Inside Alfredo Olivas’ First Día de Muertos Festival With Julión Álvarez, Edén Muñoz & More

Día de Muertos, celebrated in Mexico on Nov. 2, is one of the country’s most important cultural traditions. It honors the lives of loved ones who have passed away. With calaveras, music and plenty of joy, the country fills with orange and purple as families set up altars with photos, favorite foods and Mexican marigold flowers — welcoming the departed back, if only for one night, to enjoy the things they loved in life.

The Festival Ánimas Que Sí Amanezca was born from that tradition. Created by regional Mexican singer Alfredo Olivas, the festival carries special meaning for the artist: In 2015, he survived an onstage shooting that left him with multiple bullet wounds.

Life gave Olivas another chance — not only to live, but to become one of the genre’s biggest stars. This weekend, he honored the souls of the departed with a celebration at the Explanada del Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico. The grounds featured candlelit altars, giant Catrina figures and phone stations where festivalgoers could pretend to call loved ones who are no longer here.

The festivities began Sunday afternoon (Nov. 1) and carried on into the early hours of Monday (Nov. 2). Fans heard cumbia from Los Ángeles Azules, norteño from rising artist Moy Bobadilla, technobanda from Mi Banda El Mexicano and, of course, música de banda sinaloense and norteño banda from three of the genre’s biggest stars: Olivas, Edén Muñoz and Julión Álvarez.

Here are some of our favorite performances from the first edition of Ánimas Que Sí Amanezca.

• Moy Bobadilla

  With his face painted like a calavera, Moy Bobadilla took the stage to cheers and applause. The charismatic singer has seen his career take off this year with covers of songs from two decades ago. He even stepped into the crowd to sing, earning an enthusiastic response from fans.

  Midway through his set, he shared a surprise announcement: “I want to let you know that very soon I’ll be releasing a collaboration with maestro Marco Antonio Solís, and I’m so happy.” The news comes after Bobadilla’s version of Solís’ “Cómo Me Haces Falta” went viral.

• Los Ángeles Azules

  Los Ángeles Azules got the crowd dancing with hits including “Nunca Es Suficiente,” “Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar,” “Entrega de Amor” and “El Listón De Tu Pelo.” “We’re here with so much joy to sing for the souls,” the Mexican cumbia group said. Their hour-plus set captured the celebratory side of a holiday that honors life beyond death.

• Duelo

  Fresh off receiving a plaque for their Billboard chart achievements during Latin Music Week, Duelo brought its romantic, Tejano-tinged norteño sound to Guadalajara. As the group performed its hit “Malabares,” Alfredo Olivas made a surprise appearance, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

  Another major figure in the genre soon joined them: Louie Padilla, frontman of La Firma. Together, they performed “La Llamada” and “Soy Como No Soy,” giving the Monterrey group one of the festival’s most memorable romantic moments.

• Alfredo Olivas

  The host took the stage to a roaring crowd that had already spent hours enjoying the day’s music. But the best was still to come. At midnight, Olivas rose onto the stage in an elevator to perform “Tiene Memoria la Piel,” then asked fans to turn on their phone lights.

  “It’s midnight. What a beautiful sight from up here, with all these lights to welcome those who’ve passed and are coming back tonight,” he said, visibly moved.

• Julión Álvarez and Edén Muñoz

  Olivas brought out a pair of special guests during his set. First up was Julión Álvarez, who launched into “Regalo de Dios” as thousands of fans sang along. He performed several more songs before joining Olivas for “Pongámonos de acuerdo.”

  Later, Edén Muñoz made his grand entrance. He joined the lineup just a couple of days earlier after accepting Olivas’ invitation on social media. The three artists gave fans heartbreak songs like “En Definitiva,” romantic favorites like “Mi Mayor Anhelo” and a feel-good finale with “La Nena.” The norteño cumbia had the crowd singing and dancing as the night came to a close.