SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022 AT 8 PM
Lila Downs
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley.
Mexican American singer and activist Lila Downs is adored by her many fans for staying true to her roots even while she is always moving forward.
Through a long career that has earned her multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, she now ranks as one of the most recognizable singers in Latin alternative music.
A commanding presence at center stage, Downs, “no stranger to raising hell and consciousness through the power of song” (Rolling Stone), has a superhuman vocal range and a deeply empathetic spirit, championing the causes of immigrants, women, and indigenous groups in her genre-hopping compositions.
Her latest release, Al Chile, is infused with the infectious rhythms of cumbia and explores themes of pleasure and pain, suffering and redemption, through the metaphor of Mexico’s ubiquitous chili pepper.
Amazing videos!
About Lila Downs!
Born to artistic parents, her mother is a Mixtec singer and father a film-maker, Lila uses ancient and indigenous cultures as an inspiration in her music, and studied anthropology at thr University of Minnesota.
Her lyrics often also have a social and political message, reflecting social issues which she feels strongly about such immigration and cultural heritage.
Lila won a Latin Grammy Award in 2004 for her album Una Sangre, which translates as One Blood.