Lila Downs

Infobox musical artist
Name = Lila Downs

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Img_capt = June 2007. Luminato - Masters of World Music
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Born = 1968
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Origin = Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca
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Lila Downs (born 1968 in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca) is a Mexican singer. She performs her own compositions as well as tapping into native Mesoamerican music of the Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya and Nahuatl cultures.

Downs is the daughter of Mixtec cabaret singer Anita Sánchez and Allen Downs, a Scottish/English-American [http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:iMsU5f8CpCQJ:www.latinstylemag.com/Article.cfm%3FID%3D69+%22Paul+Cohen%22+%22Lila+Downs%22+married&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4 Lila Downs - La Conjugadora] . Retrieved on February 17 from google.com] professor of art and cinematographer from Minnesota. She grew up partly in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, partly in the U.S. state of California as a teen, and Minnesota as an adult where she graduated from the University of Minnesota in voice and anthropology [http://aztlan.net/lila.htm Lila Downs: With a song in her soul] Retrieved on February 17, 2006 from aztlan.net] .

She later returned to Mexico where she learned to weave. Later, she began singing in the club scenes of Oaxaca and Philadelphia along with Paul Cohen, an American-born saxophonist. They began collaborating together on songs that would slowly evolve into Downs's subsequent recordings. Cohen went on to become both Downs's husband and her artistic director. [http://www.xispas.com/music/downs.htm XISPAS:An interview with Lila Downs] Retrieved Sept 18, 2006 from xispas.com]

In recent years, Downs and her band have toured widely in Mexico, South America, the US and Europe. She was also heard in the soundtrack to the movie "Frida" in a song, "Burn it Blue", that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song and that she performed at the 75th Academy Awards. Other songs that she performed on the soundtrack are "Benediction and Dream," "Estrella Oscura," and "La Llorona." Other movies with a Lila Downs song are "Tortilla Soup" and "Real Women Have Curves". She was also invited to the Twelve Girls Band's concert in Shanghai, where she sings in French and English. Downs is currently based in Coyoacán, a borough of Mexico City.

Lila Downs released an album of new material as well as a few cover songs, including I Envy The Wind (song) by Lucinda Williams and I Would Never by Blue. The album was released on September 2, 2008 and is called Shake Away. Downs also collaborates with artists like La Mari (singer) from Chambao (band) and Enrique Bunbury from Héroes del Silencio.

Discography

*"Shake Away/Ojo De Culebra" (Manhattan Records 2008)
*"The Very Best Of El Alma de Lila Downs CD+DVD" (EMI 2008)
*"La Cantina" (Narada 2006)
*"Una Sangre (One Blood)" (Narada 2004)
*"Border (La Linea)" (Narada 2001)
*"Tree of Life (Yutu tata)" (Narada 2000)
*"La Sandunga" (Narada 1999)
*"Azuláo: En Vivo con Lida Downs" (1996)
*"Ofrenda" (1994)

DVD

*"The Very Best Of El Alma de Lila Downs (DVD Madrid en vivo)" (EMI, 2008)
*"Lotería Cantada" (November 2006) [http://www.compulsivetraveler.tv/people/liladowns Excerpts from the DVD on CompulsiveTraveler.tv]

Lyrics

*"La_Bamba_(song)#Lila_Downs.27_version

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.liladowns.com/ Lila Downs] , official website
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* [http://www.compulsivetraveler.tv/people/liladowns Lila Downs Music Videos on CompulsiveTraveler.tv]
* [http://www.highbeam.com/library/docFree.asp?DOCID=1G1:82012485 Lila Downs: beyond the border] by Mary Armstrong, Sing Out! vol 45#4 - Winter 2002