The Very Best of Lila Downs [PA]

Performer: Lila Downs
Producer: Rudy Kernspeck; José Antonio Belchí; Salvador Soto; Nacho Jiménez; Lorena Pérez DelPostigo; Pepe Cielo
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Booker King (bajo sexto); Celso Duarte (jarana, violin); Rob Curto (accordion); Paul Cohen (clarinet, saxophone); Samuel Torres (percussion). Photographer: Mayra Acosta. Translator: Juan DeDios Cruz. Unknown Contributor Role: Gabriel Moedano Navarro. Arrangers: Tony Ta�o; Lila Downs; Michael Ramos; Aneiro Ta�o; Celso Duarte; Ernesto "El Canella" Anaya; Paul Cohen . Although she's been recording since 1994, this '09 CD and DVD release marks the first survey of the singer's vibrant career. An archivist of Mesoamerican folk traditions, as well as a skilled songwriter in her own right, Downs memsermizes listeners with her deep vibrato, intelligent lyrics, and percussion-heavy, dance-ready songs that honor the old ways and yet sound fresh and current. She is celebrated for her intensity--the feral vocal on the stark "Arenita Azul" will startle new fans--but she also has a way with a smooth romantic ballad ("Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps").

Though Lila Downs was born in the Oaxaca region of Mexico, and grew up both there and in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she has fully embraced the music of her Mexican heritage. No purist, she brings varied influences from rock, jazz, and even electronica into the mix. Downs has a compellingly distinctive voice--she can sound husky, tender, bereaved, or romantically reflective. Or she can trill like an imperious queen. For her instrumental tracks, the post-modern Downs has utilized fuzzed-out electric guitar and sampling techniques along with brass, acoustic guitar, harp, and violin. Imagine a Mexican-American Laurie Anderson or if Frida Kahlo were a musician instead of a visual artist.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.5