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An interesting CD for fans of Lila.
All i had too do was to listen to the first track on this CD and i was hooked, this woman has the voice of a Godess, and the lyrics, wow incredible, my only wish now is to see her live in concert.
BORDERS is dedicated to the Mexican migrants who struggle to cross the border into the US, and opens with a haunting contemporary lament in 'Mi Corazon Me Recuerda'. Accompanied here by pre-Columbian and Mexican folk instruments, Downs chooses a bass background and non-traditional style to add power to her lament.
Thanks for the tip Maude. I've read people referring to Lila as the modern day incarnation of Frida Kalo(I'm certainly not here to refute that) but within a musical context she may be this age's Joan Baez. I will definitely be out in search of more titles (explains why I am here now).
Her recommendation is that the cd doesn't do Lila's voice justice after seeing her live. Ms Downs uses her remarkable voice to deliver the most heartfelt and moving performance top to bottom to have graced my ears in quite a while. My friend Maude from DC turned me onto this disc a couple of weeks ago during a brief visit and I was captivated after the first ten bars.
She covers a variety of topics and genres with originality and power making me mindful of any number of wonderful chanteuses. Most of all, thank you Lila. Until I have that experience I won't challenge the point.
All I have have is this recorded representation by which to judge.
She has a huge stage presence; her audience loves her. I love bands that are unique so they are hard to categorize. "Mi Corazón Me Recuerda" is one of my all-time favorite recordings. The band is really more of a jazz combo always ready to break out into solos. This band fits squarely in that non-category. Haunting lyrics, great arrangement, a commanding vocal performance. My recommendation is that you see Lila Downs in concert, that's what got me to buy her CDs.
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