Have you ever wondered about the origins of the celebration known as Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead?

Have you ever thought that there was more to the Aztecs than what has been written about them?

Do your family roots lead you back to Mexico?

Are you interested in learning more about indigenous spirituality?

This work will introduce you to many philosophical concepts from an indigenous perspective relative to the origins of Dia de Los Muertos, or as it is known in the Nahuatl language, Miccailhuitl. This is an educational, cultural, musically interactive presentation.

Please view a short promotional trailer for "MICCAILHUITL - The Journey to Mictlan"

Over a year and a half of research went into this work, research that utilized ancient codices, oral tradition stories, ancient Nahuatl poetry, and stories from people who had indigenous knowledge to share. Artists from Arizona and New Mexico also contributed one-of-a-kind pieces for this work and presentation. In a sense, this is a collective work from people who wanted to contribute and share valuable knowledge that for far to long had been unavailable to those with an interest or desire to learn more about one of the greatest cultures that ever existed – the Aztecs.

- Ancient oral tradition stories and Nahuatl poetry regarding the great journey to Mictlan

- Music performed with ancient indigenous styled instruments will be heard throughout the CD.

- Introduction, through narrative storytelling, to Mictlantecuhtli and Mictlancihuatl - the dual energies and caretakers of Mictlan and their respective philosophical associations.

- Nahuatl invocation recited during the building of the ceremonial ofrenda/offering.

Live presentations of this program are 45 minutes to one hour in length. Numerous hand-made, indigenous instruments are used throughout the presentation. A few songs are interactive which means that audience members have a unique opportunity to play some of these incredible one-of-a-kind instruments!

Presentation venues and locations of the "MICCAILHUITL - The Journey to Mictlan" program will be listed on our UPCOMING PERFORMANCES link and will be presented during the months of October and November every year.

For organizations, museums, libraries, culture centers and schools that are interested in scheduling a presentation please send your e-mail request to: michaelheralda@aol.com. In your e-mail please list possible dates for consideration and all attempts will be made to accommodate your request.

- To order the CD, "MICCAILHUITL - The Journey to Mictlan," please click here CDs & Magazines

- To read an interview regarding this work, click here Interviews

- To e-mail the artist, click here michaelheralda@aol.com