Lila Downs Locks In Fall Plans

Downs is touring in support of her acclaimed album Balas y Chocolate.  Associated Press praised the disc, saying, “It transcends language, carrying pure emotion” and The Washington Post described her voice as “a three-octave instrument that delights in sustaining notes longer than an Olympic swimmer can hold her breath.”

But Balas y Chocolate is hardly a record filled with sunshine and flowers as Downs continues her quest for a better world. KPCC/NPR called the record “an embodiment of the ideals she holds for her homeland.”

“The album’s tone throughout is informed by the political (the abduction and apparent murder of 43 students in the state of Guerrero last year is a major presence here) and the personal (motherhood with her son approaching 5, and darkness with her husband and collaborator Paul Cohen dealing with serious health issues),” observed Take Two’s A Martinez and Alex Cohen. “Día de Los Muertos, the Mexican festivities both honoring and mocking death, is a thread running through the album.”

Downs’ upcoming travels range from her July show in Toronto and a performance with the San Francisco Symphony concluding the tour.  Here’s the schedule:

July 15 – Toronto, Ontario, Nathan Phillips Square (Panamania)
Sept. 19 – Los Angeles, Calif., Pantages Theatre
Sept. 22 – Tucson, Ariz., Fox Tucson Theatre
Sept. 24 – El Paso, Texas, The Plaza Theatre
Sept. 26 – Houston, Texas, Arena Theatre
Sept. 27 – Dallas, Texas, Medusa
Oct. 1 – New York, N.Y., Apollo Theater
Oct. 3 – Miami, Fla., Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theater
Oct. 25 – Costa Mesa, Calif., Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 
Nov. 7 – San Francisco, Calif., Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall (Dia de los Muertos: Day of the Dead SF)

July 15 is a free show.  Tickets for El Paso and New York go on sale today; Houston and Dallas June 22.  Visit LilaDowns.com for more information.