Grand Park partners with Self-Help Graphics & Art and Lore Media & Arts for the sixth year to present a traditional Noche de Ofrenda ceremony honoring the dead and featuring prayer led by the local indigenous community.  The evening will include performances by traditional dancers representing the Aztecan, Oaxacan and Michoacán traditions, as well as Los Angeles based poets and musicians.

The event kicks off the official unveiling of Grand Park’s Día de los Muertos altars and art installations developed by local artists and community groups, curated by Self Help Graphics & Art. This year’s community ofrenda will be created by SHG Legacy Artist and National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow, Ofelia Esparza! (Learn more about Día de los Muertos in her NEA interview: https://www.arts.gov/audio/ofelia-esparza.)

The evening will include Los Angeles-based poets and musicians and feature traditional blessings led by the local indigenous community, as well as performances by traditional dancers representing Aztec, Oaxacan and Michoacán traditions.

Featuring:

Quetzal
“For over two decades, Quetzal has been getting down with movements fighting oppression in Los Angeles, Seattle, Havana, Veracruz and beyond. An East LA Chican@ rock group, Quetzal has a unique musical sound based on the incorporation of traditional son jarocho, Cuban batá, funk, Chicano rock, soul, and rhythm and blues. Quetzal’s music is a radical sound project of our times, a project based in artivism (art + activism), and feminist praxis.Since 1993, their sound project has archived their political activism from Los Angeles to Veracruz to Palestine.Their latest album “The Eternal Get Down” (Smithsonian Folkways) extends this project, bringing together a range of instruments to give voice to struggles of resistance, including: the Hammond B3, a core instrument in Black gospel and R&B music; the various instrument of son jarocho, including the jarana, the leona, therequinto jarocho and tarima, percussion instruments such as the Cuban batá drums, chekere, the marimbol, violins, and the moog synthesizer. The instruments do more than produce sound — they channel histories, prayers, lessons, and voices with stories to tell.”(Deb Vargas)

On October 27th, The Quetzal Quartet featuring Juan Perez (bass), Tylana Enomoto (Violin, voice), Quetzal Flores (Jarana, voice), Martha Gonzalez (Vocals, percussion) will bring an intimate sound to the stage in honor of the ancestors

Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company
Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company (GMFBC) is a nonprofit performing arts organization founded by Jose Vences in September 2003 with currently more than 40 dancers. The company was formed to advance the field of Mexican folk ballet and to enhance the public’s appreciation for the diversity and depth of Mexican culture. Backed by careful research, Grandeza Mexicana’s work is committed to preserving the traditions and customs of Mexico’s historic past and promising present. The company has achieved recognition for its strength, artistic flair, use of elaborate costuming and commitment to quality. GMFBC has garnered many awards including the Lester Horton Award for costuming. Los Angeles’ premiere Mexican folk dance company, GMFBC, has performed at The Music Center for the L.A. County Holiday Celebration, the Terrace Theater, the Center for the Arts in Sacramento, the Marjorie Luke Theatre in Santa Barbara, the Ford Theater, the Alex Theatre, the Skirball Cultural Center, and alongside acclaimed artists such as the world-famous Jose Feliciano, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, Mariachi Sol De Mexico, Luis Miguel, Shaila Durcal and Lila Downs.

GMFBC’s founder, Jose Vences is an accomplished dancer, choreographer and director with decades of experience in Mexican folk dance. He began his dance training at 16 while studying at the Universidad Autonoma de Morelos. In 1984, he relocated to Mexico City to begin training at the distinguished Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and a year later he was invited to form part of the world-renowned Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez (1985-1990). In 1991, Jose came to Los Angeles where he founded Ballet Foklorico del Pacifico, currently known as Pacifico Dance Company. Desiring greater challenges, in 2003, Jose created LA’s premier Mexican folk ballet company, Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company. Through his leadership, he has worked to preserve Mexican folk while also preparing future generations to be at the forefront of innovation in this art.

Tierra Blanca Arts Center
VIVA LA REVOLUCION HIJOS DE LA PELONA: La Mujer en la Revolución Mexicana!
It’s celebrating the Revolution in Mexico and along with this celebration we remember during DIA DE MUERTOS the great women in the Mexican Revolution!

We are TBAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the art of music, dance and theater to the greater Los Angeles area. Serving the community since 2003, TBAC was founded under the firm conviction that arts and culture have the power to break down the invisible barriers that often keep our multicultural community from truly living in harmony. Our mission is to instill in our community a sense of pride, identity and unity.

TBAC continually works to expand its services by supporting a variety of cultural events year-round. Our performers have showcased their talent in venues such as The Orpheum, The Montalban Theatre, The Downey Theatre, The New LATC and Los Angeles Theater.

Our vision is to reach a greater, more diverse audience. While our focus is Latin American folk dance, we are committed to celebrating Los Angeles’ rich diversity by engaging with like-minded organizations in order to raise cultural awareness.

Balam Mictlantecuhtli
The Aztec Dancers  will be doing a Dia de los Muertos Ceremonial blessing of the four corners.  North, South, East & West.

#NochedeOfrenda

Information subject to change.

METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION

Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.