Lila Downs' Día de los Muertos

Growing up as the daughter of a Mixtec singer and a renowned American photographer, Downes blended a deep passion for the traditions of her homeland with an ingrained wanderlust.

With guidance from her mother and inspiration from Mexican vocal greats Chavela Vargas and Lucha Villa balanced by the gamut of American music she heard in the States, Downs began singing rancheras at eight and explored the indigenous music of the Mixtec and Zapotec traditions of Oaxaca.

She made her major label debut with 1999’s jazz-informed La Sandunga, and her contributions to the 2002 Frida Kahlo biopic Frida elevated her status to that of a major international star. Downs has become recognized worldwide as a global ambassador for Mexico’s folkloric traditions and champion for the preservation of native Mexican culture, recording songs in indigenous Mayan, Nahuatl, Trique, and Purépecha languages. Her newest Sony Music album, La Sánchez, is influenced by the music of northern Mexico and is a tribute to recognizing the maternal influence and the vicissitudes of personal and social relationships.