leonardcohenforum.com

Grand Vision Foundation announces RITMOS LATINOS en VIVO!, an 8-concert contemporary Latin American Roots Music Series...

Los Angeles native and Grammy-nominated vocalist Perla Batalla discovered music early from time spent in her father's popular Spanish language record store. She gained international attention as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen. Batalla sings original compositions and traditional Spanish language classics offering a stunning fusion of her bicultural heritage.

MaryB wrote:Can't wait for your report on this one Arlene!

j6ppc wrote:Outstanding. Thanks for the heads up Arlene. Carrie and I will be there.

friscogrl wrote:I wonder if the "special guest" will be Julie Christensen?

M

ladydi wrote: ,..you have to let us know asap!!

Posted May 06, 2010 12:00 AM


BATALLA CRY: Balladeer Perla Batalla revisits her heritage in Gracias a la Vida,
a new collection inspired by a visit to Argentina to meet her mother’s family.
Photo by Sherry Barnett

Mother of Perla
Perla Batalla shares the talent that toured with Leonard Cohen at CSUMB.

By Adam Joseph

Perla Batalla’s voice soars, combining spirituality with soul. So it’s not hard to understand how Batalla – making her third appearance at CSUMB’s World Theater on Saturday, May 8 – landed a gig singing backup vocals for the legendary folkster Leonard Cohen.

After more than 10 years touring with Cohen, Batalla asked him if he thought she should take a stab at a solo career.

“[Cohen] is very Zen in his approach to life and always gung-ho about anything I suggest,” she says.

With Cohen’s unconditional encouragement, the singer released her self-titled debut in 1994. Several albums followed, along with a Grammy nod and a warm reception from the press. The Los Angeles Times wrote: “Batalla’s music caresses… [she’s] a born storyteller with a rambunctious sense of humor.”

From an early age, music had been embedded into the singer. Batalla grew up around her parents’ L.A. record store.

“There were speakers playing all the time, everything from salsa to mariachi to the popular romantic singers of Mexico,” she says. “It was one of the last mom and pop record stores in the area.”

On Discoteca Batalla – a compilation of original tunes and classics like José Fernández’s “Guantanamera” – Batalla pays tribute to her parents’ shop and her heritage.

“In our culture we sing,” she says. “At baptisms and weddings, people sing and everyone knows the songs; it’s a shared experience.”

Batalla describes recording her fourth record, Bird on the Wire: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, as a magical experience.

“Leonard was so supportive of the whole project and visited us at the studio; it was this incredible thing that just came together,” she says.

After touring with Cohen for so many years, making the tribute album was effortless. The project, which only took one weekend to finish, attracted an all-star roster of guest musicians including David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Frank Zappa drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and renowned session guitarist, Greg Leisz.

Batalla’s mastery of Cohen’s classic ballads is clear on a rendition of “Suzanne”: She breathes the legendary songwriter’s prose with magnetic eloquence.

“The sign of a great song is it means something different to every person; Leonard never explains what his songs are about,” Batalla says. “For me, ‘Suzanne’ is about being a mother – it’s very personal to me.”

Batalla’s most recent album is also personal: Gracias a la Vida, named after the song composed wby Chilean singer Violeta Parra and recorded after a month in Buenos Aires with her husband and daughter, meeting her mother’s side of the family for the first time.

“When I was young, my parents never had enough money to go to Argentina,” Batalla says.

Exploring a part of her heritage she had never encountered made for easy inspiration.

“There are so many great musicians [in Argentina] writing the folk music of the country,” Batalla says. “It’s amazing.”

So are the results.
PERLA BATALLA perform 7:30pm Thursday, May 6, at CSUMB World Theater, 6th Avenue, Building 28, Seaside. $30; $25 seniors,military; $15 students; $10 CSUMB students. 582-4580.

Singer, songwriter Perla Batalla will help celebrate motherhood in her return to the World Theater at CSUMB

By MARC CABRERA
Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 05/06/2010 01:43:27 AM PDT
Updated: 05/06/2010 01:43:28 AM PDT


Singer-songwriter Perla Batalla performs tonight (Thursday)
at the World Theater at CSU Monterey...

With Mother's Day fast approaching, singer Perla Batalla would much rather focus on the positive rather than the negative.

Thus, when she hits the CSU Monterey Bay World Theater stage tonight (Thursday) to perform, she will do so in honor of mothers everywhere.

"Things are really hard right now," said Batalla, referring to the current immigration battle in Arizona, where state officials signed a law allowing police officers to question suspected undocumented immigrants.

Batalla, who is of Mexican descent, has been a staunch supporter of immigrant rights.

"If you think positively and shed a positive light on our culture, you just rise above it," she said.

Batalla has certainly had a positive relationship with CSUMB, having performed on the campus twice previously, in 2003 and 2005.

In 2005, the World Theater's Presenting Series co-commissioned her "Gracias a la Vida" album and produced a DVD of her on stage.

Batalla spoke with The Herald about her upcoming visit to CSUMB and the joys of life and motherhood.

Q: Talk about your relationship with CSUMB World Theater. How did that develop?

A: Well, the first time, my agent booked me. But once I met the group up here, we became instant friends. We kind of share the same mission, which is to celebrate Hispanic culture. We're all on the same page in that regard. So part of my draw up there is the people of the area, basically.

But it's also the whole community, not just the Hispanic/Latino
Advertisement
community. I don't like to separate other communities, because I think the community is a combination of both sides.

I think that when I come out to Monterey, and connect with my audience, I think those lines are blurred and everyone comes together to celebrate something that is beautiful. That is my goal in any concert that I do.

Q: What are your current artistic pursuits?

A: I'm furthering my study and quest of how many cultural pieces have to come together to make any of my music. I've been traveling a lot to Spain and seeing what comprises the beautiful Spanish art music. I've learned it is an amalgam of a lot of different cultures — African, Arabic, Hispanic. There are so many things that come together.

Being that I am a mestiza and someone that is totally mixed, it keeps getting deeper and deeper. For me, it's about the study of music through historical study.

Q: What can the Monterey fans expect for this show? How will it be different from your past performances?

A: I've recorded a little more since I was here last, so I will get to share some of that.

Since Mother's Day is this coming weekend, I want to spend a little bit of time celebrating the mother, and the mother in all of us. I'm always singing our favorite Mexican songs and some of the things I grew up listening to, so that will be a part of it.

There was a song I wrote with a friend of mine a while ago, a song from my album "Mestiza." I remember I wrote that song when I was pregnant with my daughter. She's 15 now.

And I remember growing up, my mom had all of her favorite Mexican songs, so I may share some of those. It's going to be a combination of a lot of things, but mainly focused on mothers. To me, it's maybe the most important job I do in my life. The most important job ever is being a mother, and being a good one.

Q: Is there anything special you're hoping to get from your daughter for Mother's Day?

A: That's so funny, because I don't think in terms of that. To me, it's more that she gave me the greatest gift by making me into a mother. She will usually make something for me. She'll write me a poem or make me a painting.

Q: So she inherited some of your artistic gifts? Does she sing?

A: She's a wonderful singer. And her father, my husband, is a chef, so she's a wonderful cook.

Q: Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to during this Monterey visit?

A: I'm looking forward to eating some really great Mexican food.

I'm also looking forward to visiting the aquarium. I hear they have some wonderful cultural programming going on over there, so I'm excited to see it. I'm hoping to do a concert there in the future. Also, I hear it's one of the most beautiful aquariums in the world, so I'm just excited to go check it out.

Marc Cabrera can be reached at mcabrera@montereyherald.com. GO!