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Music Matters
Why Lhasa de Sela Matters
An artist in every sense of the word, Lhasa de Sela wowed audiences around the globe with her multilingual songs and spellbinding performances, mixing together everything from Gypsy music to Mexican rancheras, Americana and jazz, chanson fran�aise, and South American folk melodies. In Canada, her album La Llorona won the Juno Award and went gold, and its follow-up, The Living Road, won a BBC World Music Award. Tragically, de Sela succumbed to breast cancer in 2010 at the age of thirty-seven after recording her final album, Lhasa.
Tracing de Sela's unconventional life and introducing her to a new generation, Why Lhasa de Sela Matters is the first biography of this sophisticated creative icon. Raised in a hippie family traveling between the United States and Mexico in a converted school bus, de Sela developed an unquenchable curiosity, with equal affinities for the romantic, mystic, and cerebral. Becoming a sensation in Montreal and Europe, the trilingual singer rejected a conventional path to fame, joining her sisters' circus troupe in France. Revealing the details of these and other experiences that inspired de Sela to write such vibrant, otherworldly music, Why Lhasa de Sela Matters sings with the spirit of this gifted firebrand.
Tracing de Sela's unconventional life and introducing her to a new generation, Why Lhasa de Sela Matters is the first biography of this sophisticated creative icon. Raised in a hippie family traveling between the United States and Mexico in a converted school bus, de Sela developed an unquenchable curiosity, with equal affinities for the romantic, mystic, and cerebral. Becoming a sensation in Montreal and Europe, the trilingual singer rejected a conventional path to fame, joining her sisters' circus troupe in France. Revealing the details of these and other experiences that inspired de Sela to write such vibrant, otherworldly music, Why Lhasa de Sela Matters sings with the spirit of this gifted firebrand.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 13, 2020
The author did a superior job, especially not ever having met Lhasa when she was alive. The family story is more than amazingly fascinating. I was impressed w/ his final recognition of Lhasa’s Mother, Alexandra.
November 9, 2020
so so grateful for this book. have only read the first couple of chapters. yet, after all these years still loving lhasa's music and cherishing the performances I was fortunate to witness, I'm struck again by how eternally sad I am that the world lost her in one sense. so of course I'm also happy it still hears her in many other senses. by far still one of my favorite artists and La llorona... ay! un álbum que me dio mucho consuelo durante noches oscuras llena del dolor del corazón.
November 13, 2019
Absolutely splendid biography about an underappreciated vocal talent and all-around bohemian. The author conducts fantastic interviews with Lhasa's family, friends, and collaborators, which creates such breathtaking insights.
November 11, 2022
Masterfull begining in the introduction of this book.
In his prologue (page xi), Fred Goodman, who by the way is a former editor at Rolling Stone (as says his bio) admits from the start that on the night of January 9 2010, when he heard for the first time a song by Lhasa on “Liquid Sound Lounge”, a not-to-be-missed Saturday evening show on WBAI in New York hosted by DJ Jeannie Hopper”, he asked himself: “Lhasa? How could I have not heard of her? How could any artist capable of this, die quiet and unknown?” The DJ had introduced the song like this: “Here’s Lhasa who died New Year’s Day in Montreal.”
The next day Goodman got the album The Living Road and he was mesmerized.
This brought me back to the day Lhasa’s passing was broadcasted on the news. Every Montreal paper had an article, it was on the television news and of course, the radio. And there was that show host on a Quebec City radio station who said on his show “Well, there is definitely nothing going on in the news right now, because the Montreal newspapers are talking about a singer who died of breast cancer at 37. Sure, a woman dying of cancer is always very sad, but to put that on the newspaper… I have never heard of her. I asked around and nobody, my friends, my co-workers, nobody has ever heard of her. So even though it is sad, I mean come on, putting a nobody on the paper because she died…”
The difference between Mr. Goodman and that Quebec City show host is that Mr. Goodman (who admits being a little dubious at first, wondering if this was just a fluke, a one-time lucky strike song by someone who did not have a whole singing career) Mr. Goodman did his research and discovered a wonderful artist. The radio host took for granted that if he, and all the people he knew, never heard of Lhasa, then she must be a nobody… He totally missed the bus! But he very quickly knew he had made a mistake when the same day 500 messages were sent to the radio station asking for an apology.
Lhasa de Sela was and still is beloved in Montreal. I personally first heard of her on the radio (Radio-Canada) when her second album came out. The show host was enthralled with that album. He spoke about how he loved the first album “La Llorona” (1997 - 11 songs she sung in Spanish), and about how he was curious to hear the second one “The Living Road” (2003 - 12 songs she sang in Spanish, French or English) 6 years after the first album. He talked about how artists who take a long lapse like 6 years, usually are forgotten. He also said that her first album was so strong, he did not really believe she could make something as good. Then he said he listened to it and could not believe what he heard! It was very different and even better! Curious, I went to the record store and purchased The Living Road. The next week I was back at the store to purchase “La Llorona”. Then we all waited, more or less patiently for her next album. Her third and last album called “Lhasa” (2008 – 12 songs in English) came out and it was just wonderful. She was supposed to go on tour, but then she got really sick and had to cancel.
This book was a wonderful book. It brought me joy and sorrow. Joy because I already loved Lhasa and now that I know more about this amazing, complex woman, I love her even more. Sorrow because she is gone and there will never be another opportunity to listen to her in concert. I will without a doubt come back to this book, as I have underlined every mention of a song, so I can go back and read again while listening to her CDs.
Lhasa toured around the world and sold over a million albums. Do yourself a favor and listen to her songs.
For a very special treat, I suggest you go to YouTube and type “Lhasa de Sela Live in Montreal”. You will get a page with 6 videos recorded during Lhasa’s last concert in Montreal, April 2009. Patrick Watson offered his loft in Montreal and friends came to listen to her new songs. People are sitting on the floor, and the camera goes from her to the musicians to people listening while she sings. There are 6 songs from her last album. On the first video “Is anything wrong”, she starts by saying that they did that same show the previous night (also in Patrick Watson’s loft) and that she felt intimidated because people were so close and she said “I know almost everybody here…” so she said she might "act a little goofy and shy, and that’s why…"
I absolutely love the video of the song “Love Came Here”. It opens with a blues, and we never heard that from her… there is a surprised reaction and a few whistles from the audience. I don’t know if it’s because of the whistles, or because of the way her drummer gives the last sound of the intro with a look at her full of mischief, but she starts laughing, and laughing, and laughing… the music stops, but she can’t stop laughing… until finally, she says “ok, I’m ready!” and they start again. That is the most precious and sincere moment. I love it, but I love everything about Lhasa.
Lhasa passed on January 1st 2010 in her home in Montreal. Her agent succeeded in keeping the news from the media for a couple of days to help family and friends grieve in private. Then it was official in the news and we all felt a deep sense of loss. On the main page of her website, we could read “It has snowed more than forty hours in Montreal since Lhasa’s departure.”
In his prologue (page xi), Fred Goodman, who by the way is a former editor at Rolling Stone (as says his bio) admits from the start that on the night of January 9 2010, when he heard for the first time a song by Lhasa on “Liquid Sound Lounge”, a not-to-be-missed Saturday evening show on WBAI in New York hosted by DJ Jeannie Hopper”, he asked himself: “Lhasa? How could I have not heard of her? How could any artist capable of this, die quiet and unknown?” The DJ had introduced the song like this: “Here’s Lhasa who died New Year’s Day in Montreal.”
The next day Goodman got the album The Living Road and he was mesmerized.
This brought me back to the day Lhasa’s passing was broadcasted on the news. Every Montreal paper had an article, it was on the television news and of course, the radio. And there was that show host on a Quebec City radio station who said on his show “Well, there is definitely nothing going on in the news right now, because the Montreal newspapers are talking about a singer who died of breast cancer at 37. Sure, a woman dying of cancer is always very sad, but to put that on the newspaper… I have never heard of her. I asked around and nobody, my friends, my co-workers, nobody has ever heard of her. So even though it is sad, I mean come on, putting a nobody on the paper because she died…”
The difference between Mr. Goodman and that Quebec City show host is that Mr. Goodman (who admits being a little dubious at first, wondering if this was just a fluke, a one-time lucky strike song by someone who did not have a whole singing career) Mr. Goodman did his research and discovered a wonderful artist. The radio host took for granted that if he, and all the people he knew, never heard of Lhasa, then she must be a nobody… He totally missed the bus! But he very quickly knew he had made a mistake when the same day 500 messages were sent to the radio station asking for an apology.
Lhasa de Sela was and still is beloved in Montreal. I personally first heard of her on the radio (Radio-Canada) when her second album came out. The show host was enthralled with that album. He spoke about how he loved the first album “La Llorona” (1997 - 11 songs she sung in Spanish), and about how he was curious to hear the second one “The Living Road” (2003 - 12 songs she sang in Spanish, French or English) 6 years after the first album. He talked about how artists who take a long lapse like 6 years, usually are forgotten. He also said that her first album was so strong, he did not really believe she could make something as good. Then he said he listened to it and could not believe what he heard! It was very different and even better! Curious, I went to the record store and purchased The Living Road. The next week I was back at the store to purchase “La Llorona”. Then we all waited, more or less patiently for her next album. Her third and last album called “Lhasa” (2008 – 12 songs in English) came out and it was just wonderful. She was supposed to go on tour, but then she got really sick and had to cancel.
This book was a wonderful book. It brought me joy and sorrow. Joy because I already loved Lhasa and now that I know more about this amazing, complex woman, I love her even more. Sorrow because she is gone and there will never be another opportunity to listen to her in concert. I will without a doubt come back to this book, as I have underlined every mention of a song, so I can go back and read again while listening to her CDs.
Lhasa toured around the world and sold over a million albums. Do yourself a favor and listen to her songs.
For a very special treat, I suggest you go to YouTube and type “Lhasa de Sela Live in Montreal”. You will get a page with 6 videos recorded during Lhasa’s last concert in Montreal, April 2009. Patrick Watson offered his loft in Montreal and friends came to listen to her new songs. People are sitting on the floor, and the camera goes from her to the musicians to people listening while she sings. There are 6 songs from her last album. On the first video “Is anything wrong”, she starts by saying that they did that same show the previous night (also in Patrick Watson’s loft) and that she felt intimidated because people were so close and she said “I know almost everybody here…” so she said she might "act a little goofy and shy, and that’s why…"
I absolutely love the video of the song “Love Came Here”. It opens with a blues, and we never heard that from her… there is a surprised reaction and a few whistles from the audience. I don’t know if it’s because of the whistles, or because of the way her drummer gives the last sound of the intro with a look at her full of mischief, but she starts laughing, and laughing, and laughing… the music stops, but she can’t stop laughing… until finally, she says “ok, I’m ready!” and they start again. That is the most precious and sincere moment. I love it, but I love everything about Lhasa.
Lhasa passed on January 1st 2010 in her home in Montreal. Her agent succeeded in keeping the news from the media for a couple of days to help family and friends grieve in private. Then it was official in the news and we all felt a deep sense of loss. On the main page of her website, we could read “It has snowed more than forty hours in Montreal since Lhasa’s departure.”
March 19, 2020
Excellent read. page turner? Maybe not. But an excellent look at one of my favorite artists and her life. If you haven't heard her music, then some of the book may not make sense. But if you know her music, it just adds a whole new layer of understanding.
June 7, 2022
I found Lhasa a few years before I ran into this book listed under a song by her on Youtube by the uploader. This gave me an amazing insite into this incredible artist who passed at 37 years old, with interviews by her family, her bandmates and many others especially the writer who found her after she was gone when someone wanted him to hear her music. His impression of what he found out about her is wonderful. I agree as well that she matters far more than anyone can imagine. Super biography.
January 30, 2022
What an absolutely transcending book. I have been listening to her music for quite a while now and she is by far my inspiration for anything and everything. I can only describe this book, as bittersweet. I hope she is infinitely happy wherever she is in the universe.
December 31, 2020
Highly recommended
This book shares Lhasa’s story in a delicate and beautiful manner. It shall make you want to listen to her music even more.
This book shares Lhasa’s story in a delicate and beautiful manner. It shall make you want to listen to her music even more.
October 12, 2024
Lhasa was a special artist whose music and artistry deserves to be more widely celebrated. Having said that, I approached this book with trepidation, anticipating a hagiography. Thankfully, it is a beautifully written insight into exactly who she was (in her own words and those who knew her best) and how her three amazing albums came to exist. Highly recommended, but, more importantly, check out her music.
July 5, 2024
A very interesting insight into Lhasa and her life. There is not much in terms of information about her and her life anywhere else, so this is a must-read for anyone who appreciates Lhasa and her music.
Read
March 8, 2020Goodman’s account relies heavily on interviews he conducted with Lhasa’s family, friends, and musical collaborators, and to give each of them as much space as he does is welcome, illuminating Lhasa through the primary legacy she left for her loved ones. The argument that Goodman sets out to make—that Lhasa is worth remembering—is proven time and again by the stories her intimates tell to memorialize her.
Full review here: https://athenaeumreview.org/review/to...
Full review here: https://athenaeumreview.org/review/to...
April 10, 2024
She matters guys!
November 27, 2020
Lhasa cantaba con su alma y espíritu. Al conocer su historia uno entiende por qué no podía ser de otra manera. Me gustó mucho la forma en que está escrito. Solo quedan ganas de escucharla y entrar más en ese camino entre dos mundos.
March 24, 2024
How her determined and idealistic life touches everything and everone that she meets. And how also she is able to depart and leave behind when she moves forward. The voices that speak in the interviews are people all left behind in one way or another.
April 20, 2025
Wow, an excellent depiction of a visionary and complex artist. Perhaps one of the best books about a woman by a man that I have read. I wish Lhasa was here in body, but so value the work she left behind. Enchanting read.
December 14, 2022
This one hits different. An amazing portrayal of Lhasa’s life.
October 21, 2025
taikaa!
April 5, 2025
I love you. Te amo. Je t'aime. Lhasa
May 18, 2024
Lhasa’s musical sincerity always called to me like a siren. I find her determined search for a life that would be true to herself inspiring, hoping that perhaps I could also muster a fraction of such courage to break away, if only slightly, from the societal current myself.
I try not to mourn the art that her maturing soul might have created, or the paths that she might have found. I appreciate the time in which she graced the Earth in its completeness.
“She was dressed like that with her hair up in an ugly bun,” says Bïa. “And she started to sing with her eyes closed and would not look at the people, was not making any gestures, and all the noisy people fell silent. It was incredible. It just happened. In that flea circus! Outdoors of Marseille, nothing there. The lights were ugly, the sound was shitty, people standing up on sand, and she was there in those horrible shoes, and you couldn’t ever, ever, have an uglier hairdo. But she was magnetic.”
I try not to mourn the art that her maturing soul might have created, or the paths that she might have found. I appreciate the time in which she graced the Earth in its completeness.
“She was dressed like that with her hair up in an ugly bun,” says Bïa. “And she started to sing with her eyes closed and would not look at the people, was not making any gestures, and all the noisy people fell silent. It was incredible. It just happened. In that flea circus! Outdoors of Marseille, nothing there. The lights were ugly, the sound was shitty, people standing up on sand, and she was there in those horrible shoes, and you couldn’t ever, ever, have an uglier hairdo. But she was magnetic.”
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews