Ana Lila Downs Sánchez (born 9 September 1968 * *) is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions and the works of others in multiple genres, as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music. She also incorporates indigenous Mexican influences and has recorded songs in many indigenous languages such as

Mixtec The Mixtecs (), or Mixtecos, are Indigenous Mesoamerican peoples of Mexico inhabiting the region known as La Mixteca of Oaxaca and Puebla as well as La Montaña Region and Costa Chica of Guerrero, Costa Chica Regions of the state of Guerre ...

, Zapotec, Mayan,

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

and

Purépecha The Purépecha ( ) are a group of Indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cherán and Pátzcuaro. They are also known by the derogatory term " Tarascan", an exonym, app ...

. Born and raised in Oaxaca, she primarily studied at the Institute of Arts by Oaxaca and briefly attended the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She soon began performing in the traditional music scene of

Oaxaca City Oaxaca de Juárez (), or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec languages, Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surrounding munici ...

. Her first (independent) album, ''

Ofrenda An ''ofrenda'' (Spanish: "Sacrifice, offering") is the offering placed in a home altar during the annual and traditionally Mexican ''Día de los Muertos'' celebration. An ''ofrenda'', which may be quite large and elaborate, is usually created ...

'', was released in 1994. In 1999, Downs came to prominence with her debut studio album, ''La sandunga'', which was a critical and commercial success. She achieved international success in 2001 with the album ''

Border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

'' which emerged in the music scene of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and Latin America in the early 2000s (decade). Downs's seventh album, '' Pecados y milagros'' (2011), topped album charts in most major markets and generated chart-topping world music albums. Her eighth album, " Balas y Chocolate", was released in 2015. "Salón Lágrimas y Deseo", her ninth album, came out in 2017. Downs began performing in school, demonstrating her vocal ability with

traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and American influences, and with her own original twist on dancing. Downs, a native Spanish speaker, also speaks fluent

and English. Downs through her activism has gone through great lengths to preserve the Mixtec language as well as many other Indigenous Mexican languages. Influenced by Chavela Vargas, Mercedes Sosa, Lucha Villa, and Amparo Ochoa, Lila Downs is recognized for her flamboyant, diverse and outré contributions to the music industry through her traditional and authentic fashion, the majority of which are based around Mexico's indigenous peoples' styles, cultures and heritages, which show through her performances and music videos. Her achievements include one

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

and three

Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...

s. Besides her musical career, she involves herself with

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

causes and political activism, especially dealing with issues of

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

's indigenous population.

Early life

Lila Downs was born on 9 September 1968, in

Tlaxiaco Tlaxiaco () is a city, and its surrounding Municipalities of Oaxaca, 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 ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

, Mexico. She is the daughter of Anita Sánchez, a

cabaret singer and Allen Downs, a Scottish-American professor of art and

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

from

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. From an early age Downs showed interest in music. At the age of eight she began singing rancheras and other traditional Mexican songs. She began her professional career singing with

mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...

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 she decided to return to her native town

with her mother. LilaDownsOaxaca

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 deeply affected her and has continued to her work. She talked about this in an NPR interview about her 2001 release entitled ''Border''. Although today Downs is proud of her origins there was a time when she felt shame regarding her Indigenous roots. "I was embarrassed to have Indian blood. I was embarrassed that my mother spoke her language in public." This led her on a path to find herself, which included dropping out of college, dyeing her hair blonde and following the band

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, and world music with psyc ...

. After some time Downs found herself back in

, a city in southern Mexico, working at her mother's auto parts store, where she met her future husband and musical collaborator, tenor saxophonist Paul Cohen. Downs studied

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

at the

and voice in New York. Later she attended the Institute of Science and Arts of Oaxaca in Mexico to complete her studies. At 25, after completing academic and music studies, Downs decided to return to Tlaxiaco. Paul Cohen always encouraged her musical ventures, and she 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 community within the United States, singing songs about the Zapotec values and culture. Upon her return to

she started singing in bars, restaurants and clubs in the City of Oaxaca, as well as the city of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and the state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, always with the support of US saxophonist Paul Cohen. She received many positive critical reviews, which led to her decision to undertake an extensive tour of Mexico.

Career

1994–1996: First albums

In 1994, Lila Downs independently made her first album, entitled ''

''. This was both a collection of traditional songs from

and Mexico, and songs written by the singer with lyrics sung in Spanish,

and Zapotec (native languages of

). The material was produced both independently and with the support of the Oaxacan Cultures Institute. Because this album was not a commercial success in LP or cassette, she never released a version on CD. In 1996, Downs recorded a live session at a renowned café-bar of the City of Oaxaca. On this record Downs was accompanied by a set of well-known musicians who supported its interpretation of traditional themes, as well as

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. With this work Downs and her music became known in different parts of Mexico, and this was her first album to be released on CD. The album had a big impact, despite limited promotion and the fact that only a small number of copies were made. This CD is now out of print, and although not available as part of the official discography of Lila Downs, can be found in digital format.

1997–1999: La Sandunga

In 1997, Lila Downs made a second recording, called "Traces", on which she performed material that was to be included in later albums such as '' La Sandunga'', ''Tree of Life'' and ''

''. It is an extensive compilation of items in her traditional repertoire but, like its predecessor, had no commercial distribution, so this disc is also currently out of print. It was not until 1999, when Downs signed with the label Narada Productions, that she achieved commercial success and made herself known internationally with the album '' La Sandunga''. Recorded a year earlier, this material came to the forefront of

Mexican music The music of Mexico is highly diverse, featuring a wide range of musical genres and performance styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, primarily deriving from Europeans, Indigenous, and Africans. Music became an expression of M ...

and her album was one of the first to merge the sounds of

and modern rhythms as

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

and

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...

. The album was sung in Spanish and

, and was produced by Lila Downs and Paul Cohen with the support of Xquenda Cultural Association. Because of this success, Downs participated in the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

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.

1999–2000: Tree of Life/Yutu Tata

Downs's next album, ''Tree of Life'', was released in 2000. With this album the fame of Downs continued to spread to other markets in England,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. 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

. 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 US. The tour began in Mexico and ended in Spain.

2001–2003: Border/La Linea (The Line)

'', released by

EMI Music EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), c ...

in 2001, was the first album by Downs to feature songs sung in English. The album was released simultaneously in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and Mexico. With this album Downs merged sounds from different genres such as traditional

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

and chilena. It included fifteen songs, eleven in Spanish, three in English and one in Mayan. The album received generally good reviews and placed seventh in the top charts of

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

. It also stirred up controversy due to its frank discussion of

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

, Indigenous marginalization and the Acteal massacre. This drew criticism, especially from politicians and the church. The album's first single was released in Mexico, "Mi corazón me recuerda", a poem by

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

poet Jaime Sabines. Set to music, it achieved moderate success on the Mexican music charts. In Spain the song was called "''

La Llorona (; ) is a vengeful ghost in Hispanic American folklore who is said to roam near bodies of water mourning her children whom she drowned in a jealous rage after discovering her husband was unfaithful to her. Whoever hears her crying either suffer ...

''", in France the song was called "''Corazoncito Tirano''" and in the United States the song was called "''Medley: Pastures of Plenty/This Land Is Your Land/Land''" were released as singles. The latter incorporates two Woody Guthrie songs, " Pastures of Plenty" and "

This Land is Your Land "This Land Is Your Land" is a song by American folk singer Woody Guthrie. One of the United States' most famous folk songs, its lyrics were written in 1940 in critical response to Irving Berlin's " God Bless America". Its melody is based on a ...

" as well as original lyrics by Downs in "Land".

2004–2006: Una Sangre/One Blood

''One Blood'', one of Lila Downs's most successful albums, was released in April 2004, simultaneously in the United States, Spain, and Mexico. The lyrics on this album are about migration, discrimination and the case of Mexican human rights defender Digna Ochoa. In addition to traditional songs such as " La Bamba", "Viborita", and "

La Cucaracha La Cucaracha (, "The Cockroach") is a popular folk song about a cockroach who cannot walk. The song's origins are Spanish, but it became popular in the 1910s during the Mexican Revolution. The modern song has been adapted using the Mexican genr ...

", the album includes genres such as son jarocho,

, rock and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

. This album contains thirteen tracks, three in English, one in Triqui, one in Purepecha and eight in Spanish. Lyrics were authored by Lila Downs, Paul Cohen, Celso Duarte, and Jose Martí. In 2005 Lila Downs received the Grammy Latino in the category of "Best Album of World Music" for this album and reached the top of the charts in United States, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany and France.

2006–2008: La Cantina, entre copa y copa ...

Lila Downs took approximately one and a half years to prepare this project, which was released in April 2006. This CD draws on Mexican ranchero songs and merges sounds such as pop, rock, norteño,

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Africans during colonial times. Cumbia is said to have com ...

and

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

. This CD contains fifteen tracks, of which twelve are traditional Mexican repertoire authored by Lila Downs, and includes a version in English of "'' La cumbia del mole''", the song that to date is the most well-known work by the artist. "'' La cumbia del mole''" refers to the preparation of Mexican dish and tradition in

. This single managed to position itself among the top of the charts in Mexico, United States, Canada and United Kingdom. In 2007, Downs published a CD with the greatest success in Spanish to date, containing songs from her previous albums '' La Sandunga'', ''Tree of Life'', '' Border/The Line'', '' One Blood'' and '' La Cantina''. It was entitled simply '' The Very Best of Lila Downs'' and was accompanied with a DVD containing thirteen tracks recorded live at a concert in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, Spain.

2008–2009: Eye of the snake/Ojo de Culebra

Two years after the release of '' La Cantina'', in September 2008 Downs launched '' Ojo de Culebra'' in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

. The album reached sixth place in sales in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, Spain and several Latin American countries. The first single is titled " Ojo de Culebra" was contributed to by the Spanish singer La Mari by group of flamenco Chambao. The song is a

merger Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...

of rock,

and

flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...

with some influences of

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

. This song was at the top of the charts of

in several countries The second single was " Perro Negro", a

of rock with ska, (which did not have as much of an international impact as its predecessor), featured Rubén Albarrán singer of the Mexican rock band

Café Tacuba Café Tacuba (), stylized as Café Tacvba, is a band from Naucalpan de Juárez, State of Mexico. The group gained popularity in the early 1990s. They were founded in 1989, before they had the current lineup of Rubén Albarrán, Rubén Isaac Albar ...

. "Little man" (released in the U.S. alone) and "Justice" were her next two singles, the latter with the participation of the Spanish singer

Enrique Bunbury Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izarduy (born 11 August 1967), best known as Enrique Bunbury, is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He has been described as "by far the most international star of Spanish rock." He was propelled to fame as lead singer ...

. Raul Midon, Gilberto Gutierrez and Mercedes Sosa also contributed to this album. The single " Black magic woman" achieved moderate success in Europe, United States and Canada, and the single "Silent Thunder" was later well received by the British market. In October 2009 Lila Downs was honored by a plaque at the outskirts of her hometown and birthplace,

, and also was awarded the keys the city for her work preserving the language of

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 France studio 105 in Paris, France. It 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 Misteriosa en Paris was released in

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. Lila_Downs-Congress_Theater2

'' Pecados y Milagros'' (''Sins and Miracles'') was the seventh studio album by Mexican singer-songwriter Lila Downs, released on October 18, 2011. The album cover was released on September 14, 2011. The album debuted at number fifty two on the ''Billboard'' 200 becoming her fourth-highest peak on the chart. It also debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums Chart and stayed there for over 3 consecutive weeks. This album has sold over 60.000 copies in the US and over 290.000 copies worldwide. The album was recorded in Mexico City and New York. Downs describes the album musically as having "a strong rock side" along with "traditional" and "Latino" songs. Celso Duarte is one of several collaborators to appear on the album, featuring on the first single "Palomo del comalito". Other collaborations include songs with rappers Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas, Celso Piña and

Totó la Momposina Sonia Bazanta Vides (born 1 August 1940), better known as Totó la Momposina, is a Colombian singer of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent. She reached international attention with the release of her 1993 album '' La Candela Viva'' on Peter Ga ...

. Downs ahas been touring through February 2017 in Mexico, the US and around the world, the Sins and Miracles Tour, which started in Mexico. Audience members at a concert of February 18, 2012, at New York City El Museo del Barrio were informed that the concert was being recorded by

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

. In 2014, Soledad released Raíz, a collaborative album featuring Lila Downs and Spanish artist

Niña Pastori María Rosa García García (born 15 January 1978 in San Fernando, Cádiz, San Fernando, Province of Cádiz, Cádiz), better known as Niña Pastori, is a Spanish flamenco singer (cantaora). Biography María Rosa García was born in 1978 in th ...

, and received a nomination for a

Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors in ...

and the

Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year The Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the ...

, winning the Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album. The trio also collaborated with

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...

on the track ''Una Noche en Nápoles'' for the 2014 album Corazón. In 2015, Lila Downs joined the judging panel for The 14th Annual Independent Music Awards and by doing so, helped to assist the careers of upcoming independent artists. On May 26, 2017, Downs released ', under Sony Music Mexico/Latin. The first single of the album was " Peligrosa", followed over the summer by " Urge". Her next international tour started at the end of March 2017 on the West Coast of the US, followed by a series of performances in Mexico, Europe and Latin America. The album was awarded the Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas in November 2017. In August 2021, she collaborated with Guatemalan singer-songwriter Sara Curruchich on the song "Pueblos", which was released on the

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population. This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indi ...

Musical tours

2005–2006: One Blood Tour

Due to the success of the albums ''One Blood'' and ''

'' (2001 and 2004), the '' One Blood Tour'' took place and Downs performed 30 international shows on three continents. Countries such as the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, Japan, China,

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

were included on the tour, where Downs was well received by the public. In May 2007, Downs published a DVD collection as a document of that tour in a concert in

and

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

; 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.

2008–2009: Shake Away Tour

In September 2008, the ''Ojo de Culebra World Tour'' started, which took place on four continents, and was the most successful tour for a Mexican artist. In Latin America, Mexico was the country with the highest number of concerts (21 in total), the tour officially ended on October 30, 2009, giving a free concert in the Zocalo of Mexico City, followed by

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, with three concerts each. Although not part of the tour, Lila Downs appeared in the

Live Earth Live Earth was an event developed to increase Environmentalism, environmental awareness through entertainment. Background Founded by producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Live Earth 2007 The 1st series ...

in Germany, where she played three songs, and in late 2008 sang at the Harmony Festival held in California, United States.

2010: Black Magic Woman Tour

In March 2010, Lila Downs announced a world tour ''Black Magic Woman Tour'' which began in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

with three sold-out shows. This tour included several countries in America Asia and Europe in many of which attendance records were broken. The tour officially ended on November 17, 2010, in '' Square Dance by Oaxaca City'' where she had an audience of approximately seven thousand people.

2011–2014: Pecados y Milagros World Tour

Pecados y Milagros World Tour was Lila Downs' fourth musical tour in support of her seventh studio album, " Pecados y Milagros ", also her first album to win Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Award for best folk album, and best Regional/Mexican Tejano album It was announced on October 3, 2011, through the official website of the singer. Lila Downs explains her meaning behind Pecados y Milagros, also known as "Sins and Miracles" talking about the drug-related violence involved in Mexico's cities. https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-11-07/what-mexican-singer-lila-downs-pecados-y-milagros-says-about-drug-violence

2015–2017: Balas y Chocolate World Tour

Balas y Chocolate World Tour is Lila Downs's fifth concert tour, and promoted her eighth studio album Balas y Chocolate ("Bullets and chocolate" in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

) It began on March 26 in

at the Plaza Condesa, presenting the repertoire of new music album of the same name tour.

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in 2015, Spain has toured with great success ( Cartagena,

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

etc. ),

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

( Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Cordoba ), Bolivia, Ecuador, United States ( more than 20 cities, including

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, Step etc.) In 2016 she will be in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. In August 2016, Lila Downs performed at the 21st Annual Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival alongside Aida Cuevas, Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán, and Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles in Santa Barbara, CA.

2019–2021: Al Chile Tour

Al Chile World Tour is Downs' sixth world tour. It was to see concerts in Mexico,

the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

for 2019 and 2020. However, due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Downs was forced to cancel or postpone most of the concerts until 2021.

2022

On July 4, 2022, Lila Downs performed in Geneva, Switzerland at the festival ''Musiques en été''.

2023 : European Tour

On the 5th of August 2023, Downs and her band gave a concert at the Festival "Chant de Marins" (Songs of Sailors) in the port of Paimpol, Brittany, France in front of 45.000 people.

Acting

Downs has had small parts in such films as ''

Frida Frida, Frieda, or Freida may refer to: People and fictional characters *Frida (given name), any of several people or characters ** *Frieda (surname), any of several people or characters *Afroditi Frida (born 1964), Greek singer *Frida (singer) ...

'', '' Fados'' and '' Hasta el último trago corazón''; the latter is a documentary on

involving various exponents of the genre. Downs worked on the composition and arrangements for the musical '' Como agua para chocolate'', based on the book by Laura Esquivel, which premiered at the Public Theater of New York and Broadway in late 2011 and early 2012. She participated in the filming of the U.S. film '' Mariachi Gringo'' directed by Tom Gustafson, where she worked alongside Mexican actresses

Adriana Barraza Adriana Barraza González (born 5 March 1956) is a Mexican actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for '' Babel'' (2006). Early life Barraza was born in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, the daughter of Celia (née ...

Martha Higareda Martha Elba Guadalupe Higareda Cervantes () (born August 24, 1983) is a Mexicans, Mexican actress, Television producer, producer and screenwriter. Life and career Higareda was born in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, the daughter of actress Marth ...

and Canadian actor Shawn Ashmore. The film was released in 2012. She also played Nana Petra in the 2020 animated film '' Xico's Journey''.

Soundtracks

In 2001, Downs was invited to participate in the soundtrack of the Mexican film ''Piedras Verdes'' where she performed " Cancion mixteca", in 2002 she participated in the soundtrack for the film ''

'' singing the song "Burn It Blue" which was nominated in the

75th Academy Awards The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 23, 2003, at the Dolby Theatre, Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AM ...

in the category of Best Original Song. In 2005 she participated in the soundtrack for the film ''

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada ''The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'' (also known as ''Three Burials'') is a 2005 neo-Western film directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It also stars Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam, a ...

'' with the song "Dónde estás papá". Downs has also participated in other soundtracks for films such as ''Real Women Have Curves'' and '' Tortilla Soup''. In the film by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (4 January 1932 – 10 February 2023) was a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. With Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be among Spain's great filmmakers. He had a long and prolific career th ...

, '' Fados'' (2007), she sings an unforgettable version of " Foi na Travessa da Palha" in Portuguese.

Personal life

Since the beginning of her career she has been involved with Paul Cohen who is her partner and artistic director. There has been much speculation in the media about the couple's personal life and that the couple could not have children. In June 2010, Downs announced on her website that, after several years of trying to be parents, she and Cohen had adopted a child, Benito Dxuladi. They lived in

Coyoacán Coyoacán ( ; , Otomi: ) is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. The former village 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- ...

in Mexico City and

, although they spent most of the time traveling. In December 2022, Downs announced on her social media that her lifetime partner and husband Paul Cohen, died at the age of 69 years old, as a result of heart disease.

Social activism

Downs has been a social activist throughout her entire career and works to maintain her cultural identity and her roots 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 particularly with issues pertaining to the Indigenous, such as the mistreatment and misunderstanding of indigenous peoples of Oaxaca, by celebrating her Mixtec heritage through song. Her albums are socially significant, especially her album, One Blood, or Una Sangre, which includes songs such as "Dignificada", which is a song about Digna Ochoa's assassination. Digna Ochoa was a lawyer and social activist, and Downs featured her story on her album One Blood. When asked if she is a politician, Downs said 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 October 9, 2009, Downs, along with actress

Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...

represented Mexico in an event for the worldwide campaign of the

One Drop foundation One Drop is an international non-profit organization based in Montreal, created in 2007 by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, which is focused on water initiatives. Arts and culture One Drop uses circus arts, folklore, popular theatre, musi ...

, to preserve water. They performed together with the founder of

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...

, U2, former Vice President

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

and other "world-class" personalities.

Contributions

* In 2003 she was invited to the Twelve Girls Band concert in Shanghai, China, where she sang in French, Italian and English: Habanera from the opera

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

, " Signore, ascolta!" from the opera

Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...

, Summertime from

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' ( ) is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy (play), ...

and

Ode to joy "Ode to Joy" ( ) is an ode written in the summer of 1785 by the German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller. It was published the following year in the Thalia (German magazine), German magazine ''Thalia''. In 1808, a slightly revi ...

With Tim Sheff. She also participated on the album "Spain in my heart: Songs of the Spanish Civil War" with the song "El quinto regimiento". * In 2004 she collaborated with the Afghan singer Kulsoom Syed Ghulam on the album Lullabies from the Axis of Evil on the song "Lalolalo (Don't you Worry My Child)". * In 2005 she collaborated with the Galician band Luar Na Lubre on the album ''Saudade'' on the song "Domingo Ferreiro" performed in Galician. * In 2006 she collaborated on the Brian Lynch and

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Corsican and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. ...

album '' Simpático'' on the song "Que sería la vida" with Brian Lynch. * In 2007 she collaborated with the Argentinean band Los Calzones Rotos on the album ''Tanguito'' on the song "Loco". She also collaborated on the album "Homenaje a Pedro Infante: 50 aniversario" with the song "Amorcito corazón". And she collaborated with the Paraguayan musician Celso Duarte on the album "De sur a sur/From south to south" on the song "Petenera". * In 2008, on the Los Cojolites album ''No Tiene Fin'', she sang on the song "La Herlinda" and "El Pescador" of the album ''Sin Fecha de Caducidad'' by the Mexican singer Celso Piña. She also participated on the album "Songs of the siren: Irresistible voices" with the song "La cumbia del mole". She participated on the album "¡Nueva York!" from the American musician Dan Zanes with the song "La bruja". * In 2009 she participated on the album of Basque singer

Kepa Junkera Kepa Junkera Urraza (born 1965 in Bilbao, Basque Country (autonomous community), Euskadi, Spain) is a Basque people, Basque musician and composer. A master of the trikitixa, the diatonic accordion, he has recorded more than 10 albums. Euskara. She also sang "Razon de Vivir" on Mercedes Sosa's album ''Cantora, Vol. 2">Basque language">Euskara. She also sang "Razon de Vivir" on Mercedes Sosa's album ''Cantora, Vol. 2''. That same year she also worked on the song "El Llorar" on Mexican musician Ernesto Anaya's album, ''Huapangueando''. She equally participated on the album What About Me? (1 Giant Leap album), What About Me? from the UK duo 1 Giant Leap with the songs "Come to the edges" with Huun Huur Tu and "Solita sin soledad" with

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

. She participated on the album "Sweetheart: our favorite artists sing their favorite love songs" in the song " My One and Only Love". Also collaborated with the Brazilian musician Guilherme Monteiro on the album "Air" on the song "Retrato de un forró", and participated on the posthumous album "Duetos" from the Spanish singer Rocío Durcal on the song "Amor eterno". * In 2010, Lila Downs sang a duet with the Mexican singer-songwriter Benny Ibarra ("Calaveras"), on his album ''The March of the Living''. The song was the second single for the album. She also sang "Historia de un amor" on Roberto Alagna's album "Pasión". She sang a duet "Vámonos" with the Mexican singer Chavela Vargas on her album "¡Por mi culpa! Chavela Vargas y sus amigos". She also collaborated with the Irish band

The Chieftains The Chieftains were a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous w ...

on the album "San Patricio" on the song "La iguana" with

and

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

. * In 2012 she collaborated on Kevin Johansen's album Bi with the song "Baja a la tierra", and on the album " Mujer Divina" from the Mexican singer

Natalia Lafourcade María Natalia Lafourcade Silva (; born 26 February 1984) is a Mexican singer and songwriter who performs in genres such as pop rock, jazz, and folk music. Since her debut in 2002, she has been one of the most influential singers in Latin Americ ...

on the song "La fugitiva" * In 2013 she collaborated on the album "Ciudadana del mundo vol. 1" on the songs "De que te cuidas" and "Latinoamerica" with Eugenia León, Moyenei, Betsy Pecanins, Tania Libertad and Cecilia Toussaint. She collaborated with the Mexican singer

Leonel García Sin Bandera is a Mexican duo who perform romantic ballads, consisting of Mexican singer-songwriter Leonel Garcia and Argentine-Mexican singer-songwriter Noel Schajris. They formed in Mexico City in 2000. They became one of the most popular arti ...

on the album "Todas mías" on the song "Sirena". She also collaborated with the Mexican group Los Ángeles azules on the album "Como te voy a olvidar" on the song "El listón de tu pelo". She collaborated with the Spanish band Chambao on the album "10 años around the world" on the song "Papeles mojados". She participated on the album "Grandes éxitos de las sonoras, con la más grande, La Sonora Santanera" from the Mexican band La Sonora Santanera on the song "Tu voz".

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career Downs has received several awards, including a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

, 5 Latin Grammys and Lunas del Auditorio. She has recently unveiled her star on the Walk of Fame located in the outskirts of Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City for her career. Her last album ' Balas y Chocolate' was listed on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

as one of the year's best in World Music 2015, was one of the UK Sunday Times best albums of the year and was a Best Album of the Year pick in Songlines Magazine, where she was featured on the cover of the June 2016 issue. Some of her most successful songs include: "''Tengo miedo de quererte''", "''Estrella oscura''", "''La línea''", "''

La llorona (; ) is a vengeful ghost in Hispanic American folklore who is said to roam near bodies of water mourning her children whom she drowned in a jealous rage after discovering her husband was unfaithful to her. Whoever hears her crying either suffer ...

''", "'' La cumbia del mole''" y "'' Ojo de culebra''". In November, 2017 Lila's latest album; "Salón Lágrimas y Deseo" won Best Album Pop Traditional at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas. She was presented with the

Leading Ladies of Entertainment The Leading Ladies of Entertainment is an annual event organized by the Latin Recording Academy, the same body that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, at which awards are presented to women "excelling in the arts and sciences, and who have mad ...

accolade by the Latin Recording Academy in 2019.

Discography

Albums

*''

'' (1994) *'' Azulao: En vivo con Lila Downs'' (1996) *''La Sandunga'' (Narada 1999) *''

Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

(Yutu tata)'' (Narada 2000) *''

(La Línea)'' (Narada 2001) *'' One Blood (Una sangre)'' (Narada 2004) *''La Cantina'' "Entre copa y copa..." (

Narada Narada (, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage-divinity, famous in Hinduism, Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of the Manasputra, mind-created children of Brahma, the creator ...

2006) *'' The Very Best Of/El Alma de Lila Downs'' D( EMI 2008) *'' Shake Away (Ojo de Culebra)'' (

Manhattan Records Manhattan Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group and operates as a branch of Interscope Capitol Labels Group. Company history Manhattan Records was formed in 1984 by Bruce Lundvall and was later renamed EMI Manhatt ...

2008) *'' Lila Downs y La Misteriosa en Paris – Live a FIP D (Harmonia Mundi-Global Village Europe/US; various labels worldwide), (CD + DVD EMI Mexico) (2010)' *'' Pecados y Milagros'' (2011) *'' Balas y Chocolate'' (2015) *''Salón, Lágrimas y Deseo'' (2017) *''Al Chile'' (2019) *''La Sánchez'' (2023) With the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project * '' Simpático'' (artistShare, 2007) with

and Soledad Pastorutti * '' Raíz'' (2014)

DVD

*'' Lotería Cantada'' (2006) *''The Very Best Of/El Alma de Lila Downs''

D+DVD D, or d, is the fourth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''. History T ...

(EMI 2008)

References

External links

Official website
*
Lila Downs Music Videos on CompulsiveTraveler.tv

Lila Downs: beyond the border
by Mary Armstrong,

Sing Out! ''Sing Out!'' was a quarterly journal of folk music and folk songs that was published from May 1950 through spring 2014. It was originally based in New York City, with a national circulation of approximately 10,000 by 1960. Background ''Sing O ...

vol. 45 no. 4 Winter 2002
"Wise Latina"
an interview with

Guernica Magazine ''Guernica / A Magazine of Art and Politics'' is an American digital magazine known for publishing fiction, poetry, essays, reportage, art, and interviews that focus primarily on global perspectives and the intersection between art and politics. ...

's Joel Whitney
Lila Downs biography and discography
at World Music Central

Paste Magazine Article
"Lila Downs on BBC Newsnight"
Interview by Secunder Kermani 2016
"Lila Downs: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert"
Lila Downs Tiny Desk Concert 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Downs, Lila 1968 births Living people Grammy Award winners Singers from Oaxaca University of Minnesota alumni English-language singers from Mexico French-language singers of Mexico Mixtecan-language singers Nahuatl-language singers Purépecha-language singers Zapotec-language singers Latin Grammy Award winners Mayan-language singers Mexican women singer-songwriters Mexican singer-songwriters Mexican people of Mestizo descent Mexican people of American descent Mexican people of English descent Mexican people of Scottish descent Mexican people of Mixtec descent Narada Productions artists People from Tlaxiaco Indigenous Mexican artists Sony Music Latin artists Indigenous musicians of the Americas Sony Music Mexico artists Indigenous Mexican women 20th-century indigenous people of the Americas 20th-century indigenous women of the Americas 21st-century indigenous people of the Americas 21st-century indigenous women of the Americas Women in Latin music