Experience
Lila Downs was brilliant. Not only was the singing amazing, but she was also full of energy and she danced wonderfully. It seemed to me that stage was her home. She was comfortable and relaxed and happy on stage. I was very pleased with the way the show was carried, not a dull moment.
There was no intermission so it did seem a bit long to me. However, I was thinking that Ms. Downs had so much energy and passion for her work that she performed with no intermission. I felt her high level of energy reflected on the audience. I thought at any moment everyone was going to stand up and dance. The musicians were not short in the energy level. Everyone on stage seemed connected and passionate about performing in Brownsville.
I liked how she told us that she had wanted to come to Brownsville and perform, even though she is the Grammy Award winner and the pleasure was ours to attend her show. I went to the show with my friend and we both had a very good experience. We sat in the balcony and of course we couldn’t see as well as being on the floor. However, the sound was perfect. Watching Lila Downs was a great experience that I will never forget.
Expectations
After watching a couple videos of Lila Downs, I believe I have something in common with her: passion to sing. It’s amazing to learn how incredibly gifted she is. She is so energetic and exciting to watch and listen to; it’s very clear that she loves what she does. Ms. Downs has such an entrancing voice – she’s like a Siren who doesn’t kill those who are attracted to her beautiful voice. I’m very thrilled for this show. I think the audience will consist mainly of Hispanic families, as well as many fans from around the world. Lila Downs is a true inspiration to all who love to sing. She is so graceful and I can’t wait to watch her performance in person.
Experience
Lila Downs and her large band, La Misteriosa, immediately captivated the entire audience once they began performing onstage. It seemed like it took no effort for Downs’ strong, beautiful singing voice to suck in everybody’s hearing. All eyes were on her as she changed into different outfits and handled particular props (before or during stanzas) which would correlate with each song and its connection to what they were culturally about while she pranced around getting herself and the crowd engrossed so much we all got involved in participation. While Downs was looking pulchritudinous and still having fun in her own artistic way, her band would also transition in between instruments for certain compositions and looked lively doing what they’re talented at right beside their brilliant, award-winning womanly singer. It seriously felt like a real concert you attend where everyone knows and mouths almost every song and moves in sync with the magnificent music except without all the pushing and sweat. It was just an honor to watch a famous foreign vocalist along with impressive musicians be a total dame in this town.
Expectations
Lila Downs [Ana Sanchez] is probably the most popular Mexican singer-songwriter Brownsville will ever have in its presence. It is a great honor to get an Oaxacan-born Latin Grammy-winner to perform for our southern residents since she has accomplished many firsts for many things including Academy Award nominations, the only one of her heritage to sing at the awards’ ceremony, and critiques from top magazines such as Rolling Stone Magazine and others!
It’s exciting to be able to see someone who has actually succeeded in Hollywood and the music business sticking within her traditional culture which is the same as ours. People who have not seen or heard of Lila Downs will definitely be drawn into her stylish beauty and harmonious voice which creates an awe-inspiring, effective environment all around the world where she leaves her agile marks for vivid uniqueness to perplex general audiences. This long awaited performance should not be missed one bit because, due to their famous success, surely now, Downs and her band, La Misteriosa, always try to publicize themselves as much as possible to expose their lavish Mexican music and early enchanting compositions for crowds’ fulfillment.
Experience
Lila Downs did not disappoint the audience. It was a lively, high energy night with various styles of music. Even within one style of music she would add a different style to it. I believe she added rap to a mariachi song. It was quite entertaining. Besides her unique compositions, she did have some of the more traditional songs like “La Bamba”. When she first started to sing “La Cucaracha,” I began to reminisce of my childhood until the lyrics got to be political in nature. I had never heard that version of the song before. It was very intriguing.
What I was not expecting, but found very entertaining was how she not only sang spectacularly (I loved it when she held the notes for long periods of time) but she also had a unique style of dance (like in the Los “Pollos”) and that she played percussion or string instruments. It was so fun to watch. One of my favorite pieces was when a band member danced with her as she performed “Los Pollos.”
Overall, this night was a performance of high caliber and it was very engaging like I had expected. It was delightful to see the audience shout out their requests and how she would kindly respond. Amazingly, she obliged and sang two more songs after the performance had ended because the audience kept chanting “Otra,” requesting more songs. It was indeed a memorable night.
Expectations
It’s amazing how the Signature Series exposes you to new artists and different music styles. I had never heard of Lila Downs and would have never opted to attend one of her concerts without the encouragement of being part of this series. However, since I wasn’t familiar with Lila Downs, I had to do some Google searches to see who she was and what her music style was like. Surprisingly, I found myself intrigued by her as a person and by her musical style. She is definitely a unique individual who prefers to utilize several genres of music.
I most definitely am curious about her unique style of music especially those in her indigenous languages. I possibly may not enjoy them since I would not be able to understand what the lyrics say but I hope to at least enjoy the music. Also, I know I will have to endure the jazz portion of her performances since I do not like jazz. Even though she has written many of her songs, I hope she will at least indulge us with some of the more traditional songs.
Since Lila Downs is a 2013 Grammy Winner for Best Mexican Regional Album, I expect this performance to be of high caliber and very entertaining. How often do Grammy Award winners come to Brownsville, Texas? Hopefully, this will be a memorable night.
Experience
That Lila Downs concert was sensational! I went in, worried that I was not going to be able to enjoy the concert due to the language difference. But even though I didn't understand any of what was sung, I was still very entertained by the high energy show! Everything from her beautiful vocal range to the vibrant colors to the band members accompanying her, this concert had it all. The background artistry blended well with her music (and I assume what she was actually singing about). The audience was always a part of the show and encouraged to participate at every moment. This is what a performance should be like, and will be sorely missed next season.
Expectations
I am not sure what to expect from the upcoming Lila Downs concert. As I have learned from previous concerts, Latin music has an infectious rhythm and is wonderful to listen to. On the other hand, the fact that I do not understand Spanish has already affected my enjoyment of one concert previously, and I fear the same will happen again with this concert. I also do not know what kind of music to expect. Does she perform older Latino standards, or is her music more comparable to someone like Selena? I am still looking forward to enjoying this concert, as it is always a bonus to experience a Grammy Award-winning artist.