Posts Tagged: latin music

Lila Downs at the Rio

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I immediately realized that my preconception of a sedate folkloric evening was all wrong and that it was a mistake to leave my earlove plugs at home. Whatever, that all fell by the wayside and I opened my eyes and ears wide to take in the new Lila. She opened with a woman-centric remake of Black Magic Woman, belting out “Don’t turn your back on me baby, I just might pick up my magic stick!” Recordings never really fully reveal a singer’s vocal power, so I hadn’t really expected that voice – a voice with enough wattage to light up the audience all the way to the back of the theater. We cheered wildly for that first number and all the rest.

list time

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You knew it was coming. Even though I’ve blogged only sporadically this year. Here it is – my favorite album releases of 2008. Why? Because everyone else does? No. Because it forces me to winnow through everything that’s stacked up and toss the chaff, leaving an iTunes library chock full of pure luscious goodness.

Victor Jara

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It is a good day to remember Chilean folksinger and poet Victor Jara. Jara was murdered by the Pinochet regime 35 years ago. One of his murderers has finally been convicted. Jara’s memory and music live on. I can’t write more movingly than has already been done, so go read, see, and listen.