Lila Downs at the MFA
Last night we saw Lila Downs kick off this season’s concerts at the MFA. For those who are not aware as to whom Lila Downs is, let’s just say she’s a Mexican vocalist who mixes folk, ranchera, indigenous, world and classical music into a playful and emotive cocktail. Due to inclement weather conditions the courtyard was closed down and they relocated the concert to the MFA’s quaint little audiovisual room normally reserved for film festivals. Luckily in the ensuing confusion were able to secure some great seats, close enough to count the strings on the harp.
The show opened with Relámpago, a fast and energetic song that succeeded in getting the rest of the audience psyched. Since the concert was promoting her most recent album “La Cantina”, several bar standards where played such as Agua de Rosas, La Cama de Piedra and Penas en el Alma. While these songs spiked my thirst for tequila none of them compare to the devastating sincerity of her rendition of Paloma Negra; an epic drinking song which Lila first made hers on the “One Blood” album.
There were two songs in English which I think were covers but I couldn’t quite place. One thing I’ve learned is that if I hear a song at a concert I don’t recognize it might be on the next album, so if that is the case we might expect a more American album (focused on immigration) to follow up the Mexican bar anthems of “La Cantina”. Of course this is pure speculation, but speculation is fun. Also in English was her song Medley, which seems to have changed a lot since it debuted on “La Linea” and was especially jazzed up for this night. Accompanying the music where projected images of Mexican workers in American fields, making for some very poetic imagery.
Her musicians created tons of memorable moments throughout the concert, from the dueling percussion on La Cucaracha to Celso Duarte’s playfully virtuoso harp solo on La Iguana. When La Cumbia del Mole started the MFA’s crowd of older and well heeled fans went nuts, so I can only assume this song has seen a lot of rotation on world music radio stations. Finally after a haunting rendition of La Llorona the band wrapped things up with Viborita, breaking it down into a series of instrumental solos each more rewarding than the one before. We gave the band a standing ovation and after a short minute the band rushed right back out on stage and said goodbye to us with a tango infused rendition of Naila.
Lila Downs continues to be one of my favorite live performers and I was glad to hear her breathe life into “La Cantina” on stage, since it is a collection of songs made to be heard live. Now if only I had made a stop at her merch table I could have picked up “la lotería cantada”, her new DVD. I guess I just have to order it online like everybody else, and hope that’s enough to keep me content until the next time I hear her live.
