Día De Los Muertos
Photo by Sam Brand on Unsplash 

Feliz Día De Los Muertos

Posted a little earlier than anticipated, but I know I will be busier mañana! So, this post isn't about Independent Label or artist, but it is to celebrate 'Dia Del Los Muertos'💀, a remembrance for family members no longer with us....As well as a cheeky foray into some music by Hugh Cornwell, music and poetry by Dr John Cooper Clarke, and oh! yeah also it falls on my Birthday! Woop! Woop!🎂🎈 (I keep telling myself my age is only just a number... in my case just quite a high one!)👴.

Dia De Los Muertos
Picture Source: Pinterest

Feliz Día De Los Muertos

The celebration really belongs to Mexico where it is celebrated on 1st and 2nd November, culminating in a colourful and 'upbeat' celebration of those who have passed away. If you were looking for any kind of comparison in Europe/U.K. I guess 'All Saints/Souls Day' would be a similar thing although not perhaps celebrated with as much gusto or colour and generally perhaps a more sombre affair. For Dia De Los Muertos those who have passed are remembered by family members creating ofrendas (home altars) containing food and beverages the deceased enjoyed in life and on 2nd November it is believed they return home to enjoy those offerings, other traditions include visiting graves and adorning them with calaveras (skulls) and also marigold flowers. The sweet sugar skulls we are familiar with are called Alfeñique. 

Dia De Los Muertos 2
Picture Sources: Pinterest

You can check out some wonderful footage of the celebrations at the 'This Is The Day Of The Dead Parade' at the youtube link which shows the colourful decorations and masks. Describing some of the associated customs and traditions falls to this video by the British Museum at the youtube link 'Mexican Day Of The Dead'. And so to the music bit..

Golden Brown Goes Mariachi

Hugh Cornwell goes Mexican....Catch the youtube link:

Golden Brown - Mariachi Mexteca (now known as The Mariachis) feat. Hugh Cornwell

 
This was not the first or last time Hugh Cornwell would go 'solo', he collaborated with Robert Williams whilst still with The Stranglers in 1979 with 'Nosferatu' which you can hear on youtube at the link. Robert Williams is probably better known for his drumming for bands such as Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band. Catch Robert beating the skins on 'Floppy Boot Stomp' taken from the album 'Bat Chain Puller' released in 1978.
 

Johnny Remember Me

 
Also have a listen to Hugh's solo track released in 1999  on the U.S. 'Velvel' record label called 'First Bus To Babylon' showing what a truly excellent guitarist he is.
 
As well as that an unusual collaboration with Dr John Cooper Clarke with this old classic 'Johnny Remember Me' originally performed by John Leyton back in 1961 and reaching #1 in the UK charts back in the day. As well as that track, how about this, with Dr John Cooper Clarke and Hugh doing a Stranglers classic 'No More Heroes' in 2016.
 
Catch some more of Dr Cooper Clarke in full comedic form with his own wonderful poetic genius below with the 'lightly offensive' and very amusing poem delivered in his usual 'dead-pan' style called 'Twat' released in 1979.
 
 

Dia De Los Muertos Traditional Style

Finally to round off in traditional style with some upbeat Mexican Folk sounds from the legendary singer Amparo Ochoa with 'La Calaca'. Released on her untimely death in 1994 on the album 'Cancionero Popular Mexicano' in English 'Popular Mexican Songbook'.

 
La Calaca refers to a figure of a skull or skeleton used for decoration during the Day of the Dead festival, although they are made all year round.
 
The lyrical translation for the above song is at the link songstranslation.com. And more about Amparo Ochoa and her work as a political folk singer and the 'Nueva canción Movement' at wsws.org.
 

Video Thanks

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Donnie [email protected]

Picture Thanks

 
Photo by Sam Brand on Unsplash 
Pinterest.co.uk