Dia de los Muertos, Hollywood: a web photologue
John Parres (music industry veteran and co-founder of technology listservs including pho, strangelove, and unwired) just posted a vivid photologue and first-person account of a very L.A. Day of the Dead celebration here. Exerpt:Link DiscussAn exquisite Aztec tradition was celebrated among the carved granite vestiges of first-generation Hollywood at Hollywood Forever cemetery for the third annual Dia de los Muertos celebration last Saturday.
Mariachi bands, art exhibits within a mausoleum, tamale vendors, puppet shows, performance artists, candles, incense, altars, and political statements... Hollywood Forever Memorial Park was founded in 1899 and eternal residents Cecil B. De Mille, Tyrone Power, Marion Davies, Jayne Mansfield, Rudolph Valentino, Mel Blanc, Nelson Eddy, Peter Lorre, Woody Herman, Bugsy Siegel, and Elmo Lincoln (the first Tarzan) were all summoned to join the celebration among the offerings on display.
All stripes and colors of LA showed up but primarily familias. Strolling down the lane revealed altar after altar, some of which were constructed for the $1000 'best altar' prize while others were solely heartfelt tributes to love ones passed.
First up was a guy who honored all those killed by American bombs funded by his tax dollars. The tin-missile-and-tv-screen art installation wasn't very well received by some in the crowd, though it surely would have received an award in a Melrose gallery or more Geffen MOCA-like quarters. Another was more understated and had no caretakers but effused solemn peace in and of itself: a buddha, some candles and a sign "Para los victimos de Bali." One particular altar was more of a boat in a sea of candles and appeared be the collective work of art school friends who kicked back in skeletal masks watching the parade of passersby. Yet another was a montage of black-and-white photos of famous Hollywood starlets punctuated by a colorful book about Rock Hudson. It was built by two hairdressers from Divas salon on Santa Monica and Western (they gave me their card).
For me the most profound and real were those altars built out of tragedy. One was from a fatherless Guatemalan family who asked, "?hablas espanol?"
"un poquito."
"?hablas ingles?"
"un poquito."
Eventually we were able to communicate through their young daughter who was able to translate. Apparently they only arrived in America within this past year. Theirs was the only altar with an American flag. The mujeres understood "Internet" right away, and their daughter wrote down her netzero email address so I send them the link to the pictures shot. It was one of those moments. They created an altar with love and candles for relatives left back home in Central America while the kids ran about giggling with fluorescent raver glow sticks. The mothers wanted to know if I had a relative buried there. The kids wanted to see themselves on my camera's "TV screen."...
The result towards the end of this photo safari is the people who built sacred altars para la familia... Across the way at a fresh grave covered with astroturf and lit by tiki torches (I didn't dare photograph) where stunned friends truly mourning but no doubt taking comfort in the circus procession unfolding around them.
The icing on the cake, tho, had to be the purposeful sideshow of a theatrical wailing mourner at a well flowered and decorated grave. I don't know how best to describe it other than to take in the equal parts of performance art, kitsch, drag, and humor all en espanol. S/he drew smiles and laughter from the children and families, and it epitomized the joy of la Dia de Los Muertos...
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Xeni Jardin
Boing Boing partner, Boing Boing Video host and executive producer. Xeni.net, Twitter, Google+. Email: xeni@xeni.net.
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