Lila Downs

musician

Mexican singing sensation Lila Downs burst on to the music scene with her stunning performance of a song from the film *Frida* at the 75th annual Academy Awards. But this native of the Mexican state of Oaxaca has made music all of her life. Downs, the daughter of a Mixtec-Amerindian mother and a US filmmaker/academic father, started singing Mariachi music at the age of 8, and began a formal music education at the age of 14. She recently released her fourth album, *Una Sangre* to many accolades. *Billboard* magazine describes her as "one of the most spellbinding voices to grace the world music scene."