Lugaru
Sous Chef
Just a heads up to all of you that might have a chance to see Lila Down in concert... it dosent get any better than that. I just got back from the show (second time I've seen her live, the first was like 5 years ago in Mexico) and it's probably one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Lila is the child of an american documentary film maker and a Mexican singer (from Oaxaca) who started singing mariachi at age 8 and then moved on to opera, traditional indigenous music and so on ending up with a double major in voice and anthropology.
Not only is she a total babe, not only does she dress in gorgeous indigenous clothing (huipil, northern boots, braids) but her voice... or shall I say her voices... they make me die. She sings in a clasical soaring opera soprano voice, she sings in a soulful and tear jerking mariachi "falsete", she sings in a playful and nasal indigenous voice and in a deep and dry earth caked blues voice. And her band is second to none, especially the harp player.
You know how you keep hearing legends of some one selling their soul to the devil to play awesome guitar but you really just cant hear it in their music? Edmar Castaneda has got heaven and most of **** in his harp playing. Im talking super high speed harp plucking traded back and forth with dissonant jazz twangs and a really even mix of classical, ragtime and south mexican influences. One of the best moments in the night was hearing the old white guy next to me (who didint know who he came to see judging by a conversation I overheard) go "wow..." at one of his solos. It wasent an apreciative wow... it was a totally caught off guard as if he just saw a UFO blow up a mountain wow.
I highly recomend all of her albums (La Sandunga, Border, Tree of life, One blood and the Frida soundtrack) but seriosly she's never put anything out that matches her live music, her charisma, her dancing and the amazing solos of her band. So hey every one: check out your community calendars and let's hope another one of you can experience what I just went through!
Lila is the child of an american documentary film maker and a Mexican singer (from Oaxaca) who started singing mariachi at age 8 and then moved on to opera, traditional indigenous music and so on ending up with a double major in voice and anthropology.
Not only is she a total babe, not only does she dress in gorgeous indigenous clothing (huipil, northern boots, braids) but her voice... or shall I say her voices... they make me die. She sings in a clasical soaring opera soprano voice, she sings in a soulful and tear jerking mariachi "falsete", she sings in a playful and nasal indigenous voice and in a deep and dry earth caked blues voice. And her band is second to none, especially the harp player.
You know how you keep hearing legends of some one selling their soul to the devil to play awesome guitar but you really just cant hear it in their music? Edmar Castaneda has got heaven and most of **** in his harp playing. Im talking super high speed harp plucking traded back and forth with dissonant jazz twangs and a really even mix of classical, ragtime and south mexican influences. One of the best moments in the night was hearing the old white guy next to me (who didint know who he came to see judging by a conversation I overheard) go "wow..." at one of his solos. It wasent an apreciative wow... it was a totally caught off guard as if he just saw a UFO blow up a mountain wow.
I highly recomend all of her albums (La Sandunga, Border, Tree of life, One blood and the Frida soundtrack) but seriosly she's never put anything out that matches her live music, her charisma, her dancing and the amazing solos of her band. So hey every one: check out your community calendars and let's hope another one of you can experience what I just went through!
