Photo: Secretaría de Cultura Ciudad de México from México / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Lila Downs is an artist I genuinely revere. From Oaxaca, university-educated in Minnesota, she carries both intellectual rigor and the earthy power of singing in indigenous tongues like Mixtec and Zapotec. The Latin Grammy and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres are real, but what moves me is not the honors; it is her resolve to guard fading languages and melodies through song. Singer, actress and anthropologist, she is in a sense a living cultural treasure, her voice itself a heritage. Watching her carry Oaxacan pride to the world always makes me sit up straighter.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lila Downs
- Name (Japanese)
- リラ・ダウンズ
- Reading
- りら・だうんず
- Born
- September 9, 1968 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Monkey
- Origin
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer-songwriter / actor / film actor / opera singer / recording artist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Minnesota
Awards & achievements
- 2017 Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album
- Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- honorary doctor of the Berklee College of Music
- 2019 Leading Ladies of Entertainment
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Lila Downs born?
Born September 9, 1968 (age 57).
Where is Lila Downs from?
Lila Downs is from Oaxaca, Mexico.
What does Lila Downs do?
Lila Downs works as singer-songwriter, actor, film actor, opera singer, recording artist.
Singer-songwriter — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from Mexico →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.