Lila Down Comes to Houston, 4/5

Vocalist Lila Downs and her band will come to Houston for one night only, Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m. in Wortham Center's Cullen Theater, as part of her Pecados y Milagros, tour presented by Society for the Performing Arts.

Known for her smoky voice and magnetic performances, Mexican-American (born Oaxaca, Mexico, but raised in Minneapolis) singer and composer Lila Downs has created one of the most singular explorations of Mexican roots music on both sides of the border. Sometimes the sound feels like a heat-fueled road trip from Oaxaca to New Orleans. For more than a decade, she has performed all over the world, bringing to the stage her dramatic and highly unique reinvention of traditional Mexican music and original compositions fused with blues, jazz, soul, African root, and even klezmer music, all supporting her soaring voice.

Pecados y Milagros (Sins and Miracles), her newest album, is the culmination of a journey intricately tied to her sense of purpose as a human being and an artist. This first release on the Sony Music México imprint has, since its release in October 2012, taken the singer to a new level of success. The CD hit number one on the Mexican charts immediately following its release, and went on to win a 2012 Latin GRAMMY for Best Folk Album, as well as a 2013 GRAMMY for Best Regional Mexican Album.

Recorded in Mexico and New York, Pecados y Milagros is a collection of 14 tracks, six of them originals that Downs co-wrote with Paul Cohen, her husband, producer and musical collaborator. The remaining songs are re-workings of classic songs from famed Mexican songwriters such as Marco Antonio Solís, Tomás Mendez, and Cuco Sánchez, among others.

Pecados y Milagros finds Lila drawing inspiration from her new role as a mother - what she refers to as a "miracle" - and reflecting on the meaning of "sin" in today's complex modern world. Downs recasts the grand narratives of religion in light of contemporary issues while adding a unique visual component to the music by commissioning a series of Mexican devotional paintings (retablos or ex-votos) that are thematically connected to each song. Each track on the CD is matched by a new retablo that illustrates an aspect of the CD's intensely personal themes. The singer's indomitable spirit is the common thread that ties it all together, creating a singular, multimedia work of art that transcends categorization.

In addition to Lila's music career, she has movie credits to her name, including a feature role in Mariachi Gringo, a film chosen as the opening night film at the Miami International Film Festival in March 2012. She had a smaller role in Frida with Salma Hayek which resulted in her performing the Oscar-nominated soundtrack song "Burn It Blue" on the Academy Awards telecast, becoming the first Mexican to perform on the awards ceremony. Her music has been included in several other films such as Tortilla Soup, Real Women Have Curves, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and Carlos Saura's Fados.

Performing alongside Lila Downs (vocals, percussion) are Paul Cohen (Tenor Sax, Clarinet); Leo Soqui (Accordion, Jarana); Yayo Serka (Drums, Percussion); Luis Guzman (Bass); Rafa Gomez (Guitar); and George Saenz (Trombone, Jarana).

Tickets range from $35-$70 and can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org, by phone at 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. For groups of 15 or more call 713-632-8113.

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