The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is delighted to welcome the soulful, singular presence that is Lila Downs on Sunday, April 26 at 7pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall. The GRAMMY-Award winning singer/songwriter, and social activist, will perform works from her anticipated forthcoming 11th studio album, Balas y Chocolate (Bullets and Chocolate), to be released worldwide later this month.
"Watching Chan Centre audience-favourite
Lila Downs is a feast for the senses - from her unique fusion of traditional Mexican folk, rock, blues, and jazz, to the band's luscious sounds, coupled with her vibrant costumes and theatricality," says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director of the Chan Centre. "More than just entertainment, however, her performances are rooted in earthy and meaningful traditions. As she playfully weaves in elements from a variety of genres, you can hear the voices of generations speaking through her music, resulting in a very powerful and profound experience."
For the music of Balas y Chocolate, slated for release in digital format on March 24, 2015, Downs examines themes of mortality inspired by the Day of the Dead, a Mexican national holiday meant to honour the memory of loved ones and usher their spirits into the afterlife. The lyrics are decidedly political, speaking out against the publicized civil injustices and violence that has gripped Mexico in recent years. True to her previous releases, the messages of these lively and infatuating songs are underlined with the plight of indigenous and immigrant rights.
Lila Downs is the daughter of a Mixtec Indian woman who left her village at 19 to sing in Mexico City cantinas, and a Minnesota-born, Scottish-American professor who, upon seeing Downs' mother perform, instantly fell in love. She grew up both in
Minnesota and Oaxaca, and having been influenced by styles from both sides of the border, has become one of the most innovative exponents of Mesoamerican music. Downs and her band, La Misteriosa, have won many prestigious accolades and boast a devoted following in North America and Mexico.
Her fame has grown to such heights that a species of grasshopper was even recently named after her, a great honour given the importance these insects play in Mexican culture and cuisine in her home state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Discovered on the side of a mountain road near Oaxaca city, the colourful grasshopper was named Liladownsia fraile, in recognition of the artist's efforts to preserve indigenous culture, and as a nod to her brightly coloured stage attire.
Over her impressive career, Downs has performed at some of the world's most high profile events and venues, including the 2013 Latino Inaugural Ball for President Barack Obama in Washington, and the 2003 Academy Awards where she sang the Oscar-nominated song Burn It Blue from the film Frida.
The artist, known for her smoky voice and magnetic presence, has developed a unique and celebrated body of work, which has won her a GRAMMY award, two Latin GRAMMY Awards, and numerous nominations. Highlights of her album list include La Sandunga (1999), La Linea/Border (2001), Una Sangre/One Blood (2004), La Cantina (2006), Shake Away/Ojo de Culebra (2008) and her Sony Music debut, Pecados y Milagros (2012).
Her last release RAÍZ (2014) is a collaboration album alongside Argentina's Soledad and Spain's Niña Pastori, and offers a lush, dreamy exploration of their respective musical roots.
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