Joined by Julie Christensen, the performer will pay tribute to Cohen’s greatest hits on July 10
By Gillian Brunette
The Huntsville Festival of the Arts presents Perla Batalla in concert on Tuesday, July 10 at the Algonquin Theatre.
The Los Angeles-born singer-songwriter first gained international attention as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen. He later encouraged her to embark on a solo career and Batalla subsequently released her debut CD Perla Batalla in 1994. Not surprisingly, the critics loved it, calling her singing “sublime” and her talent “stunning.”
Batalla is excited about her tribute to Leonard Cohen titled Bird on the Wire. The album includes special guests such as David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos), Bill Gable, Vinnie Coliauta, Greg Leisz, Julie Christensen and many other fine musicians.
Batalla and Christensen were Cohen’s backup singers on his 1988 and 1993 tours and also worked with Cohen during recording sessions in studio. An accomplished solo artist in her own right, Christensen now performs with her band Stone Cupid.
SIMPLY SUBLIME: Perla Batalla’s performance is “an experience to be savoured and sought at every opportunity.” The former backup singer for Leonard Cohen is at the Algonquin Theatre on July 10.The July 10 concert promises to be a very special evening of music as Christensen will join Batalla on stage. The two will pay tribute to Cohen’s greatest hits and offer a glimpse into each of the artist’s solo works.
Batalla was immersed in the musical world from birth; her father was a Mexican singer and disc jockey, her mother the proprietor of a bustling Spanish language music store.
In addition to singing with Cohen, Batalla has worked with artists ranging from k.d. lang to the Gipsy Kings and Jennifer Warnes. These diverse influences are evident in the music she writes, arranges and performs today. Her repertoire cuts across genre and language, combining traditional Mexican folk melodies, powerful ballads and pulsing rhythms, the result being stylish and sophisticated.
Her second album Mestiza was released in 1998 on her own Mechuda Music label. Mestiza and Batalla’s 2000 release Heaven and Earth celebrate a powerful civilization born from the explosive marriage of separate worlds, a resplendent, vibrant culture nourished by mysticism, imagery, magic and myth.
Batalla’s eagerly awaited followup to the Mestiza song cycle was an innovative undertaking of contagious rhythm and pure joy. Named for her parents’ record shop, the Discoteca Batalla project was a compilation of original compositions interspersed with traditional Spanish-language classics arranged to reflect Batalla’s rich bicultural personal and musical heritage. Discoteca Batalla has appeared on “best of” lists throughout the country.
Christensen has had the blues and jazz in her ears and soul and voice for a long time. Before her two backup singing stints with Cohen, she fronted an alternative post-punk band Divine Horsemen with Chris D from 1983 to 1987, putting out four albums.
Since the recordings and live sessions with Cohen, she has worked with Van Dyke Parks, Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Steve Wynn, Osamu Kitajima, k.d. lang, Robben Ford and others. Blues and jazz and other roots music are conjured up on Christensen’s gigs alongside her evocative original songs.
Tickets for Perla Batalla are $30 for adults, $15 for youth under 18 and available at the theatre box office on Main Street, by calling 705-789-4975 or on-line at www.huntsvillefestival. on.ca.
