Con La Pasión, Lila Downs Performs at the Mello

Lila Downs sang her heart out to her "querida Watsonville" Wednesday night,, presented by Sage Productions. The Mexican singer not only delighted the ears of 800 lucky fans, she dazzled them with a highly visual act and channeled a lifetime's supply of passion into her performance.

“I think she really brought an amazing performance, and energy and love. A lot of love.” said Therese Valdez, who has now seen Downs perform three times. 

Dressed in a half mini skirt/half traditional Mexican folk dance skirt which she whirled around her and with a flower mantel in her hair, Downs delivered a slew of songs from her latest album, Pecados y Milagros, as well as well known and well loved folk songs like La Cucuracha and Coocooroocoocoo Paloma. 

"I used to listen to this song when I was very young, and all of us Mexican people and Latin people probably have too," Downs said before singing Coocooroocoocoo, the song of the crying dove.

With the lungs of an Olympic swimmer, Downs displayed the infinite depths of her vocal ability, ranging from a smokey alto to a haunting dove-like trill, and there were moments where we felt like we were at the opera. From the balcony, the acoustics at the Mello Center were impeccable. Add Downs' flamenco arms and constant change of hats, instruments and song mood, and you get an audience that was completely possessed.

Downs' five piece band is a worldly mix and includes origins in Chile, Mexico and New Jersey, and they included a harpsichord, miniature guitar, saxophone, clarinet, drums, guitar and bass. The band stood in a horseshoe around the singer, and their clear-cut shadows superimposed on the screen behind the stage were fascinating to watch. 

Downs also gave a shout out to the Oaxacans in the crowd before launching into a sensuous song about making mole from chocolate and chili peppers. While she sang the song, cocao beans and other mole-making ingredients floated around the screen behind the stage.

"People always ask me about the milagros (miracles), but I think people really want to know about the pecados, about the sin," joked Downs before breaking into one of her last encore songs, Pecadora (female sinner).

Downs' performance is the second big act to come to Watsonville this winter.

After Wednesday's show, concert-goers mingled in the lobby where artists from the community sold their artwork.

“She’s so unique. I like the way she expressed the words and all of the feelings that she has,” said Manuel Jimenez, a local artist who displayed his paintings outside the show.