One of the most idiosyncratic Mexican-American performers, Lhasa sang with her family while growing up. Although she was born in New York, she spent eight years living in Mexico before moving to Montreal in 1992. There she met Yves Desrosiers, a young musician with whom she began collaborating on a full-time basis. The pair played locally, adding bassist Mario Légaré, and then toured nationally before beginning work on Lhasa's debut, La Llorona. A foray to the U.S. in 1997 to travel and perform with Lilith Fair won a number of fans, who were surprised by the strange, richly sensual music and Lhasa's smoky jazz phrasing. ~ Chris Nickson