Ana Lila Downs Sánchez best known as Lila Downs (born in September 19, 1968) is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music. She also incorporates indigenous mexican influences and has recorded songs in indigenous languages such as mixtec, zapotec, maya, nahuatl and p'urhépecha.
Her debut album, La Sandunga, was released in 1999 and she achieved international success in 2001 with the album Border who emerged in the music scene of Mexico and Latin America in the early 2000s (decade) decade. Lila began performing in school, demonstrating her vocal ability with traditional music, Latin and American influences with her own original twist on dancing. Downs is a native spanish speaker and also speaks fluent english and mixtec.
Lila Downs was born September 19, 1968 in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico, the daughter of Anita Sanchez, a Mixtec cabaret singer and Allen Downs, a British-American professor of art and cinematographer from Minnesota. From an early age Lila showed interest in music; at the age of eight she began singing rancheras and other traditional Mexican songs. She began her professional career singing with mariachis. At fourteen she moved to the United States with her parents. She studied voice in Los Angeles and learned the English language, which her father helped her to perfect. When she was 16, her father died and afterward she decided to return to her native Tlaxiaco with her mother.
Todos me dicen el negro llorona
Negro, pero cariñoso
Todos me dicen el negro llorona
Negro, pero cariñoso
Yo soy como el chile verde llorona
Picante, pero sabroso
Yo soy como el chile verde llorona
Picante, pero sabroso
Hay! de mi llorona
Llorona de ayer y hoy
Hay! de mi llorona
Llorona de ayer y hoy
Ayer, maravilla fui llorona
Y ahora ni sombra soy
Ayer, maravilla fui llorona
Y ahora ni sombra soy
Salias del templo un dia llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vi
Salias del templo un dia llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vi
Hermoso huipill llevabas llorona
Que la virgen te crei
Hermoso huipill levabas llorona
Que la virgen te crei
Salias del templo un dia llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vi
Salias del templo un dia llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vi
Y aunque me cueste la vida llorona
No dejare de quererte
Y aunque me cueste la vida llorona
No dejare de quererte
En la misa y en la feria
Todo el mundo ya lo sabe
Los que llegan al gobierno
Porque se puede comprar
Del partido comunista
Ya no queda casi nada
Ahora todos van buscando
Como hacerse millonadas
Fue la junta de naciones
A poner sus opiniones
Todos no estaban de acuerdo
Donde y cuando bombardear
Se sientan los presidentes
En la silla del gobierno
Luego mandan a la guerra
A la gente de su pueblo
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Que ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene
Porque le falta
La marijuana que fumar
Huaracha muchacha que vamoa huarachar
Va una cucaracha que quiere comerciar,
Toca, loca ábreme la boca,
Buscame una coca que no quiero trabalear,
Mica, rica para zapatear,
Pido a Victor Jara no me vaya a doblegar,
Chama chama al Ché Guevara,
Una petición, una cucaracha,
Por culpa y omision,
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Que ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene
Porque le falta
La marijuana que fumar
Todos se pelean la silla
Que les deja mucha plata
En el norte Pancho Villa
Y en el sur viva Zapata!
Ya murió la cucaracha
Ya la llevan a enterrar
Entre cuatro zopilotes
Y un ratón de sacristán
the land is the mother
of a tender crop
the corn will grow
with the shining sun
I`ve nerver seen a believer
I`ve seen Moses wear red
in my answer to their prayer
I pray to the dead
I came in November
to the date in my name
I followed a young man
down the river of pain
I drank from his tears
quenched the thisrst in my bones
then I played his heartbeat
'till he gave me his soul
[spoken]
listen to the woman
at the bottom of the sea
floatin' in her air
there is a reflection o' me
I came in November
to the date in my name
I followed a young man
down the river of pain
I drank from his tears
quenched the thisrst in my bones
then I played his heartbeat
and he gave me his soul
I played his heartbeat
'till he gave me his soul
I played his heartbeat
'till he gave me his soul
Soñé que te engañaba
Con una paloma blanca...
Me desperté cantando
Y vi que tú ya no estabas
Por tu amor que tanto quiero y tanto extraño
Que me sirvan otra copa y muchas más
Que me sirvan de una vez pa' todo el año
Que me pienso seriamente emborrachar...
Si te cuentan que me vieron muy borracha
Orgullosamente diles que es por ti
Porque yo tendré el valor de no negarlo
Gritaré que por tu amor me estoy matando
Y sabrán que por tus besos me perdí...
Para de hoy en adelante el amor no me interesa
Cantaré por todo el mundo mi dolor y mi tristeza
Porque sé que de este golpe ya no voy a levantarme
Y aunque yo no lo quisiera, voy a morirme de amor...
You won't admit you love me and so
How am I ever to know
You only tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
Y así pasan los días
Y yo, desesperada
Y tú, tú contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estás perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que más tú quieras
¿Hasta cuándo? ¿Hasta cuándo?
So if you really love me say, "yes"
But if you don't, dear, confess
And please don't tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
Siempre que te pregunto
Que, cuándo, cómo y dónde
Túme respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Quizas, quizas, quizas
Pensado
Estás perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Y así pasan los días
Y yo, desesperandmente
Pensando tambien tambien
Siempre que te pregunto
Que, cuándo, cómo y dónde
Tú siempre me respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
A million times I’ve ask you and then
I ask you over again
You only answer
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
If you can't make your mind up
We'll never get started
And I don't want to wind up
Being parted, broken hearted
So if you really love me say, "yes"
But if you don't, dear, confess
And please don't tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
How dark is the smoke that falls from the sky
and soaked in our blood are the feathers of time
More women and children were killed on that night
more than they could count when they threw 'em in trucks
some children were kneeling the saints were all calm
machetes and gunshots reveal all the blood
The papers recounted the story we know
yet silence is deep as the hundreds of souls
and the hundreds of hopes of our people
How dark is the smoke that falls from the sky
and soaked in our blood are the feathers of time
Now every one's waiting and hoping for justice
but will there be goodness where men kill their own?
our wise people say that the mouth of the earth
has swallowed her fruit, but the eagle and snake
will stand for the truth, when the mother of
corn has spoken
oh axe of our fire bring justice to life for we know
that power
was once sacrifice and it was sacrifice and it
was sacrifice
of our people
The very thought of you makes my heart sing
Like an April breeze on the wings of spring
And you appear in all your splendor
My one and only love
The shadows fall and spread their mystic charms
In the hush of night while you're in my arms
I feel your lips so warm and tender
My one and only love
The touch of your hand is like heaven
A heaven that I've never known
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own
You fill my eager heart with such desire
Every kiss you give sets my soul on fire
I give myself in sweet surrender
My one and only love
The touch of your hand is like heaven
A heaven that I've never known
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own
You fill my eager heart with such desire
Every kiss you give sets my soul on fire
I give, I give myself in sweet surrender
My one and only love, love
POBRE CHANGUITA
No te hagas la loca
Ni la interesante
Ni me presumas de lo que
Tu nunca haz sido
Pobre changuita cuatro meses
Te he tenido
Bien vestida y bien polveada
Con naguas de pura seda
Y zapatos de charol
Y já jái hasta me rio
Y me carcájeo
Y ja jai por esta changa
Tan ma’lora
Y ahora si hasta el bocado
Se me atora
De pensar en lo que cuesta
Los vestidos y las medias
Y zapatos de charol
-changuita, mira no’mas-
Hoy ya no quieres ir al cine
De a peseta
Pues porque dices que alli
Va gente pelada
Pobre changuita ahora
Si estas amolada
No te acuerdas precodina
Resfregabas la cocina siendo
Gata del patrón
Y já jái hasta me rio
Y me carcajeo
Y ja jai por esta changa
Tan ma’lora
Y ahora si hasta el bocado
Se me atora
De pensar en lo que cuesta
Los vestidos y las medias
You won't admit you love me and so
How am I ever to know
You only tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
Y así pasan los días
Y yo, desesperada
Y tú, tú contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estás perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que más tú quieras
¿Hasta cuándo? ¿Hasta cuándo?
So if you really love me say, "yes"
But if you don't, dear, confess
And please don't tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
Siempre que te pregunto
Que, cuándo, cómo y dónde
Túme respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Quizas, quizas, quizas
Pensado
Estás perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Y así pasan los días
Y yo, desesperandmente
Pensando tambien tambien
Siempre que te pregunto
Que, cuándo, cómo y dónde
Tú siempre me respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
A million times I’ve ask you and then
I ask you over again
You only answer
Perhaps, perhaps, quizas
If you can't make your mind up
We'll never get started
And I don't want to wind up
Being parted, broken hearted
So if you really love me say, "yes"
But if you don't, dear, confess
And please don't tell me
En la misa y en la feria
Todo el mundo ya lo sabe
Los que llegan al gobierno
Porque se puede comprar
Del partido comunista
Ya no queda casi nada
Ahora todos van buscando
Como hacerse millonadas
Fue la junta de naciones
A poner sus opiniones
Todos no estaban de acuerdo
Donde y cuando bombardear
Se sientan los presidentes
En la silla del gobierno
Luego mandan a la guerra
A la gente de su pueblo
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Que ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene
Porque le falta
La marijuana que fumar
Huaracha muchacha que vamoa huarachar
Va una cucaracha que quiere comerciar,
Toca, loca ábreme la boca,
Buscame una coca que no quiero trabalear,
Mica, rica para zapatear,
Pido a Victor Jara no me vaya a doblegar,
Chama chama al Ché Guevara,
Una petición, una cucaracha,
Por culpa y omision,
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Que ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene
Porque le falta
La marijuana que fumar
Todos se pelean la silla
Que les deja mucha plata
En el norte Pancho Villa
Y en el sur viva Zapata!
Ya murió la cucaracha
Ya la llevan a enterrar
Entre cuatro zopilotes
I have walked a thousand miles
I have worked as fast as I can
And I have raised my precious child
To be a woman
I have walked up and down
I have wandered from place to place
And I have raised my weary hand
To my face
But I would never
Turn my back
On your love
Is there anybody there who knows me?
Is there any body there who knows me now?
That I will be home soon
But I would never
Turn my back
On your love
When the sun is going down
There are colors against the sky
And I have seen my home town
In your eyes
But I would never
Turn my back
Yeah, I'm learning
To face the facts
And I'd never
Turn my back
On your love
Your love, your love
Your love, your love
No, I'd never
Turn my back
On your love, your love
I envy the wind
That whispers in your ear
That calls through the winter
That freezes your fingers
That moves through your hair
That cracks your lips
Chills you to the bone
I envy the wind
I envy the rain
That falls on your face
That wets your eyelashes
That dampens your skin
That touches your tongue
Soaks through your shirt
Drips down your back
I envy the rain
I envy the sun
That brightens your summer
That warms your body
Holds you in heat
That makes your day stronger
Makes you hot
Makes you sweat
I envy the sun
I envy the wind
I envy the rain
I envy the sun
Burn this house
Burn it blue
Heart running on empty
So lost without you
But the night sky blooms with fire
And the burning bed floats higher
And she's free to fly
Woman so weary
Spread your unbroken wings
Fly free as the swallow sings
Come to the fireworks
See the dark lady smile
She burns
And the night sky blooms with fire
And the burning bed floats higher
And she's free to fly
Burn this night
Black and blue
So cold in the morning
So cold without you
And the night sky blooms with fire (Y la noche que se encendia)
And the burning bed floats higher (Y la cama que se eleva)
And she's free to fly (A volar)
And all of the dark days
Painted in dark grey hues
They fade with the dream of you
Wrapped in red velvet
Dancing the night away
I burn
Midnight blue
Spread those wings
Fly free with the swallows
One with the wind
Y él es flama que se eleva
Y es un pájaro a volar
Y es un pájaro a volar
En la noche que se encendió
El infierno es este cielo
And the night sky blooms with fire (Y ella es flama que se eleva)
And the burning bed floats higher (Y es un pajaro a volar)
And she's free to fly
Just a spark in the sky (en una noche que se encendia)
Painting heaven and hell much brighter (es estrella de oscuridad)
Burn this house
Burn it blue
Heart running on empty
La noche ira sin prisa de nostalgia
Habrá de ser un tango nuestra herida
Un acordeón sangriento nuestas almas
Seremos esta noche todo el día
Vuelve a mí
Ámame sin luz
En nuestra alcoba azul
Donde no hubo sol para nosotros
Ciégame
Mata mi corazón
En nuestra alcoba azul