Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla grew up in the 1970s in her family’s landmark record store and gathering place, Discoteca Batalla in the Latino community in Venice, CA. At the record shop she was surrounded by non-stop music that cut across genres and languages.

Perla is best known for adding her warm rich vocals to the recorded work and live performances of the late great Leonard Cohen, as well as with Lou Reed, Sonny Rollins, Rufus Wainwright, Jackson Browne and Laurie Anderson and many others.

Her Grand Annex concert combines the best of her early musical influences at the record store with an homage to the music of her mentor, colleague, and friend, Leonard Cohen.

The Best of Perla Batalla

Perla in the house of Cohen (Songs of Leonard Cohen)

Postponed due to COVID

Perla in the house of Cohen (Songs of Leonard Cohen)

Perla in the House of Cohen (Songs of Leonard Cohen)

Throughout the 1960s and 70s Discoteca Batalla was a well-known landmark in the Latino community in Venice, California. This mom-and-pop discoteca (Spanish for “record store”) was a haven for desperately homesick immigrants from all over Mexico and Latin America. It was a spot to gather, exchange news from home, buy the latest Spanish language pop exitos, or maybe just enjoy some sweet coffee and pan dulce with the proprietors, Barbara and Jorge Batalla. Jorge was a singer and radio DJ. He knew the lyrics to every traditional Spanish language song ever written. His wife Barbara hand wrote letters home for working men and women separated for years at a time from their families.

Perla Batalla is their daughter—a singer best known for her solo career, plus her decade-long work with Leonard Cohen, as well as with such artists as Lou Reed, Sonny Rollins, k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright, Jackson Browne and Laurie Anderson. While the record store closed its doors over 40 years ago, the experiences and stories are part of L.A.’s heritage.

Supported by CAP UCLA, Discoteca Batalla is an homage to this important place and moment in time. It is a celebration of the people whose lives and identities shape the fabric of L.A. and inspire resilience.

Go to online.cap.ucla.edu for access to CAP UCLA’s free online programming through January 2021.

Grammy-nominee Perla Batalla returns to CaltechLive! on October 18 at 3:30 p.m. PT

Join us for a rare glimpse into the life (and living room) of singer and songwriter Perla Batalla, known for her rich contralto voice and ability to imbue a wide range of songs—traditional Mexican ballads, jazz standards, the work of mentor Leonard Cohen—with heart-stopping emotional depth.

Longtime colleague Michael Alexander will engage Batalla in a conversation about her musical and professional influences, including the bustling Latino music scene at her mother's West L.A. record store and the pivotal first meeting with Leonard Cohen, in which a wise sartorial decision set off a decades' long friendship and launched a successful solo career.

Interspersed with concert footage from 2019 (recorded on her last tour before the COVID-19 crisis), the hour-long chat offers a deep dive into the trajectory of a renowned performer, a love letter to L.A. by a true musical omnivore, and a candid discussion with a prolific artist living through a global pandemic.

We invite you to open your hearts and homes as we create an unforgettable digital viewing experience with the largest, most fun, most successful progressive fundraising event on the Central Coast! Fund for SB: Advancing progressive change by supporting movements for social, political, economic, & environmental justice.

Prior to the event, guests will receive email communications with details about our drive-thru pick-up parties and information on how to watch and participate in the programming. Additional information to follow.

The program is free to all and will be streamed from the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre at the Lawrence Family JCC through our new platform, Uscreen.

Perla Batalla in the House of Cohen