Música para mis difuntos | Music for those passed
As we approach Día de los Muertos this November, we gather the different materials, objects, photographs, and joys of our loved ones honored on the altar. One particular joy that can fill up the room is the sound of music.
Music during Día de los Muertos celebrates the sounds our loved ones once moved to as we surround ourselves with the sounds they enjoyed while living. With all the different elements guiding the spirits (like the cempazúchitl we discussed earlier), music is meant to bring the spirits joy while visiting the altar.
To help you bring the sounds of Día de los Muertos to your home, enjoy this musical performance by Ensamble Musical de Senderos. You may remember this ensemble from years past as they led the 800 person procession from the MAH through the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and to Evergreen Cemetery.
I encourage you to make a playlist of the different songs and sounds enjoyed by the people you are honoring. Fill your home with the smell of cempazúchitl (marigolds), favorite foods, special items, and those sweet tunes. Our ancestors’ spirits are carried through them and are held within us.
Songlist:
- Eres Fabulosa, author: Narciso Lico Carillo, genre: cumbia
- Fely, author: Victor Reyes Francisco, genre: son
- No te podias quedar, arrangement: Gustavo Ojeda, genre: balada
- Floricel, author: unknown, genre: son
Ensamble Musical de Senderos is a traditional banda de viento (wind band). It is a free program offered through Senderos where students learn theory, practice, and performance of different musical genres from Mexico to Chile.
This performance was filmed at Evergreen Cemetery by Director Megan Martinez Goltz and Filmmakers Brenda Ávila Hanna and MK Veniegas-Isip - a group of amazing community storytellers.