Desde La Bahia - TT: From the Bay Area

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2000 by Jesse "Chuy" Varela

The daughter of a Mixtec Indian mother and an Anglo father from Minnesota, she grew up straddled between both countries. Attending the University of Minnesota, where her father taught art, and University of the Arts in Oaxaca, she has honed an image and style that is bringing her artistic critical acclaim. Her 1997 debut La Sandunga is now licensed to BMG Latin for international distribution and poised for greater fame.

Downs also drew selections from her latest CD, Yutu Tata (Narada World), a mythological account of the first Mixtec people being born from trees according to the codex Vindobonesis, one of the pre-Columbian pictographs that survived the inquisition. She sang in Zapotec, Mixtec, Mayan, Spanish and English in a style inspired by a diverse variety of influences, acoustic music with deep lyrical ideas and Mexican roots. As she strapped on a barrel drum for Arenita Azul, an Afro-Mex offering, she was rescuing the folk music of cultures in Mexico fighting against obliteration.

Her profound affection for her indigenous roots was coupled by strong working class American ethics that she shared with a very hip medley of Woody Guthrie songs that included Pastures of Plenty. String master Duarte was a gem who handled his chores with a dynamic presence. Montiel played textural congas and took a smoking solo on the cajon wood-box drum on the Veracruz classic El Chuchumbe. Its anchor though was Mendoza, who provided great groove and harmonic coloration on bass.

At times, Downs resembled chic pop icon Yma Sumac, the Incan princess with ladder-leaping range. She entranced the audience by singing soulfully in indigenous tongues. Intimate and open, by the end of the show you felt befriended. A fabulous jazz waltz version of the mournful La Llorona was her farewell encore. As she caressed the melody, it was like flying around a mountainous musical talent. Truly a descendent of the cloud people of Oaxaca, the heavens don't get any closer than this. Hasta la proxima. Paz.