Día de los Muertos Concert Scheduled In Austin

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Halloween, schmalloween. In the Latino culture, the seasonal observance is Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a multi-day holiday focusing on gatherings of friends and family to pray and remember dead loved ones in helping them through their spiritual journey.

For more information, watch the movie "Coco." It's a good film.

Austin, being the live music capital of the world, is putting its own spin on the thing. the "Día de los Muertos Music Festival" is scheduled on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater. Doors open at 4 p.m., with general admission $15. Musical entertainment will be offered by AB Quintanilla III and the Kumbia Kings All Starz, David Nada & Tittsworth featuring CQ the Drummer, Tiarra Girls, Maracatu Austin, and DJs Canela ConSafos & Jenchata of Chulita Vinyl Club.

Abraham Isaac Quintanilla, most famously known as A.B. Quintanilla and older brother to crossover sensation Selena Quintanilla, is a well-known record producer, songwriter, and musician of Mexican heritage. As a member of Los Dinos, A.B. would play bass guitar, produce and write songs for Selena, which resulted in successful singles such as "Como la Flor," "Amor Prohibido" and "No Me Queda Más." For their part, the Kumbia Kingz is an America-Mexican cumbia group originating from Texas, their music encompasses the styles of cumbia, hip hop, and R&B.

The concert is being staged by Easterseals Central Texas, the leading organization serving people with disabilities in Central Texas. Along with live music and a DJ, the festival will feature art, sugar skull face painting and a proclamation by City of Austin Mayor Steve Adler.

The Disability Awareness Day celebration will kick off with the annual City Wide Hold Up, organized by the Texas Wranglers, which brings together more than a thousand volunteers each year and sends them to street corners throughout Austin to “hold up” passing motorists for change donations. In its 19-year history, the Hold Up has raised more than $475,000 for Easterseals. Easterseals’ Disability Awareness Day will culminate with the sixth annual Día de los Muertos concert. For more information, visit: www.stubbsaustin.com.

“Disabilities affect one in six Central Texans, impacting thousands of families in our area,” said Tod Marvin, President and CEO of Easterseals Central Texas. “With this day of music, celebration and giving back, Easterseals aims to bring the community together to create awareness about the challenges Austin’s disability community faces and raise needed funds to provide programming and support to people with disabilities.”

As the seventh largest charity in the nation, Easterseals has been a part of the Central Texas community for over 80 years and is the largest independent nonprofit provider of disability services in the region. It has 20 different programs that serve nearly 16,000 people with disabilities and their family members each year.

The Día de los Muertos concert is sponsored by the Austin Cultural Arts Division, BB&T and HEB and more. For more information, visit austindiadelosmuertos.com. For tickets, click here.

The event comes on the heels of last weekend's Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Culural Center. There, attendees made ofrendas (which means altars; again, see "Coco" if you're among the uninitiated) for loved ones. Hot chocolate flowed, pan de muerto was consumed and music flowed courtesy of Mauricio Callejas, Samuel Lopez Group, and Mariachi Corbetas. Danca Azteca Guadalupana and Roy Lozano's Ballet Folklórico.

This was a hard-core Dia de los Muertos event, with curandera Marika Alvarado from Of the Earth Healing performing limpas (cleansings). This is ground that actually goes beyond "Coco" territory. Guests browsing through local artisan booths of colorful flower crowns, clothing, and jewelry.

On Día de la Familia, families broke piñatas with Las Piñatas ATX, decorated sugar skulls, and got their face painted. Educator Cassie Smith gave insightful presentations on the history and significance of Day of the Dead. MACC officials note that the Girl Scouts of Central Texas even earned a special Day of the Dead patch.

If you missed it, make plans to attend next year. In the meantime, visit the MACC's altars exhibition on display in the Community Gallery through Dec. 1.

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