Customer Reviews

Border (La Linea)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

OK, folks, listen up! It's been a few hours since I went to see Lila (pron. Lee-la) Downs in concert at San Juan College. Yes, in Farmington, NM(!), and the two months I've waited since I bought the ticket was worth it! Most of the songs was taken from La Linea (The Border), which thematically describes the immigrant experience of Mexicans into the US, and is dedicated to those who were killed trying to enter. I will admit, with the audio footage during the performance of migrant workers and women enslaved in the maquiladoras, I felt my leftist stirrings bubbling. She clearly came with an agenda, but using the language of music to entertain but also educate, standing on a stage and not wagging her finger on a soapbox. Here are the highlights.

"Sale Sobrando" (Good For Nothing) is a song about the indigenous experience, from the time of Cortes to the massacre in Chiapas, and the racism encountered: "your face is dark but you want to be white/but you really like your taco and tortillas." The title is explained in the last three lines: "Tourists and foreigners come here in vain/what do they worry for-human rights?/if justice here is good for nothing?"

She puts in her husky Billie Holliday-like emotion in Cuco Sanchez's "Corazoncito Tirano" (Little Tyrant Heart), whose instrumentation veers towards country. She asks, "whose mouth is erasing/the kisses I gave you, little tyrant heart?"

The mid-paced ballad "La Nina" (The Girl) is dedicated to the women workers, and tells the psychologically debilitating effects of a maquiladora worker, who only gets Sundays off. The song ends on a positive note of hope, that someday, those days will be over: "one day you will be equal to everyone."

"Hanal Weech" (Eat, Armadillo) was performed at the concert and it's an upbeat cumbia sung in Mayan. The spoken interlude, translated in English goes, "You, beautiful woman even though you are very attractive, the day will come when I leave you because you smell like an armadillo. But if you put some perfume on, I'll come back to you." She explained this and it drew laughter. Celso Duarte's violin plays heavily here, and Lila's voice has a comical, child-like tone. One thing that I wonder: what do armadillos smell like?

A Woody Guthrie medley, "Pastures Of Plenty/This Land Is Your Land" is sung in English, and she did this in concert. She does the second song with a jazz-ish melody, something like late 80's Sade, except with a Latin beat. But there is also a rap that questions the definition of being American. "When did you come...long long before the buffalo walked?" or "Say you're American, but what does it mean?"

"El Bracero Fracasado" is a quick mariachi number about someone who made it past the border with nothing but the clothes on his back, and went through hunger and hardship only to get sent back where he has nothing.

The elegiac "Transito" (Transit) is a sad look at someone far from home who works "in this valley of asphalt and lead", where the factory prospers, but not the workers. "Smoke" is about another massacre of people that hasn't stirred human conscience. "Now everyone's waiting and hoping for justice/but will there be goodness when men kill their own?" she asks.

The sad torch song "La Martiana" based on a Zapotec song, is an entreaty to a young girl. Lila briefly recited excerpts of this before singing it, "Little girl, when I die/don't cry over my grave/because if you cry I will haunt you/but if you sing to me, my life/I will always live. I will never die." My favourite song here.

"La Llorona" (Crying Woman) is a melodic harp and guitar ballad and features the many aspects of Lila's hearty voice, soaring high octave, to low and smoky Holliday-style register, to that shuddering with emotion. Another favourite, and also on the Frida soundtrack.

The bonus track is an exotic cover of "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps", or "Quizas Quizas Quizas" in Spanish, most popularly done by Doris Day. Lila sings the verses in her hearty mid-register Spanish, the chorus in a softer register, in English.

Most of the lyrics are printed in both Spanish and English, so that's a big help. In all cases, Lila's able to capture the emotion of the lyrics and music. Her voice soars, rings harshly, and even quivers with emotion. And the Mexican and pre-Columbian instruments enhances this album with an exotic flavour. Gracias, Lila!

Add a star to this superb collection of songs, it's that good! The CD is organized around the theme of Mexican immigration from south of the border by people seeking a better life. Lila Downs is probably the best artist out there you may not have heard of. She sings a variety of styles and could be a giant in any genre if she chose. Instead she defies classifiation and tantalizes in various styles. If you've heard her distinct voice you'll never forget her. Without a doubt this is her finest release to date. Her vocal range is fantastic and defies the norm for "divas." This is also her most accessible CD with several songs in English. Easily my favorite CD from the summer of 2001, this is one of those that can be played over and over. Lila's voice flows seemingly effortlessly from husky baritone to soaring tenor into soprano with a range that is operatic reaching notes off the scale. Her voice is heartfelt and full of emotion that touches the listener and captivates one's soul. One of the highlights from this CD is the "Medley:Pastures of plenty/This land is your land," with Lila asking questions and posturing in defiance of a more traditonal arrangement of the Woody Guthrie classic. Lila's voice is unforgetable and strikes chords deep within one's soul. The themes chosen are a perfect avenue for her voice which wails with conviction and passion, sometimes playful but always serious. There are no personal faves, the whole CD is a conceptual masterpiece that supercedes individual songs. Each song has a unique quality that is befitting of a fave. The musicians chosen to be around her are all excellent and hail from different parts of the globe adding worldly textures to this masterpiece. If you like music that fits loosely into the world music category, that is folkloric and jazzy, rhythmic and soulful then this is for you. Highly reommended for those that like music with a message that doesn't massage, Lila is straighforward and to the point. Music with a message tends to hammer the point, Lila has the ability to hit you a sledge hammer and it feels good. There is enough variety ("La Llorana","Perhaps, Perhaps","Smoke","El Feo", "Soy Pescador") on this CD to deter you from the The Border but like it's immigrants, the diversity adds to the total beauty. Get this CD, it is vital music reflective of both sides of the border. The booklet is an outstanding bilingual edition with beautiful pictures and words. Viva Lila Downs y que Viva La Vida!!

Listening to this CD is like watching a good movie or reading a good book. Every time it plays I am touched on a different level, hear something new, or put two previous images together for a brand new "ah hah! oh wow!" experience.

The musuical arrangements are well crafted, from lush to stark, as the lyrics appropriate. And the lyrics! Alone they would touch your heart with emotion and provoke thought. Likewise, the voice of Ms. Downs pierces your senses without needing to know what the words mean. She goes places and utilizes her voice like I have never heard before.

The songs are in Spanish, English, and in Indigenous Mexican dialects. To guide you through, the booklet includes bilingual translations of all the material (*some of the English lyrics do lack Spanish translation, though). And the booklet itself is so beautifully put together it seems to me to be as important a part of the album as the music. Almost every time I play this CD I end up with the booklet in my hands, studying the translations, following along in the Spanish and absorbing the art of the background art. I plan to buy a dozen more to give away to special people I know.

Lila Downs is a very rare and gifted songstress that treads where many other artists may be afraid to go ! By that I mean this vocally gifted singer and songwriter combines the best of a lot of different worlds both musically and culturally. This Freida Kahlo (female Mexican painter) look- a-like remains true to her roots and ethnicity while bringing a new world music flavor to this potpourri of tracks. Born of a Caucasian American father and Mexican Indian mother she is able to maintain a rich balance musically on both sides of the border. She sings about the trials and tribulations of Mexican immigrants without slamming the country she was born in (United States).In fact, Border/La Linea could be the international immigrant anthem album for all races of the world...

Her voice is best described as silky, yet throaty, deep and rich in vocal range with a hint of female torch jazz singer quality! The melange of styles of music range from Mex-Tex, Carribean, Cuban, and definitely Mexican with modern worldly influences. The music maintains a certain pure and organic sound while touching on a hint of jazz, pop, and yes classical (the trained musical ear will know what I'm talking about) ! Each song is a story with heart and meaning but without turning into a campy or preachy homily. This artist's latest project is what Linda Ronstadt's Canciones de mi Padre did for the late 80's in the music world (though I will give Lila Downs a much higher rating for being genuine, natural, and innovative) !...This Lila Downs project is a definite find and keeper !

Lila Downs es lo que deberia ser la musica en este siglo, no deja para nada sus raices Mejicanas, incluye ritmos de toodos los estilos (que tienen que ver con su musica) juega con su voz de una manera tan personal que realmente merece oir muchisimas veces el disco para descubrir cada vez algo nuevo, es perfecta, actual, no desperdicia una sola de las canciones, creo que es la unica cantante que se atreve a variar su voz para cada cancion, por supuesto que la version de "Quizas, quizas" es digna de admiracion, palabras son pocas para describir este trabajo, si uno es aficionado a la musica, este es un disco (y una Cantante) de culto. Ojala vengan mas artistas en español (Dulce Pontes lo hace en portugues) que hagan vanguardia en musica. Una joya.

I must admit that this CD was a pleasant surprise, since Lila's Arbol de la Vida dealt with the Native-Mexican theme exclusively. La Linea is fresh, sweet, and fun. The musical arrangements are superb. Her voice is raw, yet powerful. I especially love the bonus track, "Quizas, quizas, quizas", since it is an old song my mother used to sing, but Lila gives it a new twist. I highly recommend this CD. Listen to it more than once and you'll see how each song grows on you.

"Mi Corazón Me Recuerda" is one of my all-time favorite recordings. Haunting lyrics, great arrangement, a commanding vocal performance. My recommendation is that you see Lila Downs in concert, that's what got me to buy her CDs. She has a huge stage presence; her audience loves her. The band is really more of a jazz combo always ready to break out into solos. I love bands that are unique so they are hard to categorize. This band fits squarely in that non-category.

The music of this album (Smoke) enchanted me the first moment I heard it on a local radio. Then, tune after tune, I discovered the genius of Lila's magic voice, being able to be transformed into numerous worlds, telling stories with an amazing subtility and yet a robust power, painting feelings, burning the barriers of music genres.... I don't speak spanish but I absorb a melody of a language and the meaning of many words and this is the best interpretation of spanish language I ever heard. Not to speak about musicians- sheer "A" grade ! I might sound too enthusiastic, but in my opinion the record had put Lila into the "Hall of fame" of the world music (together with Horace Silver, the Beatles, Dexter Gordon, Dimitri Sostakowicz, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Prince....)So I can just repeat the title of this review hoping she will made more records like that in the future.

Lila Downs is amazingly talented. Not only is her music incredible (I love the instrumentation throughout), but her lyrics are joltingly introspective. I cannot listen to a single track without feeling rapturously moved. A true return to all of our roots. And yes, "Quizas," the bonus track, is a special treat. I want more of her quality and depth of music in my life- music that entertains and enlightens. She makes a difference.

Stan Gotlieb, thro whose great site I'm buying this ear unheard, told me this album contains the Woody Guthrie medley that includes "Pastures of Plenty," with which she stopped the show in her hometown, Oaxaca, where we saw her in concert in February -- when your homefolks get to their feet, you're going places (but buyers of her previous Narada CD's knew that already, right?). She's sharing the Saturday afternoon stage at the Philly Folk Festival with Arlo Guthrie, and is liable to blow him offstage with an enormous opera/jazz voice that easily spans three octaves. Tight band, too, featuring sax, harp (the Indian kind), drums and guitar. A great intro to music that's out of any box.