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Latin Roots: Celebrating Día De Los Muertos

A Mexican altar for Día de los Muertos.
Courtesy of the artist
A Mexican altar for Día de los Muertos.

In the Latin world, the big celebration around this time of year isn't for Halloween — it's for the Day of The Dead, or Día de los Muertos.

As NPR's Alt.Latino co-host Jasmine Garsd explains in this edition of Latin Roots, Día de los Muertos is far more a day of remembrance than anything scary. But to appease those who prefer to indulge in the eerie, Garsd has selected three songs, each drawn from a hair-raising urban legend.

The best known is "La Llorona," a classic Mexican story about a woman who drowns her own children. Listeners will also hear the story of "El Sombreron," as well as "El Fantasma de Canterville," which is based on Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost.

Listen to Jasmine Garsd's essential Día de los Muertos playlist on Spotify.


Latin Roots on World Cafe is made possible by a grant from The Wyncote Foundation.

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