Shake Away, Lila Downs

SHAKE AWAY Lila Downs, Mexico/USA
MANHATTAN RECORDS

by: Carlos Reyes

Lila Downs sings the traditional music of Southern Mexico, the other half of music culture that doesn’t identify itself with Mexico’s northern popular music (Norteño, Banda… etc). The 2002 film Frida (Julie Taylor) launched the internationalization of one of our most visionary individuals in music today. Shake Away is her fifth studio album and it is the most diverse record from the Mexican-American vocalist that reaches that exciting but risky move from folk to alternative music. Her last production La Cantina has to be one of the best ranchero albums ever made and it gave us a glimpse to what was coming. Shake Away magnetically unrolls folk, rap, rancheras and huapangos in its multilayered premise with Downs’ gifted voice.

Lila was raised in the state of Oaxaca, a tourists’ favorite destination because it is a state prominent of indigenous municipalities. A region that refuses to loose its culture and has too many times been remarked as an alienated community that isn’t evolving. Lila Downs continued her education at north, always carrying her indigenous roots as a valuable personal choice. It must come as no surprise that her new album explores those American roots that clearly influence her music but had not been fully exposed on previous works. Shake Away features a number of interesting covers, but the standout track is Lucinda Williams’ supreme “I Envy the Wind”, one of my all-time favorite songs.

Shake Away is also Lila’s most political album yet; subjects such as immigration and minimum wage are handled with a sense of logic that may be also perceived as humoristic satire. “Perro Negro” features Ruben Albarran (Café Tacvba’s vocalist), it is a delicious attack towards corrupt leaders proclaiming honesty from them as it shouts “I want the truth.” The best track in the album features another rock legend: Enrique Bunbury (Heroes del Silencio). “Justicia” is a sublime heart trenching anthem about justice; a word that has lost itself in between political chaos. The song assembles in its introduction a traditional andino verse, some rap lines and finally exploding into Bunbury’s rock territory. The chorus retrieves a failed search for justice, but still confesses their optimism for things to get better, even personificating justice through “la conciencia te llama” (conscious is calling you).

First single “Ojo de Culebra” features La Mari from Chambao, another traditional act that made a jump from flamenco to alternative pop with their last album. The song takes a realistic approach to the negativity around us and it gives it a way out: to stir it off just like snakes get rid of their old skin. Instrumentals are especially sharp with a standout work from harpist Celso Huerta who adds power to the awaited encounter of Lila Downs and Mercedes Sosa. It was to be expected, “Tierra de Luz” becomes eventful with this two ladies shining in the middle of heartbreaking lyrics about redemption and loss. A song that throws its listeners back to earth, reminding us of our miniature and momentary presence here regardless of religious beliefs.

Mexico and Iberoamerica will be getting an album titled Ojo de Culebra, but we are not sure how different they’ll be from one another. I must confess I’m not a big fan of albums presenting songs with several language versions, especially because of what gets lost in translation. The centerpiece of Shake Away is such a round, complete album that it should have cut some of the refill tracks such as “Silent Thunder” and “Nothing but the Truth” out, just like the snake. Several publishers have proclaimed it as her most complete work yet, I’m not completely sold on that, but I would say this is her most personal album yet, a truly emotional journey, in fact one of the true essentials of the year.

Shake Away is currently available in its entirely for streaming at Lila Downs MySpace. First single "Ojo de Culebra" is available for free download to MySpace members.

Numeric Rating: 92/100

Key Tracks: "Justicia", "Los Pollos" and "Tierra de Luz"

Maria Daniela y Su Sonido Lasser / Silverio Concert Review

THE BLACKOUT PARTY BY NUEVOS RICOS
María Daniela y Su Sonido Lasser / Silverio / Devon Disaster
August 30, 2008 (Phoenix, AZ)

Nuevos Ricos is a growing independent label based in Mexico City on support of the electronic scene and its derivatives (clash, glam, garage etc). They may not be delivering the level of quality releases from MUN or Tercer Piso but that doesn’t stop it from been the most exciting label of modern music made in the Aztec country. Understanding their project means setting the music industry into different disciplines: the visual goodies of their colorful and abstract websites, the exhilarating press releases, the music itself and their code for partying hard and loud. The Blackout Party is a 30-city tour from two of the label’s most popular acts: the unpredictable DJ who wants to be called “your majesty” Silverio, and the very girly but magnetic Maria Daniela y Su Sonido Lasser.

The event was scheduled at 8:00 P.M. at Tio Leo’s Cantina; nature sometimes is bitch and decided to give us a strong monsoon just a day before the party. Electricity was off and so it was decided a few hours before the show to change its location to an open place on downtown Phoenix. Because there was no official announcement (at least not on time) we ended up translating from the old place to the new one, almost looked like a caravan of fluorescent colors. Aside from the uncomfortable but inevitable voyage through the not very exciting phoenix night life, things looked promising as many lights waited for us. Also awaiting audience was Cidade dos Homens, the follow-up series to the Oscar nominated film Cidade de Deus directed by Fernando Mierelles projected on a two-story building next to the hosting party house. Presumably shown in there for visual pleasure, but meaningless until the music kicked off.

The improvised stage welcomed the opening act Devon Disaster, an exciting electro/club act from Germany. It is led by an attractive girl with strong attitude. The performance suffered from all the technical problems one can think of. At one point she even joked about them making honor to their name through this disaster. Nonetheless it proved to be in the right place with potential followers in blowing attendance. Next up was Silverio, a one of a kind character hard to resist. In my review of a couple of months I mentioned that his albums are incomplete offerings, he is a showman by all means and brings one of the most unprecedented “styles” of reaching the audience. I’ll just say that like his music, he lets it all hang out.

Silverio is releasing his latest EP titled Superacion Personal, which I initially found annoying but after getting that other half at his performance grew on me. Still, an inferior sophomore production that is just too safe for its own good. Those of us following Silverio knew what we were getting into; those people that were brought to the event by friends or just stopped by showed shocking reactions from their first encounter with Silverio. Anthem track “Yepa Yepa Yepa” was a stunner opener, followed by songs he dedicated to himself such as “El Idolo” and “Superacion Personal.”

Headliner Maria Daniela y Su Sonido Lasser reached the stage at very ‘late’ hours; people were waiting for that peculiar voice of hers and the talents of electric guru Emilio Ecevedo. Maria Daniela is simply charming, a petite body doing its thing at very high energy. The track “Pecadora normal” opened the act’s performance, while first single “Pobre Estupida” exploded the wild audience, which was followed by some of her best songs from her latest album Juventud en Extasis. Electro pop acts in Latin America seem to embrace Daniela Romo, a telenovela actress that made a quick career in music during the 80s but apparently left her influences in the most radical kitsch sound of Maria Daniela or the down tempo electrifying music of Javiera Mena. Maria Daniela does a fine job at making homage to the actress with a cover of “Mentiras.”

The finest moment of the night arrived with the performance of “Carita de Angel”, a cover included in the Rigo es Amor compilation, a collection of some of Rigo Tovar’s most popular songs on altered versions by Nortec, Plastilina Mosh, Cabas, Los Amigos Invisibles, Austin TV among other artists. As we were waiting for “Miedo”, the first and most popular hit by the duet the volume was shut down and the Phoenix Police interrupted the ‘healthy’ session of electropop in the dance halls. It appears that the event was taken as a loud party, but it’s understandable since the organizers probably didn’t have time to put everything in order, again nature sometimes is a bitch. The event was actually awesome considering the circumstances, and we had enough Maria Daniela y Su Sonido Lasser to reaffirm her status as the leading electropop act in the Mexican indie scene, which includes among others Sussie 4, Quiero Club, Faca and Electrica Miami.

Next concert in Phoenix
THE MARS VOLTA, October 1, 2008