Vocalist Lila Downs presents music from indigenous Mexico at the Redlands Bowl,
August 20

Tapping a rich heritage of culture and music, singer-songwriter
Lila Downs will be in concert at the Redlands Bowl on Tuesday, August 20, at 8:15 p.m. Downs and her ensemble will present World Music from indigenous Mexico.
Downs, a daughter of a Mixtec Indian mother and Anglo-American
father, has entertained audiences from Minnesota, home of her father, to Mexico, from Barcelona and Lisbon to the Hollywood Bowl. Resoundingly praised for her electrifying stage presence and her powerful voice, Downs dazzles the crowds wherever she goes.
"One of the most spellbinding voices to grace the world music scene," said Billboard magazine.
Richard Denhart of Narada Records, which signed a deal with Downs and her band, said, "I was struck by her voice and the commitment that she has made to her cultural background--she integrates it in a very modern way that makes it accessible."
Tom Schnabel of KCRW-FM (89.9) said, "Her strength is the way she can win a crowd."
The CD of her performance for KPFK-FM (90.7) at one time was the
biggest-selling benefit album in KPFK history. Downs' music reflects the most personal and deep side of Mexican and Mixtec traditions. Called a "world music diva in the making," Downs retells the often bittersweet stories of her ancestros and homeland.
Downs studied at the University of Minnesota where she received
degrees in both voice and anthropology. She began writing songs after sharing the losses of her fellow Mixtecos by translating their migrant sons' death certificates from English to their language. The powerful experience of being a "translator of death" drove her to write and sing about the lost young men.
Downs' ensemble consists of a diverse group of musicians who have created together a unique style of music, incorporating influences from various parts of the Americas. Besides performing, they offer music workshops in a variety of contexts and settings, addressing issues of cultural identity and migration.
This week's Children's Summer Festival Workshop will be the last in
the series, and will be "A Blast with Bagpipes!", presented by Kevin
Blandford of R.P.Blandford & Son Pipe Band of Redlands. The free
workshop, open to children ages 5 through 12 and partially underwritten by Redlands Knights of the Round Table and Redlands Community Hospital, will begin at 3:00 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 2 W. Olive Avenue in Redlands.
Downs' concert, co-sponsored by La-Z-Boy West, will begin at 8:15
p.m., preceded by the Community Sing led by Curtiss Allen, Sr.
Intermission Ushers will be representatives of Youth Services; Reserve Center for the American Red Cross, Inland Empire Chapter; and La-Z-Boy West. Intermission speaker will be Janet Weder, RCMA Board Member.
Continuing the tradition begun in 1924, this and all concerts are
free of charge, and a free-will offering will be collected at intermission. For more information about this concert, call the Redlands Bowl office at 909/793-7316 or visit the web site at www.redlandsbowl.org. The Redlands Bowl is located between Grant and Eureka Streets in Redlands, off of Brookside Avenue.