One of El Paso's best places to learn about Dia de los Muertos is at Centro Mayapan. This year's festivities will be held on Saturday, November 3 from 3 to 10PM.
One of the best parts of Centro Mayapan's Dia de los Muertos event is the music. This year, the theme is based around the the musical style of
son jarocho, which comes from Veracruz, Mexico. If you're not familiar with
son jarocho, it is amazingly complex folk music played on instruments such as the
requinto jarocho, a four-stringed guitar similar to a ukelele and the
arpa (harp). Popular
son jarocho songs include
El Cascabel ("The Little Bell") and
La Bamba. I play
sones jarochos and
sones huestecos (another style of Mexican folk music) on my porch whenever I'm relaxing or working outside. They are both styles that I have truly come to love.
The group performing at this year's Centro Mayapan Dia de los Muertos event is Son de Madera — one of the most renowned son jarocho groups. I have two of their albums, and I can certainly say that they are one of the best groups in my collection.
Centro Mayapan will also have altars, food — including many styles of
molé (a blend of chocolate and chile) and
champurrado (a sweet, hot beverage made from cornmeal), vendors and dancing.
Centro Mayapan is located at 2000 Texas Avenue. For more information, call Lorenzo at 533-9710.
I'll see you there!
Sugar skulls and flores de muertos or cempasuchil (marigolds, the traditional flower of Dia de los Muertos)
The proverbially cool Marina Monsisvais and her hubby as La Catrína and El Catrín.
These photos are from the magnificent ofrenda for Frida Kahlo at the Mexican Consulate. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Ofrenda to El Paso artist Tom Lea. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Ofrenda to Vincent Van Gogh. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Ofrenda honoring fallen El Paso soldiers lost in the war in Iraq. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007
One of several beautiful, large painted paper maché skulls at El Paso Chile Company. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
I purchased the figure in the left of this photo (female calavera kneeling in front of casket).
Original artwork, folk art pieces and large ofrenda at the Hal Marcus Gallery. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Artwork at Marie Otero Salon. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Ofrenda to Frida Kahlo, in honor of the centennial of her birth. Inside the El Paso Museum of Art gift shop. Photos taken during the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Some of the many Dia de los Muertos folk art pieces for sale at the El Paso Museum of Art's gift shop. Photos taken during the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Photos from the El Paso Public Library, Downtown Branch. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
Photos from the El Paso Museum of History. Ofrenda dedicated to Teresita Urrea. Part of the Culture Cruise to Die For, November 1, 2007.
I wanted to show three of the best Dia de los Muertos books for children (and adults, too). Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book by illustrator/author Jeanette Winter is filled with fantastic illustrations. The alphabet portion is wrapped within the story of three generations of family that make paper mache calavera for Dia de los Muertos. A great choice for young ones, but even if you don't have children at home, it's still an excellent choice and very fun.
One of El Paso's best places to learn about Dia de los Muertos is at Centro Mayapan. This year's festivities will be held on Saturday, November 3 from 3 to 10PM.
I added one of these clay skulls to my ever-expanding collection!
A huge selection of Catrinas!
