Friday April 18, 2008
Lila Downs
Visit Lila Downs on the Web
"There are many tones in the Mexican jukebox, and many of the best resound from Ms. Downs, a mezzo-soprano with a three-octave range, a hungry mind and an arresting stage presence." -The New York Times
Watch Lila Downs video
Friday, April 18, 2008 at 8 pm / Kenan Auditorium
Featured in 2002's Frida and on the film's Grammy Award-nominated soundtrack, Mexican-American chanteuse Lila Downs evokes the vibrant rhythms of her country's long and cherished folk-music legacy but with hip, contemporary instrumentation and arrangements. Singing in Zapotec, Mixtec, Mayan, Spanish, and English-and with a range and a voice that defy easy categorization-Downs brings a keen social awareness to her repertoire of original and traditional songs expressing messages of respect for human rights and dignity.
Raised in both the Mexican valleys of Oaxaca and in the United States, Lila Downs creates strongly layered music in which blues and jazz cohabitate with rap and ranchera, and honky-tonk swings alongside romantic boleros. Downs' songs get deep into the hearts and minds of common people, invoking struggles, lost loves and legends. Invigorating a new wave of crossborder Latino music, Downs' last CD Una Sangre (One Blood) earned critical raves and won a 2004 Latin Grammy. For the UNCW concert, Downs performs music from her latest CD La Cantina (The Saloon), a tribute to Mexico's beloved canciones rancheras, the deeply soulful, often lamenting, and always emotionally vivid ballads heard throughout Mexico's cantinas.
Tickets: $18 adults; $14 UNCW employees and seniors 65+; $6 UNCW and area students Call Kenan Box Office 910.962.3500. Campus members may also visit Sharky's Box Office in the Fisher Student Center.
***UNCW Students***
Free ticket vouchers available for UNCW students beginning Mon, April 14 at Sharky's Box Office. Available on a first come, first serve basis.
Presented by UNCW Arts In Action Series and Co-sponsored by
Brought to you by UNCW Presents.
