The Day of the Dead, or Da de los Muertos, is almost here. The occasion is now a well-recognized Mexican tradition that is observed by persons of Mexican descent everywhere and in Latino communities across the United States. On Da de los Muertos, which is customarily celebrated the first two days of November, people gather in colorful celebrations with food, flowers, and loving memories of loved ones who have passed away as opposed to attending funerals.
DA DE LOS MUERTOS debuts on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS Video app on Friday, October 28, 2022, 9:00–10:00 p.m. ET in commemoration of the celebration this year. The concert included performances by the following musicians, and was recorded in front of a live audience deep under the distinctive and lovely “underworld” of The Caverns, an underground theater in Middle Tennessee:
LOS LOBOS is an East Los Angeles band that was formed almost 50 years ago. With their distinctive, GRAMMY-winning fusion of rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional music like cumbia, boleros, and norteos, they have sold millions of records, garnered prestigious honors, and gained fans all over the world.
With their upbeat mash-up of salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and several types of Latin music, including tropical genres like merengue and cumbia, Mexican styles like norteo, and Jamaican ska and reggae, all mixed with a heavy dose of hip-hop and funk, OZOMATLI, a long-running Los Angeles-based band, raises the energy of the evening.
The all-female, Latin GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble FLOR DE TOLOACHE mixes traditional Mariachi with a contemporary twist. They are located in New York. The unusual sound of Flor de Toloache, which has been played on NPR and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is a modern, genre-defying take on traditional Mexican music.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition organized the event, which was attended by a variety of Latino groups in Tennessee, many of whom were dressed in traditional costumes and skeleton makeup. Short films by San Francisco filmmaker Jennifer Maytorena Taylor that explain the significance of Da de los Muertos are interspersed between the performances.
“This joyous new special is a great way to learn about and celebrate the rich Mexican observance of Día de los Muertos,” says Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of Latino Public Broadcasting. “We’re delighted to partner with Todd Jarrell Productions to bring the amazing music of these exciting Latino artists to the PBS family.”
All PBS platforms with station branding, such as PBS.org and the PBS Video app for iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO, will stream DA DE LOS MUERTOS.
