Vocalist Lila Downs picked up some unsolicited accompaniment at her Centennial Hall performance Sunday night.
Mere seconds after the 38-year-old songbird delved into the traditional ranchera portion of her two-hour program, performing José Alfredo Jiménez's "La Noche de mi Mal" amid the strings, trumpets and violins of Mariachi Femenil Flores Mexicanas, a middle-age woman with an apparent lack of volume control began singing along from the back of the hall.
Unconcerned with the nasty looks given by some of her closest neighbors, the impromptu performer followed word for word through the next four songs, relenting only when Downs switched back to her original material.
The outburst was not an everyday occurrence for a venue used to prestigious symphony orchestras and internationally acclaimed dance companies, but it was par for the genre.
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Rancheras are passionate ballads known for evoking tears, hearty shouts of joy and pain, and, yes, even the occasional singa-long.
It is the kind of music that inspired Downs to create her 2006 album, "La Cantina," a collection of these classics — some original, some penned by famed artists such as Jiménez — recorded and played Sunday with electric guitars, drums and the occasional sax riff courtesy of Downs' husband and artistic director, Paul Cohen.
"When I was very young I used to love this music," Downs confided to the audience of 1,600. "I didn't know at the time the songs were about drinking and dying loved ones."
She added, "Now I'm here, ready to take some tequila shots and sing a few songs."
As was the case during the singer's last visit to town, Downs offered up an equal selection of new tunes and tracks from popular albums such as "One Blood — Una Sangre" and "Tree of Life."
Her hypnotic, Lola Beltrán-flavored vocals entranced as she worked her prowess through rich melodies dripping with Mexico's history and culture.
Songs traded in the thumping electronic backbeats found in Downs' recordings for the live drums and jazzy reeds of her six-piece ensemble. Downs led the pack of expert musicians through rousing fan favorites, such as the harp-driven "La Cucaracha" and the foot-stomping show opener, "El Relámpago."
Adding to the fantastic voyage through Oaxaca, Veracruz, Jalisco and beyond was a giant screen flashing wild, surreal depictions of colorful folklórico dancers, crushed chile peppers and protesting immigrants at breakneck speeds like a Travel Channel documentary on acid.
It was a beautifully cohesive collection of music and imagery that just about anyone could enjoy, whether they chose to sing along or not.
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Lila Downs at Centennial Hall Sunday.
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