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Día de los Muertos—Day of the Dead— is around the corner! The event has become a globally recognized Mexican tradition celebrated in Latino neighborhoods throughout the United States and by people of Mexican heritage everywhere.
Traditionally observed on the first two days of November, Día de los Muertos sees families and friends paying their respects to deceased loved ones with colorful and festive gatherings filled with food, flowers, and warm remembrances rather than funereal mourning.
In honor of this year’s celebration, DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS premieres Friday, October 28, 2022, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS Video app.
Taped before a live audience deep within the unique and beautiful “underworld” of The Caverns, an underground theater in Middle Tennessee, the concert includes performances by the following artists:
- LOS LOBOS – with their unique GRAMMY-winning amalgamation of rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional music such as cumbia, boleros, and norteños, the East L.A. band formed almost 50 years ago has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards and made fans around the world.
- OZOMATLI – this longtime Los Angeles-based band brings the evening’s energy up with their lively mash-up of salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and several types of Latin music: tropical genres like merengue and cumbia, Mexican styles like norteño and Jamaican ska and reggae, all mixed with a heavy dose of hip-hop and funk.
- FLOR DE TOLOACHE – this Latin GRAMMY Award-winning, New York-based, all-female group combines old-style Mariachi with a modern edge. Featured on NPR and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Flor de Toloache’s distinctive sound is a fresh, genre-busting take on traditional Mexican music.
The audience is composed of Tennessee’s diverse Latino communities, many in skeleton makeup and traditional costumes, organized by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. The performances are intermixed with short vignettes produced by San Francisco filmmaker Jennifer Maytorena Taylor that illuminate the meaning of Día de los Muertos.
“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.”
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS will be available to stream on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO.