Although Lila Downs draws upon traditional Mexican folk-music styles and sings in such languages as Mayan, Zapotec, Nahuatl and Mixtec (as well as Spanish and occasionally English), her music is too restlessly diverse to be summarized as world music. On her 2011 album, Pecados y Milagros, the Oaxacan singer mixes reggae, rap and rock into a set of diversely enchanting tracks, many co-written by Downs' saxophonist-husband, Paul Cohen. On recent tours, she has even surprised purists with imaginative rearrangements of songs by Lucinda Williams and early Fleetwood Mac. Whether Downs is unfurling her majestic voice against a simple backdrop of accordion or kicking up her heels in an uptempo frenzy, she's always a fierce defender of struggling migrant exiles. Monterrey's Kinky contrasts with shiny, electronic-pumped dance rock.

Fri., Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 08/22/14)

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