I serendipitously happened onto the striking press kit photo (shown above) of Perla Batalla, solo artist and backup singer for Leonard Cohen, and within a few minutes, this shot (shown below)  of her smooching Leonard Cohen. the photo atop this post was taken by Heather McKenzie-Benton. Both images were found on auction sites.

I took this as a sign that today was the day to post some of photos of Perla from my stash.

From UCLA LIve

The set displayed above is a selection from the 30+ photos found on Perla's MySpace page.

1. Avila Beach concert 2006
2. By Claud Mann
3. By Nancy  Santullo
4. By Nancy  Santullo

1. From Cadence Arts Network
2. From Perla's biography page at Music & Musicians
3. Screen capture of Perla in concert in San Pedro, video taken by bridgebud originally posted at Superb Videos Of Superb Performance – Perla Batalla Sings "If It Be Your Will" May 8, 2010

My personal favorites, these are examples of  the Leonard Cohen And His Amorous Backup Singers motif with Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen playing the female leads.

1. Photo by Kate Grant
2. Originally posted at Leonard Cohen, Perla Batalla, & Julie Christensen – Singing, Dancing, And Fooling Around. From the 1988 I’m Your Man tour; found at LeonardCohenFiles
3. Originally posted at The Ten Most Seductive Leonard Cohen Songs
    #1 to #5. Screen capture from Closing Time video. 
4. Originally posted at Leonard Cohen Danced With, Fondled By Perla Batalla & Julie Christensen To "I’m Your Man."  Screen capture from 1988 Swedish TV  video of I'm Your Man.
5. Originally posted at Leonard Cohen Gazed Upon Longingly By Perla Batalla & Julie Christensen During "Tower Of Song".  Screen capture from 1988 Swedish TV  video of Tower of Song.

Julie Christensen and Perla Batalla, “L.A. singers, who” in the words of Kevin Roderick, writing in LA Observed: The backup singers project, “gave Leonard Cohen’s performances and records some female pizazz in the 1980s and ’90s,” are featured in this video of Dance Me To The End Of Love.

Roderick goes on to observe, “Now artists on their own, Christensen and Batalla (her parents owned Discoteca Batalla in Venice) hold honored status in the global Cohen fan cult.”

Also of note in this video (which is of decent quality but does end a tad abruptly) is Cohen’s voice, which seems, to my ears, especially raspy.