Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Best yet !
Comment: To save space and time I'll say that Juan Mobili's review of this album is spot on, but I have few things to add. Firstly Lila's live show is excellent. The next time she and her fine band la Misteriosa are on tour do whatever you can to go to see them. The band arrangements are very strong too, beautifully mixing elements of many styles and traditions in a way that perfectly complements Lila's singing. My personal favourite on this disc is Ojo de Culebra, her duet with La Mari of the Spanish nuevo flamenco band Chambao.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lila Nails It
Comment: I don't know what brought you to check Lila Downs but welcome and thank your lucky stars if this is the first time you get interested in her. If you are interested in great women voices ... better yet in great female artists, this album is proof that you found one the best of her generation. So, If Jenny Lewis blew you away with Rabbit Fur Coat or you love Cat Power in general, this year Lila is the one showing them the way, even if more thyan half of these songs are in Spanish and some of the rhythms may be foreign to you.
Shake Away is probably Downs' best album yet, the sum of everything she's done right all along and more. OF course, Lila is not new to putting out great stuff and singing straight to your heart, it's just that here she does it all.
She rocks the house with her take on Black Magic Woman--along with Raul Midon--and she might just bring to the edge of tears with Lucinda Williams' I Envy The Wind, both in English and Spanish. Also, right up there with these two tracks mentioned, Tierra de Luz with the great Mercedes Sosa and Justicia accompanied by Enrique Bunbury, are standouts. And this is just the brightest diamonds, so to speak.
How refreshing to hear someone's voice, mind and soul, at the peak of their powers, more interested in material that will challenge her as she redefines it, rather than playing it safe or rely on duets chosen by marketing executives. Definitely, among my short list of great albums of this year.
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