o and welcome to "comunidad del valle" i am damian trujillo. today, we're celebrating el dia de los muertos on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ damian: and we begin today with the oakland ballet company and their new production called "luna mexicana." with me is abel guillén, the chair of the board there of the luna mexicana committee. abel, welcome to the show. abel guillén: hey, thank you so much for having us today. i'm excited to be here and [speaking foreign language] damian: that's right. well, we have a theme going. that's why the altar--i have my [speaking foreign language] in the back, but we're talking about

[speaking foreign language] here, just a celebration. tell us what's happening with your organization at the paramount. abel: yeah, absolutely. so back in 2016 we had a lot of anti-latino rhetoric happening in the political discourse, and in the oakland ballet we came together to say, "hey, what can we do to really have some of the positives, something for our community," so the oakland ballet, our director, graham lustig, came to the board and said, "hey, let's partner to put on a production celebrating dia de los muertos." and so it was born in 2016 and we've been going ever since. and it really is a family affair where we open up the beautiful paramount theatre to celebrate our culture, celebrate our [speaking foreign language] our ancestors, through a beautiful production featuring danza azteca, mariachi, and of course, ballet folklorico and the production of "luna mexicana." we also put up [speaking foreign language]

in the paramount theatre and really try to bring together the community and celebrate our common humanity. damian: right, now we're watching just some file footage that we have here, just the past celebrations of dia de los muertos both on the street and the [speaking foreign language] aspect, but you talk about rich, deep-rooted mexican traditions. this is it. abel: it really is. you know, this goes back to the days of the aztecs and it's an ancient celebration that really binds generations to generations. it's a practice that, you know, has gained popularity in the united states but in many of our home countries, this is something that happens relatively around all souls day or november 1, around november 2. not to be confused with halloween please. damian: no, absolutely. but, you know, the fact that we're celebrating this centuries after its inception, what does that say about our [speaking foreign language]

and the want and the need to keep it alive? abel: yeah, you know, i think that what this means is that we are a resilient community. we know we've had challenges. abel: excuse me. damian: those mortitos are calling you. abel: ha, ha, let me put this on mute. sorry about that. damian: no, we're a resilient community, you were saying. abel: so, yeah, so what we're doing is, really, connecting community to one another. we know that this past year, in particular, has been particularly challenging. we know that covid has had a big impact on many families including my own. i lost my father due to covid and i know that there's 700,000 other families that have lost loved ones. so, really, this particular luna mexicana is a way to bring the community together to celebrate, to say, "hey, our loved ones may be gone physically but they're still with us here in spirit." and what better way to do that through performance and through

celebration of our culture in our community. damian: yeah, so tell us--give us a hits, runs, and errors on what's gonna be happening inside the paramount. abel: yeah, so inside the paramount we're gonna start off, usually, we have--it's a great event. people show up, actually, a lot of people dress up with their [speaking foreign language] with their makeup, their costumes, to help celebrate. and so we start off with the blessing of the four directions with azteca dancing, danza azteca, that pay tribute to our ancestors, as well as give tribute to our indigenous culture. and so we start off with that and then we go into mariachi festival with performances by some top-notch mariachi, some great music. and then, that's followed by a production of the actual luna mexicana play that tells the story of luna who actually

dreams about reconnecting with her ancestors. it's a beautiful production and the costumes are exciting, the music is great, and it really brings back the spirit of connecting with our antepasados, our ancestors. so we're really excited about all those elements of luna mexicana this year and, in particular, paying tribute to those folks that we have lost to covid-19. damian: so we're talking about the danza, [speaking foreign language] and mariachi all in one in one night? abel: that's right. so danza azteca to bless the setting, to bless the four directions, and to really pay tribute to the four directions and our indigenous culture, followed by some fantastic mariachi music paying tribute to our ancestors again because we know when we celebrate, you have to have music and so we're gonna have that element as well. and it really is a family affair.

during part of the performance, we ask audience members to do a call and response and we ask them to shout out the names of their loved ones who they wanna remember, who they've lost and we, of course, remember them by [speaking foreign language] in the audience so there's gonna be also a level of participation from our community. we're really excited about the show. i think there's something for everyone, regardless of your background. you don't have to be latino to show up. what's beautiful about this particular performance is that it really connects our common bonds of humanity across cultures and across generations. and you get to see some fantastic dance while you're at it. damian: oh, that's a beautiful way to put it. well, we're gonna put all the information up on the screen for you, abel, 'cause it's a--gonna be a fabulous event coming up here in oakland so we're inviting the folks to stop by the paramount on november 5 and 6. it's--there's the web address for more information. "luna mexicana" by the oakland ballet company.

abel, thank you so much. abel: thank you so much for having us. really appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you all. damian: all right, gracias. and up next here on "comunidad del valle" some more celebrations of dia de los muertos across the bay area, stay with us.

veronica escámez is the head of casa círculo cultural in the peninsula redwood city area. she's on our show. senora, welcome back to "comunidad del valle." veronica escámez: thank you very much for the invitation. damian: thank you. senora was acting honoria la familia award a few years back, but tell us a little bit, senora, about casa círculo cultural. veronica: well, casa círculo cultural-- name is casa means home for a lot of families here in redwood city. we try to teach the kids about the arts and cultures and traditions of our--mexico and latin america. damian: oh, that's beautiful and, i mean, what a better way

to teach culture to our children than the dia de los muertos. tell us about the big party you have planned in redwood city. veronica: yeah, well, this is gonna be our 11 anniversary and after a year of silence, well, not really a silence because we did a virtual event last year but this year we're coming back with folklorico dances, aztecs that a lot of people like, and offerings, not only on the street but also on the san mateo county history museum. there's gonna be a contest with a lot of outdoors. we have all kind of entertainment. i mean, a lot of vendors are coming to sell arts and things from mexico and a lot of food for day of the dead. damian: ah, the food is good. talk about, you know, i mentioned my wife put up the altar behind me. talk about the significance of altars. on our altar, it's--my dad is--we're honoring him. --chavez is on it, selena is on it and also my wife's

grandmother and great-grandmother. but talk about the significance of putting up these altars in honor of dia de los muertos. veronica: well, i would like to start saying that against halloween which is, i mean, on a scary celebration, fun but scary, day of the dead celebrates the life of the people that has gone. and on the altars are offerings. we give them for once a year, everything that theyike to have in life and we celebrate with the pictures and their personal things, their lives, and we wanna give them at least for one year something to honor them. so it is very important because the altars have several elements that, in our culture, believe help them to come back to earth and, believe it or not, or people that don't--they think they're like little stories, this is very important for our

kids to know and to remember those that has gone, especially after a very difficult year in which a lot of families lost family members so what better way to see about them and not in a sad way, but in a happy moment and give them through the altar everything that we would like to give them when they were alive. damian: yeah, no, and you make a good point. abel mentioned it again in our previous segment that because it's been a tough year and we lost so many people because of the pandemic, it's gonna be maybe an extra special dia de los muertos this year because of everything that we've lost. veronica: i think it's gonna be a lot more--with a lot more solemnity that we are gonna do this year. but also with hope that the--everything is gonna be better. and after everybody gets vaccinated and everything has gone, we can celebrate a lot better, and not to be thinking about going there pretty soon.

damian: what do you tell, senora, what do you tell the vietnamese immigrants, the italian immigrants, the polish immigrants, who are going to come and witness your great celebration and say, "wow, that's--we are honoring dead people." what do you tell those people that--to, not to convince them but to educate them on why it's important? veronica: it's a very good question. actually, somebody asked me the other day, "why are you doing a morbid celebration before christmas?" and i said, "well, this is not a morbid celebration. it's a way to celebrate the life of the people. it's a happy, happy celebration. it's a party." and i think but now a lot of other cultures are coming to see what it is and they like it. i mean, for years, in 2019, for example, we did a survey then and we have a lot of people from ot not only to see but also to learn what things are in our

traditions and we, as mexicans, love to have--to see what other cultures do. i hope they like to come and see also what we do and have fun and be happy with us, celebrating the life of our loved ones. damian: yeah, senora, you know, a lot of people when they're putting on a big event like this, they're nervous, they're really focused on what they're doing. you seem relaxed and excited about what you're about to celebrate. veronica: well, i have been--well, i was a little bit nervous about if we can do it or not, of course, because of all those things but i've been seeing other events already in the city of redwood city. everything has been well organized and this year we're gonna have some screens so people don't have to come very close to the stage to see what is going on. and i'm confident that people will get careful on what they are doing. damian: all right, wear masks, social distance if you

can, but come out and celebrate because it's a great event. senora, mucho gracias. thank you for what you're doing in keeping the cultura alive on the peninsula. veronica: thank you for inviting me and thank you for letting everybody know what is going on. damian: you got it. thank you, senora. again, the casa círculo cultural, that's having this great event in the heart of the fair oaks community, the latino community in san mateo county. we do have the information. there it is on your screen: november 7 beginning at 4 o'clock at the courthouse square there in redwood city by casa círculo cultural. up next here on "comunidad del valle," dia de los muertos celebrations in the fruitvale, the long tradition. that's next. stay with us.

in the heart of oakland. itzel díaz-romo is with unity council. she's my guest here once again on "comunidad del valle." itzel, welcome to the show. itzel díaz-romo: thank you for having me. very excited to be here, talking to you. i love your background.

damian: thank you. well, this is a theme, right? we talked in--so we're talking about [speaking foreign language] let's talk about that. first of all, talk about your vision or your reaction to putting up-- and the significance of that in our culture. itzel: yes, well, i think that the first thing that i wanna share, you know, with folks that are not familiar with the dia de los muertos holiday, or day of the dead, the first thing you need to know is that it's not halloween. day of the dead is an entirely different holiday and it's really about the celebration of life, about honoring someone that has passed away and really celebrating what they liked, whether it was, you know, music, food, and the idea of the ofrenda is putting whatever they liked when they were around, so that when their spirit comes and this is on november 1, november 2, they can take the essence of all those things that you put in the ofrenda and go back to the afterlife.

and one of the things that i really appreciate about the holiday itself is their perception that dead is not the end of life. instead, dead is a new beginning. and i think having that perception, especially now with all the loss and grief that has happened all throughout the world, it really helps you, one, have a different perspective, but also think of, instead of being nostalgic and sad, really be sad--be happy about the memories that you had with your loved ones. damian: we talked in our previous segment with casa círculo cultural about some people thinking about the morbidity, that it seems a little morbid to welcome our dead back to life, if you will. but talk about how that's--it's part of the cultura

at this point. itzel: sure, you know, for me it was really interesting 'cause, you know, i grew up in guadalajara, mexico, and i grew up every year celebrating dia de los muertos, you know, setting up an ofrenda at my house, and i never saw the symbolism that comes with it, you know, the skulls, like that we put in the ofrendas, they're always colorful, they have flowers, they're filled--they're just so lively, versus, you know, in european cultures when you see a skull, it's really dark and morbid and again, the association of dead with the end, and not a new beginning. and you know, i really like to say that, you know, in mexico, part of the celebration people make fun of dead, a little bit, you know? the images of skulls are almost like, you know, like a dark

joke, a reminder, that it doesn't matter how much wealth you have, it doesn't matter, you know, your name or whatever it is that you do. at the end of the day, we are all bones and we're all gonna end up in the same space. so it's a very, you know, grounding celebration and everything that comes with it. you know, you can almost laugh when people are saying, like, "well, i have all of this," and you're like, "well, we're all going to end up the same way, so why bother?" damian: ashes to ashes and dust to dust. speaking of the fruitvale celebration now, you always combine education when it comes to these types of celebrations and this time, health. health is paramount. itzel: yes, so this year, the dia de los muertos festival in oakland is coming back at a smaller scale. we are gonna be celebrating on sunday, october 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

if you need more information, you can visit our website, diaoakland.com. it will be different from our previous festival. obviously, it's gonna be scaled down for safety purposes. and we are really focusing on the art and culture activities. you know, the ofrendas are really the heart of the festival so we wanted to make sure to bring that back. to bring back the aztec dancers, the lowrider shows that are really a very clear representation of the latino and chicano culture here in california. we're also hosting a street soccer tournament in collaboration with the oakland roots but the most important thing that we did is we really restructured the event as a community health care. so instead of having vendors and stages, we are gonna be hosting tables with information and resources with local organizations as well as a pop-up vaccine clinic with our partners at kaiser permanente and testing

with the city of oakland. really, our goal is to, you know, gather people, create a platform where people can come and heal physically, spiritually, and they can get test and vaccinated right before the holidays, you know? thanksgiving is right around the corner and we wanna make sure that our communities have a healthy holiday season. so what better way to come, honor your ancestors, celebrate your roots, and get all your testing and vaccination out of the way before you go and see your family during the holidays. damian: and again, that's why i love what the unity council does, it just combines cultural festivities with public health education. any final thoughts, itzel, before we let you go? itzel: well, my final thought, you know, just, i hope to see everyone there. this is a family-friendly event, everyone is welcome. this will be a mask event so we're asking everybody that attends, remember to wear your mask. if you have a mask with a sugar skull, highly encouraged.

but you know, our priority is to keep our community safe so folks that do not wanna wear a mask will be asked to leave. but, you know, keep yourself safe, keep your community safe, and hopefully we'll see you there that day, october 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. damian: all right. itzel, thank you so much for all you do in the east bay community, gracias. itzel: gracias, thank you. damian: all right, thank you. that information is on your screen. it's by the unity council. it's back, fruitvale and international, the dia de los muertos festival. it's the biggest one in the entire bay area. it's scaled down a little bit this year but there it is, october 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that's actually underway right now so make sure you head out there. it ends at 5 o'clock. we'll have some aztec dancing by calpulli tonalehqueh so stay with us.

"comunidad del valle," you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian and on instagram it's @newsdamiantrujillo. you can also pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and

support your bilingual weeklies, whether they're online or in print, all across the bay area. we thank you once again for sharing the dia de los muertos celebration with us on "comunidad del valle." we're gonna leave you with some danza azteca, a special ceremony by calpulli tonalehqueh. buenos dias. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ male: [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] ♪♪♪ female: we stand the direction of the sun. thank you, stars-- the secret of life-- ♪♪♪ ♪♪ male: [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] female: [speaking foreign language] thanks to our mother earth, thy mother who takes care of us. that one day we will return to, to return back to nature, to the earth-- ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ male: [speaking foreign language]

[speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] female: -- directions of the east, of the west, of the north and south, the four directions-- the four seasons, to give thanks-- ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

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