With her fusion of Indigenous traditions, Latin American folk song, jazz and rock, the Mexican-American singer Lila Downs occupies a place all her own. Her new album and stage programme, »Cambias mi mundo« (You Change My World), marks a return to her roots through a collection of memorable original songs.
Lila Downs is the daughter of a Scottish-American father and a mother from the Mixtec people, one of Mexico’s most important Indigenous communities. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an opera singer, but her studies in anthropology led her deep into the history of her ancestors. There she discovered living myths, richly imaginative texts and a culture of extraordinary vitality that became a driving force behind her own music. The multiple Grammy Award winner is committed to bringing the languages and traditions of the Mixtec, Zapotec, Nahuatl, Maya and Purépecha peoples to international audiences. In doing so, she combines Indigenous influences with a contemporary musical language.
Together with her septet, featuring both brass instruments and the small jarana guitar from the Veracruz region in prominent roles, she now presents »Cambias mi mundo«, a programme that celebrates the world of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples with passion and intimacy. The result is a warm and welcoming atmosphere that invites audiences to dance and celebrate, while allowing the cultures of these ancient communities to shine through.
PERFORMERS
Lila Downs vocals
Josh Deutsch trumpet
George Saenz trombone
Sinuhé Padilla Isunza jarana
Rafael Gomez Nuñez guitar
Luis Guzman double bass
Nakeiltha Campbell percussion
Lautaro Burgos drums
PROGRAM
»Cambias mi mundo«
