Zapotec blues queen honors migrant workers. (Living in Mexico).

Border

Lila Downs

Narada

Last year's impressive album Tree of Life saw Lila Downs, the queen of Zapotec blues, paying homage to Mexican traditions with her unique musical style. The singer has just come out with an even more striking collection of eclectic songs, focused on illegal migration into the United States.

The album, Border, could not be more opportune: The U.S.-Mexico border is increasingly becoming a melting pot of two cultures, as well as one of the top issues on the bilateral agenda. Dedicated to the hundreds of illegal migrants who have died in their attempts to cross the border, the album makes listeners aware of the drama in a uniquely artistic way.

Coming from an American and indigenous Mixtec background, Downs blends the best of both worlds. She portrays the bittersweet stories of her mother's land, Oaxaca, with the harsh reality of indigenous communities and the drama of Mexicans leaving their land in search of better opportunities north. Singing in Spanish, Maya and English, Downs tells the drama of migrant stories with a touch of humor.

Her extremely versatile voice mixes deep baritone in "El Feo" with a great twist of Philip Glass-like minimalism in a few soprano notes. She can scream like Janis Joplin, whisper like Sarah Vaughan, interpret rancheros like Lucha Reyes and then pull off a classical opera.

No matter how she does it, you can tell singing is her native language.

Outstanding on the album are a passionate interpretation of the classic ballad "Corazonicito Tirano" by Cuco Sanchez, the latest of her many renditions of "La Llorona" and the Mayan cumbia "Hanal Weech." Downs also pays tribute to Woody Guthrie with a medley of three migration songs from early last century, reminding us that migration also used to be a domestic issue in the United States.

Border is definitively the best album to broach the migration phenomenon since Manu Chao came out with its hit Clandestino a few years ago.

Downs has a role (singing, obviously) in Salma Hayek's upcoming film Frida and will be touring Europe and the United States for the next few months, including a show in New York on Aug. 23.

Jose Fernandez R.

Alfredo di Roma

Hotel Presidente Inter-Continental

Campos Eliseos 218

Col. Polanco, Mexico City

Tel.: [phone]

Mon. to Sat., 1 to 5 p.m., 7 to 11:30 p.m. Sun., 1 to 5 p.m.

Alfredo di Roma has it all: a prime location in one of Mexico City's five-star hotels, a pleasant interior consisting of a large sepia-tint fresco and Tuscany-style mustard yellow walls, a famous name everyone recognizes, an 11-year history in Mexico and one that spans three generations back in Italy, and a perfectly corny little story about how its fettuccine alfredo came to be over a century ago. With all that going for the restaurant, you can understand its steep prices. What's more difficult to understand is why the food, for the most part, isn't extraordinary. It isn't bad, mind you, just rather, well, regular.

There were a few exceptions, and our appetizers and one of our main dishes were quite delicious. Our group was very happy with the carpaccio di vitello al pate de olive verde, or light, succulent strips of raw beef filet accompanied by a puree of green olives. We also ordered the ever-popular prosciutto--or raw Italian-style ham--with cantaloupe. The prosciutto was worlds away from the chewy packaged stuff you get in the supermarket.

Our main dishes, however, were a mixed bag. While the seafood risotto was perfect in texture--with the surprising addition of mushrooms blending perfectly with the shellfish--the three pasta dishes we ordered left us distinctly under-whelmed.

I ordered Alfredo di Roma's pride and joy, the fettuccine alfredo, called rather grandly the "Maestosissime Fettuccine all' Alfredo." I was curious to try this signature dish, especially after reading the fabulous little tale about how the first Alfredo invented it back in 1900 to help his sickly wife after a difficult childbirth, telling her at her bedside "tell me what you think, and if you don't like it, I'll eat it all myself!" As the story goes, she loved it and was able to fully recuperate on the high-calorie, fatty dish.

I, however, was less impressed. It tasted like every other fettuccine alfredo I've had during my lifetime, and the dish confirmed a notion that I've had for a while: Its taste does not make up for the fact that I could feel my arteries clogging up with each bite. I guess the mixture of Parmesan cheese, butter, cream and pasta can't result in too many variations from restaurant to restaurant.

While the linguini and penne rigate dishes were perfectly edible, the tomato sauce did not taste very fresh, and if I didn't believe that a restaurant of this category would never do such a thing, I would almost think it came from a jar. These two dishes were, to put it bluntly, bland. In fact, now as I write this, a few days later, their exact flavor escapes me.

Well, there you have it. Alfredo di Roma is not as excellent as its reputation would lead you to believe, but as far as hotel restaurants go, it is not bad. Although some of the dishes may not impress, it is pleasant, with fine service, charming live music, an extensive wine list and soothing decor. Just don't go expecting the best Italian food you've ever tried.

Catherine Craddock