Erin Currier: “Lhasa de Sela (September 27, 1972— January 1, 2010) lived an uncompromising and romantic life since her inception. Born into a lineage of nomadic musicians, she grew up with her parents and siblings in a school bus that crisscrossed Mexico, the US, and Canada. As a young adult, she joined a circus troupe in France with her sisters, and travelled Europe performing in the circus, writing ballads, and singing in bars. She wove together Troubadour music from multiple continents: Gypsy music and Flamenco; Mexican Rancheras, Americana; Blues; Jazz; Portuguese Fados; Russian lullabies; South American folk music. She sang in Spanish, English, and French. In the words of Fred Goodman, “Lhasa saw the world as imbued with magic and romance and cosmic design— a dramatic and poetic outlook she expressed with wit and lyricism.” And one who, “had been urged from an early age to treat life as an adventure.” He goes on to write “as her music attests, she felt life intensely and was both enraptured by the mystery and deeply bruised by the realities of love”. The sublime, poignant, and unique creative work put forth during her all too brief life continues to inspire listeners all over the World.
My portrait of Lhasa de Sela is comprised of men’s underwear packaging found on the ground at Porta Portese flea market in Rome, a lottery ticket from a road trip to Joshua Tree, a dance party flyer for Albuquerque’s DJ Caterwaul, Double Time Dance Studio punchcards, Vidal Sassoon garment tags, and almond candy packaging from Tokyo.
