreLuar na Lubre-Etymology:Luar is Galician for moonlight; lubre is a magical forest in which the Celtic druids cast their spells.-Biography:During its career, this musical group has spread Galician music and culture. The band became famous worldwide after Mike Oldfield took interest in their music...
on the album Saudade in the song "Domingo Ferreiro" performed in galicianGalician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
. - In 2008 on the album No Tiene Fin of Los Cojolites in the song "La Herlinda" and has an interest in the topic "El Pescador" of the disk Sin Fecha de Caducidad by the Mexican singer Celso PiñaCelso PinaCelso Piña is a professional singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist mainly in the genre of cumbia.Celso Piña is a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of musica norteña, sonidero, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc...
. - In 2009 participated in the basque singer's album Kepa JunkeraKepa JunkeraKepa Junkera is a Basque musician and composer. A master of the trikitixa, the diatonic accordion, he has recorded more than 10 albums...
performs "Haurtxo Polita" in euskera. Also for the album Cantora, Vol. 2 of the singer Mercedes SosaMercedes SosaHaydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both...
, with the theme of "Razon de Vivir" That same year also works with the theme "El Llorar" for Mexican musician Ernesto Anaya for his album Huapangueando. - In 2010 in the musical production of the Mexican singer-songwriter Benny IbarraBenny IbarraBenny Ibarra De Llano is a singer, musician, producer and actor. He was born into a family of artists. His mother, Julissa, was a singer and actress in the 1960s; and his father, Benny, an actor and 1960s rock singer in the Mexican band Los Yaki.Benny Ibarra 's brother, Alejandro , was a singer...
called The March of the Living has involvement with him singing a duet song "Calaveras", second single of this production.
Awards and recognition
Throughout her career Downs has received several awards; they include the Latin GrammyGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, Lunas del Auditorio, among others.
She has recently unveiled her mark on the Walk of Fame located in the outskirts of Auditorio Nacional
National Auditorium
National Auditorium is an entertainment centre located at Paseo de la Reforma #50, Chapultepec in Mexico City right in front of the Polanco hotel zone next to Campo Marte....
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
for her career. Some of her most successful songs include: "Tengo miedo de quererte", "Estrella oscura", "La línea", "La llorona
La Llorona
La Llorona is a widespread legend in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America. Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria killing her children by drowning them, in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she kills...
", "La cumbia del mole" y "Ojo de culebra".
Albums
Narada Productions
Narada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
2006) The Very Best Of/El Alma de Lila Downs [CD] (EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
2008) Shake Away (Ojo de Culebra) (Manhattan Records
Manhattan Records
Manhattan Records is a United States record label, owned by EMI and operates as a subsidiary of The Blue Note Label Group.-Company history:Manhattan Records was formed in 1984 by Bruce Lundvall, and was later renamed EMI Manhattan Records after absorbing EMI America Records imprint...
2008) Lila Downs y La Misteriosa en Paris – Live À FIP [CD (Harmonia Mundi-Global Village Europe/USA; various labels worldwide), (CD + DVD EMI Mexico) (2010)]
DVD
- Lotería CantadaLotería CantadaLotería Cantada is a 2006 DVD featuring the Mexican-American singer Lila Downs in a series of concerts held in Mexico City and Oaxaca City, Mexico, in February 2006. The DVD is the result of a collaboration by a number of film makers working with Downs and her band...
(2006) - The Very Best Of/El Alma de Lila Downs [CD+DVD] (EMI 2008)
External links
- Official website
- Lila Downs Music Videos on CompulsiveTraveler.tv
- Lila Downs: beyond the border by Mary Armstrong, Sing Out!Sing Out!Sing Out! is a quarterly journal of folk music and folk songs that has been published since May 1950.-Background:Sing Out! is the primary publication of the tax exempt, not-for-profit, educational corporation of the same name...
vol 45#4 – Winter 2002 - "Wise Latina", an interview with Guernica MagazineGuernica MagazineGuernica / A Magazine of Art and Politics is a biweekly online site that publishes art and photography, fiction, and poetry, from around the world, along with nonfiction such as letters from abroad, investigative pieces and opinion pieces on international affairs and U.S. domestic policy...
's Joel Whitney - Lila Downs biography and discography at World Music Central