Born in the mountains of Oaxaca, Downs grew up in the Sierra Madre mountains of southern Mexico and later studied music and anthropology at the University of Minnesota and at the University of the Arts in Oaxaca. But it was only through music that Downs reconciled her heritage. "It took a long time to decide that I wanted to sing," she says. "Something needed to motivate me."

That motivation was the songs and stories of the Oaxacan people. Her Mixtec mother spurred Downs to sing these songs with sentimiento - a deep, almost empathic emotion which has left audiences of all cultures and countries spellbound.

Downs recalls the first time she was struck with this particular brand of sentimiento. "While I was in Oaxaca, I was asked to translate from English to Mixtec death certificates of young boys who had left for the United States searching for work. Their relatives wanted to know how they had died. It was so powerful, being this translator of their deaths. I had to sing about it, to honor them if I could."

Since then, composing has become a powerful artistic and cultural outlet for Downs. She researches the ancient codices of the Mixtex and Zapotec people and sets them to music. Down bridges the past and present with stirring songs drawn from the folklore and history of a culture steeped in passion, heartache, tradition, and pride.

On stage. Downs - with her thick braids and soulful, ink-black eyes - transforms herself, becoming the character of the song. "You have to find the spirit to the songs, otherwise it doesn't matter how pretty you sing. I can't quite explain what it is, but I think it has something to do with getting to know yourself and feeling right about what you're doing."

Downs CD Tree of Life, is inspired by the mythological account in the 16th century Codex Vindobonesis telling of the first Mixtec people being born from trees. Singing in both Mixtec and Spanish, Downs artfully showcases the traditional cumbia and ranchera styles alongside eclectic mixes inspired by border life.  

Official Web Site: http://www.liladowns.com

La Sandunga (Narada, 1997 )

Yutu Tata - Arbol de la Vida - Tree of Life (Narada, 2001)

La Línea - Border (Narada, 2001)

Una Sangre (Narada, 2004)

Cantina (Narada, 2006)

• USA: Folklore Productions. Address: Appian Way, Santa Mónica, CA 90401, USA. Phone: +1-310- 451-0767, Fax: +1-310- 458-6005 1671 . E-mail: mitchg@folkloreproductions.com
• Europe: 3D Family. Address: 3D Family, 4 rue Félix Terrier, 75020 Paris, France. Phone: +33 (1) 40096466, Fax: +33(1) 4009 1234. E-mail: valeriemalot@3dfamily.org

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