Calaverandia: Coco meets Disneyland
There are a lot of opportunities to enjoy traditional and not-so-traditional Mexican music here in the
state of Jalisco. Last week I attended the major Latin Music conference, FIMPRO, and enjoyed 30
cutting-edge bands from Latin America, the US, and Canada. A few days later I tuned into
Univision and watched the Latin Grammys. But one of the most unusual, and fun, venues was
Calaverandia, a cross between the movie “Coco”, Disneyland, a Day of the Dead cemetery and a
Mexican music and dance festival.
Produced by the local Mexican company alteacorp entertainment group, Calaverandia is about 5
acres of music, dance, light shows, scary critters, not-so-scary critters, and happy children. Held
in a public park, Parque Ávila Camacho in Guadalajara, it is an annual event to celebrate – and
profit from – the Day of the Dead.
While not quite Disneyland, the producers of Calaverandia have paid almost as much attention
to detail as Disney does, including to music and dance, at a smaller scale.
Like Disneyland, it is divided up into various separate areas – a Mexican Plaza food court, a lake
with boat rides that circle a floating mariachi band, and a larger lake with a 4-Dsound and light
show that is stunning, an animated cemetery, a Zona Neon where you paint yourself with glow-in
-the-dark paints and walk through a glow-in-the-dark Mexican wonderland, an Aztec adventure
where you meet warriors and princesses and strange animals, and a Grand Altar (three stories
high) with giant Catrinas and Catrines strolling through, mariachi bands playing, cantatas
singing, a photo spot, and even a full moon.
My favorite attraction was Expectáculo Catrinesque, a Las Vegas-style floor show led by a
Catrina singer and backed by a team of dancers and acrobats whose routine was tight,
flamboyant, and well-practiced. Using the musical theme La Larona, the ever-popular Mexican
classic song about the ghost of a mother who drowned her children and is wandering forever
calling out for the souls, Expectáculo Catrinesque was as good as many shows in Las Vegas
(except, of course, the Blue Man Group and Cirque de Soleil, but definitely better than Barry
Manilow).
The choreography, including women flying on rings and long sashes and a spectacularly talented
Catrina singer (could not get her name – apparently it is not the same singer every show) who
moved around and off the stage so everyone in the audience had a good sightline. Music was
supplied by two women, one with a saxophone and one with a cello, plus backup recordings. It
worked on many levels: the music was top-notch: the dancing was tight and the choreography
held your attention when it wasn’t diverted by the acrobats swinging over the stage; and the
singer was full of emotion, power, and energy as she moved from one end of the theater to the
other.
My second favorite was Alma Espectaculo, a multimedia 4D, light and sound show taking the
audience through a wonderland of giant fish, Dia de Muertos altars, Catrinas, rain, fire, and many
other huge illusions done with projections of water and smoke. The music was more Disney and
theatrical, although at one point we did hear (and see in the illusion) great mariachi, it was mostly background to the three-story tall light-generated illusions glowing over the lake. It was
fun and very well done.
While not as satisfying as seeing La Santa Cecelia and over 25 other bands live on stage at
FIMgdl a few days earlier, Calaverandia was certainly entertaining, and a great look into one
aspect of Mexican music, dance, and entertainment culture. If Coco was ever to go to
Disneyland, I think Calaverandia would be the result.
