day of the dead

Elvira Truglia

Elvira Truglia wants to talk to her grandfather. The trouble is, he diedmore than 20 years ago. In Mexico, November 2nd is the day when peo-ple honour dead relatives in the hopes those spirits will pay a visit.Even though Elvira is an Italian living in Montreal, her husband is fromMexico. On the Day of the Dead, she’s going to solicit his help to get intouch with her nonno one more time.

http://www.cbc.ca/outfront/listen/2004/04-11-02.html

In “Day of the Dead,” CBC Radio listeners were invited to take part inan intimate family dinner. The piece was produced for CBC Radio’sOutfront, an award-winning documentary radio program that presentsreal life stories in original and experimental ways. “Day of the Dead” isan oral history that explores human longing, connections with the spir-it world and (inter)cultural traditions. The piece weaves narration withdialogue in English, Italian and Calabrese, musical or poetic refrainsand archival audio. Fragments of the past, individual and collective, arereset into the present in both a fixed (Montreal) and moving (radio-phonic) space. In doing so, the creator of the piece wades through a con-tinual sense of presence and absence in different physical and culturalworlds. “Day of the Dead” was originally broadcast on November 2,2004, to a national audience of some 250,000 listeners.

radio Script: “day of the dead”

[Outfront theme music/intro]

narration: Hi. I’m Elvira Truglia in Montreal. Today on Outfront, I invite my grand-father over for a visit. The thing is, he’s been dead for more than 20years.

Music: “La Muerte” cd: trio armonia Huasteca [fade to bed after :10 sec.]

My husband and I are organizing a party for invisible guests. Angelsays we should prepare a special meal for them. He wants to show mehow to celebrate the Day of the Dead, Mexican style.

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[Bring up music then fade to bed]

On November 2, the spirits of the dead are expected to pay a holidayvisit home. The custom is for members of the family to create an altar inhonour of deceased relatives. I’m hoping my grandfather will show up.Nonno Francesco died in 1980. I know it might sound strange, but it ispossible. You see, my husband has a special gift. The spirits of the deadspeak to him.

actuality: Angel: In this sense the spirit is actually right beside you, the ghost is right

beside you.Elvira: Physically with you?Angel: Yeah, physically with you.

Music: “the Suicide of dorothy Hale” cd: Music from the MotionPicture Frida[fade to bed after :10 sec.]

narration:When Angel told me about his psychic powers, his ability to communi-cate with spirits, I believed him. But in the back of my mind I hoped itwas something we wouldn’t have to share. But all that changed a fewyears ago on my visit to my grandmother’s house in Italy.

actuality:Angel: I started feeling this strange feeling I always have when spirits, dead

people try to talk to me. They try to communicate something but I usuallyjust block myself. In this case, I wasn’t scared because I was in Elvira’sgrandmother’s house. So, someone was guiding me. I didn’t know who. Theperson started guiding me, and I started touching objects, searching forsomething but I didn’t know what. And then finally I found the death cer-tificate of Elvira’s grandfather so I knew it was him. First he tried to speakto me in words, but I didn’t understand a word because he was speaking tome in Calabrese dialect. So he started guiding me to another room, he guid-ed me to a small kitchen. Then we went to a cookie box and I opened it andstarted searching until I found a little card of St. Joseph.

narration:I still get chills when I think about how nonno’s spirit communicatedwith Angel. Nonno directed Angel to a pamphlet of St. Joseph. Hepicked out only one sentence on that pamphlet. It said: “May you live aserene and healthy life, filled with happy days and many deeds for aneternal life.”

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Music: “the Suicide of dorothy Hale” mixed with “Benediction anddream”—cd: Music from the Motion Picture Frida and then“Luntanu”—danilo Montenegro: amari è peniari[fade up Music from Frida (to bed) and then cross-fade out with“Luntanu” during the narration]

refrain:(Angel and Mom’s voices are mixed together)

Angel: Possa la sua vita trascorrere serena e santa, ricca di giorni felici e ricol-ma di tanti meriti per la vita eterna.

Mom: Possa la sua vita trascorrere serena e santa, ricca di giorni felici e ricol-ma di tanti meriti per la vita eterna.

narration: Angel asked if I wanted to see Nonno … I said no. I wasn’t ready to seehis spirit.

Now, I’m not sure I made the right choice. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by void, by a sense of absence. And Iwonder how different life would have been if I had been surrounded bymy grandparents. But I grew up in Canada and they lived in Italy. Ihardly ever saw them.

The last time I saw nonno was when he died. And for me the worst isthat I wasn’t even allowed to go to his funeral. I never understood why,Mom just says everyone thought I was too young.

actuality:Beppino: Allora Gino, ti vuole parlare tuo nonno, eh.Nonno: Come stai, Gino? Stai bene? Eh, ti sei dimenticato del nonno, ah. Ti

ricordi quando dicevi che andavi all’America della...? (laughs) Ah caroGino...

narration—Voice over:That’s Nonno in 1970. He’s talking to his nephew Gino in Argentina.Nonno says, “Remember Gino, when you used to say you went to livein the poor America.” That’s what they used to call Argentina.

actuality:Nonna: Titina, Maria e Gino ... vui eravu i primi fiori della vita mia e ora mi

dassastivu ... ora speriamo che ni vediamo all’eternità. Beppino: (smiling) Però, vui doveti dire che li voleti vedere prima dell’eternità.

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narration—Voice over:That’s Nonna talking to Gino, ”Let’s hope we see each other in eterni-ty,” Nonna says. “But you should tell him you want to see him againbefore eternity, that’s what you should tell him,” says Uncle Beppino.

actuality:Beppino: Elvira ... (crying in the background)Mom (to me): Elvira, vuoi parlare con ‘a cuginetta?Beppino (to me): Vui parlare con la zia ... (more crying in the background)Mom (to me): E parla ...

narration—Voice over:That’s me crying. My mom and uncle were trying to get me to talk butI wasn’t into talking on the telephone at three years old.

actuality:Beppino (to my mom): Adesso quando ritorni in Canada? Ritorni o non ritor-

ni più?Mom: No, non vorrei ritornare; spero di no, così mi rimano qui con i genitori

e passaremo un po’ di tempo assieme ...

Music: “Luntanu” cd: danilo Montenegro: amari è peniari[fade to bed after :10 sec.]

actuality:Elvira: “Do you think there’s any chance of seeing him today? We’ve created

an altar for him, for your dad, for our grandparents, for all of our grand-parents. I mean is that the function of the altar? Is it to call on our lovedones that have passed away? Is it supposed to help them come to us?

Angel: Yes, that’s what it is for; so they can come to us, so we can be with them.It’s like a celebration. So, if he wants to show up, he’ll show up. (pause)

Elvira: The whole altar is filled with flowers, yellow flowers.Angel: They’re very important.Elvira: Why are they important?Angel: They’re placed on the Day of the Dead to attract the spirits to come to

the altar. That’s why it’s important. You also see the candles are lit. Thecandles are telling the spirits where to come.

Elvira: They guide the way?Angel: Yeah, they guide the way along with the flowers. This is a way to com-

municate with spirits. (pause)Elvira (addressing grandparents): So that’s it. On the altar, that’s where your

pictures are Nonni: Nonno Francesco, Nonna Maria, Nonna Elisabetta andNonno Giuseppe. (to Angel) And you have your abuelas, abuelitos…

Angel: Yeah, everybody is here.

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Elvira: And your dad.Angel: And my dad.Elvira: Well, I hope you guys can join us for dinner, I hope you enjoy the dinner.Angel: Everything that we offer here is for you. So that you can join us here

tonight, to stay with us. And we hope you stay in peace forever.

actuality: sounds of food preparation (pasta boiling, frying beans, etc,sounds of utensils, etc…)

Elvira: Pasta’s ready. I guess we’ll put a little bit of pasta on the table, on thealtar?

Angel: Yeah, just put a little bit.

narration:For Nonno Francesco I prepared fresh pasta with tomato sauce sprin-kled with parmesan cheese. And we put a portion of the pasta on thealtar. There are also red roasted peppers and olive oil, dry figs, nuts andof course the fruits—the apples and the bananas. Angel made rice andbeans. It’s the meal his abuela, his grandma, made for him every timehe went to visit her.

actuality:Elvira: We’re all ready.Angel: Yeah, here’s some wine.Elvira: Cheers.Angel: Cheers.

Music mix: “the Suicide of dorothy Hale” mixed with “Benedictionand dream”—cd: Music from the Motion Picture Frida[fade up and then out]

refrain:Elvira voice over: May you live a serene and healthy life, filled with happy daysand many deeds for an eternal life.

Angel: Possa la sua vita trascorrere serena e santa, ricca di giorni felici e ricol-ma di tanti meriti per la vita eterna.

Mom: Possa la sua vita trascorrere serena e santa, ricca di giorni felici e ricol-ma di tanti meriti per la vita eterna.

actuality:Elvira: I was thinking about the St. Joseph flyer (sigh) and nonno was obvi-

ously saying that he wants me to be a good girl and to do worthy deeds …Angel: Does your grandfather? Was your grandfather alive when you were

with what’s his name …?

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Elvira: Did my grandfather live when?Angel: Or your grandmother live when you were with this guy called um …?Elvira: Why?Angel: (pause) Because someone is tyring to tell me: “Che cosa hai fatto con

quel ragazzo che non ti ha portato niente!”Elvira: Right now?Angel: Yeah.Elvira: Well, they can’t be talking about you?Angel: I think it’s kind of a white guy, not blonde, but a little bit …Elvira: They’re actually getting back at me about one of my old relationships?

(smiling)Angel: Yeah, I don’t know ...Elvira: Right now.Angel: Yeah.Elvira: Why doesn’t he say something to you?Angel: I don’t know.Elvira: Who is it?Angel: I don’t know. I think it’s your grandmother.Elvira: Can you see her?Angel: No.Elvira: (speaking to her grandmother) Questo è mio marito Angelo. Angel: (pause) For some reason she’s not happy with me.Elvira: Ask her why she’s saying that about you.Angel: Well, she says I’m very strong but very hard but I have a nice heart and

I’m intelligent, brave but I’m very sensitive … and I should take care of youand love you (I start crying) and be with you. I should re-comfort you …

Elvira: What?Angel: I should re-comfort you?Elvira: Comfort me.Angel: And see the light when there’s light instead of seeing everything dark.

She takes the flowers as an offering and the apples. Now she wants someolives …

Elvira: Should I go give them to her?Angel: Yeah.Elvira: Così?Angel: More.Elvira: (footsteps)Angel: More. OK. (pause) Put them there.Elvira: Put them on the altar?Angel: Beside your grandmother in the small photo.Elvira: (pause) It’s THIS grandmother? This is Nonna Elisabetta. (pause) Do

you want me to put them right in front?Angel: Yeah.Elvira: Ti voglio bene, nonna. (sigh)

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Music: “‘a Metiturisca” cd: danilo Montenegro: amari è peniariMusic: (instrumental at beginning)[bring up … fade to bed after :10 sec.]

actuality:Angel: (softly) She wants to appear… don’t be scared … she’s gone ... she’sgone …

narration:I was so focused on Nonno Francesco, I never thought anyone else, anyof my other grandparents would want to communicate with me, espe-cially not to scold Angel.

But I guess that’s how I imagined my nonni to be – to look out for me,to give me advice, to love me. Nonno Francesco wants to make sure Iam happy. Nonna Elisabetta wants me to see the light even whenthere’s dark …

I am so lucky. I was with both of them. And before eternity.

Music: “‘a Metiturisca” cd: danilo Montenegro: amari è peniari [bring up vocals* than cross fade out with Outfront theme music/extro]

narration:In Montreal, I’m Elvira Truglia. This is Outfront.

*VocalsMa cuanta è longa assai questa iornata...Ma cuanta è longa assai assai questa iornata...U sule è bello mo che te ne vai...U sule è bello mo mo che te ne vai....

Music credits:“La Muerte” CD: Trio Armonia Huasteca “The Suicide of Dorothy Hale” CD: Music from the Motion PictureFrida”Benediction and Dream” CD: Music from the Motion Picture Frida“‘A Metiturisca” CD: Danilo Montenegro: Amari è peniari“Luntanu” CD: Danilo Montenegro: Amari è peniari

Links: http://www.cbc.ca/outfront/

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67Day of the Dead — Elvira Truglia

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