Today we celebrate the only inescapable fact of life: Death.
This is El día de los Muertos, día de Todos los Santos, so we talk about La Parca, La Huesuda, La Dama Fría, la Muerte.
We begin by asking the protection of the Orisha Goddess that controls the Underworld and lives at the doors of cemeteries, Oyá, with Francisco Aguabella. Then we ponder and reflect about death with a Calypso by Roaring Lion, the classic "St James Infirmary" by Cab Calloway, two versions of Sammy Dead/Sammy No Dead (a tight Ska!), a great classic Guaracha by Cortijo y su Combo with Ismael Rivera singing, "El negro bembón"; and some old stories about dead lovers, such as "Shirin and Farad" by Jonathan Richman (a Persian story from the 12th Century) and the classic Romance "Delgadina" done by Lydia Mendoza and her family.
Then some Cumbia with Juaneco y su Combo, and we also celebrate World Vegan Day with Yma Sumac's "Monos" ("dicen que los monos no saben querer / y el mono más chico, caramba, quiere a su mujer") and John Fahey's amazing "Death of the Clayton Peacock", plus two Blues by Charley Patton ("Oh Death") and Reverend Gary Davis ("Death Don't Have No Mercy", in the original version from 1960). This last song is not complete, for which we apologize.
Build then the ship of death, for you must take
the longest journey, to oblivion.
And die the death, the long and painful death
that lies between the old self and the new.
Already our bodies are fallen, bruised, badly bruised,
already our souls are oozing through the exit
of the cruel bruise.
Already the dark and endless ocean of the end
is washing in through the breaches of our wounds,
already the flood is upon us.
Oh build your ship of death, your little ark
and furnish it with food, with little cakes, and wine
for the dark flight down oblivion.
