Dia De Muertos Festival Seattle Offers Ritual, Celebration And Deep Culture

Seattle Center Festál: Dia de Muertos Festival Seattle takes place virtually starting at 12 noon, Sunday, Nov. 1. Link to it at http://www.seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/festal/dia-de-muertos.

The festival honors the departed with ritual and tradition that preserve the celebration for younger generations to experience. Virtual participants explore elaborate community altars, sugar skull making and performing arts that keep the tradition alive.

Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) dates back prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the Americas-and to 2,000 years ago among different civilizations in Central America. It is a time for families and communities to celebrate the departed, not a day to mourn. People create alters to honor the dead and place offerings of food and other items the departed liked, while music and colorful ornaments welcome the spirit of the deceased.

The organizers made use of Seattle Center Studios to record and edit part of the day. These segments supplement other striking elements, such as a time lapse of a Dia de Muertos tapete creation, a large, colorful piece of art composed on the ground of colored sand and other organic material. Featured performances include:

• Bailadores de Bronce, promoting the beauty and richness of Mexican culture in the Pacific Northwest through music and dance that preserve traditions and instill pride in Mexican American youth.
• Correo Aereo (Air Mail), an award-winning string and percussion instrumental and vocal Latin/World music duo, performing traditional music of Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico,
• Trio Guadalevín, named for the ancient river and gorge that divides the city of Rhonda in Andalusia, exploring the deep roots of Latin America and the Mediterranean, interpreting and re-imagining a soundscape that draws on the many facets of their linked identities.
• Grupo Michoacan and Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueno will also perform virtually on Nov. 1.

Learn more at: https://diademuertosseattle.org

Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who help shape the character and course of our region. The series, presented virtually in 2020, provides a forum for cultural groups to come together, where they can share their stories with the greater community--and where all can feel a sense of belonging. The series began in 1997 to offer a central place for festivals to invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression.

Seattle Center presents Festál: Dia de Muertos Festival Seattle is presented in partnership with Dia de Muertos Committee as part of a series that provides a stage and platform for the traditions and accomplishments of the participating communities. Admission is free of charge.

For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal or call 206-684-7200.

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