As the sun hid behind the hills of Griffith Park, Lila Downs and the music faithful began to make their way to the The Greek Theater and as older ladies dressed in typical Oaxacan dresses.
Younger men dressed in their cowboy boots and jeans, young ladies dressed in tight fitting dresses and high heels, men dressed in elegant slacks and coats, rockers sporting their concert t-shirts and many gay and lesbians feeling free to show their affection for their loved ones, the atmosphere at the amphitheater was one of joy and anticipation for the last concert of Lila Down’s “Pecados y Milagros (Sins and Miracles) tour with special guest, the new voice of Mexico, Carla Morrison.
Promptly at 7:30, Carla Morrison took the stage, and the younger fans in the audience rejoiced in her music while the older fans and those who were not familiar with her music, slowly but surely began to be captivated by Carla’s soulful voice.
After a short break the lights dimmed and “La Misteriosa” (Lila’s band) assembled on stage and at the back of the stage, a silhouette appeared, then Lila Down’s voice began to sing the first notes of “Mezcalito” and The Greek exploded with cheers and screams. As Lila Downs made her way to the front of the stage, she picked up a bottle of mezcal, and after offering a toast and taking a drink; she danced with the bottle in hand to the delight of her passionate fans.
As the first notes of Marco Antonio Solis’ hit, “Tu Carcel” came out of the P.A. system, “ajuas” came down from the audience and Lila poured her heart and soul into one of the most passionate interpretations of this now classic Mexican song.
Half way through “La Iguana” an elderly lady dressed in a beautiful Oaxacan dress began to dance down the aisle and it didn’t take long before others joined in and the Greek theater was turned into a Mexican town square where young and old danced together.
Halfway through the show, Mariachi Los Campero, joined Lila on stage for a few songs in which Lila’s voice became even more passionate, as if that was even possible. As one looked at the audience, the pride could be seen their faces as they sang at the top their lungs.
Classic hits like “Cucurrucucu Paloma”, “Minimum Wage”,“Vamonos”, “La Cumbia Del Mole” and many others were part of the set list, but one of the most dramatic moments of the evening was Lila’s interpretation of “Cruz De Olvido”, but Lila could not leave her passionate fans without another surprise, and during the second encore, Carla Morrison joined Lila on stage for a riveting performance of “Paloma Negra”.
