The 10 Best Songs to Celebrate Día de Muertos 2026: Chavela Vargas, Carlos Rivera & More

These artists have made death their inspiration. 10/28/2026 Giant Mexican Catrina illuminated in the 'Angel de la Independencia' is de main attraction part of seasonal setting at Reforma Avenue in the night before 'Dìa de Muertos' parade on October 31, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. Medios y Media/Getty Images Music is an essential part of the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, a Mexican tradition that blends Indigenous roots with Christian customs from the Spanish colonial era and, according to historians, has evolved over time. It is one of the most beloved commemorations both within and beyond Mexico. Decorations like tissue paper with cut-out shapes, marigold flowers, sugar skulls, pan de muerto (Day of the Dead bread), water, candles and the favorite food and drinks of departed loved ones fill altars in homes and public spaces to honor and “welcome” them back for a few hours to the world of the living. According to this tradition, every Nov. 1st and 2nd — dedicated to children and adults, respectively —the living and the dead reunite as the latter return from Mictlán, the name given by ancient Mexicans to the underworld. In this celebration, death does not represent an absence but a living presence: a symbol of life that materializes in the altar, offered to those who are no longer with us. It is a colorful occasion with significant popular resonance, encompassing a wide range of meanings, from philosophical to material. From cumbia to rock, rancheras, huapango and pop, artists like Chavela Vargas, Natalia Lafourcade, Carlos Rivera, Vicente Fernández, Luis Ángel “El Flaco,” Roco Pachukote, Silvana Estrada, Son Rompepera, Pehuenche and Renee Mooi have recorded songs exploring themes like absence, memories, love and hope, all of which deeply resonate with this popular celebration. Here are 10 of the best songs, both old and new, to celebrate this Día de Muertos with. Chavela Vargas, “La Llorona” One of the most well-known songs from the traditional Mexican repertoire, it originates from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region in Oaxaca. The most famous version is by the late singer of Costa Rican origin, Chavela Vargas. Other performers who have also lent their voices to this classic include Mexican artists Lila Downs, Aída Cuevas and Natalia Lafourcade. In recent years, the song has gained popularity among younger generations, thanks to Ángela Aguilar, who delivered a masterful rendition. Listen to it here Carlos Rivera, “Recuérdame” It’s one of the main songs from Disney Pixar’s celebrated animated film Coco. Mexican singer Carlos Rivera recorded the Spanish version for Latin America, while American artist Miguel and Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade performed it for English-speaking audiences as “Remember Me.” The song was also performed by Gael García Bernal in the film, and live during the Oscars ceremony, where it won the award for best original song in 2018. Listen to it here Roco Pachukote, Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos del 5to Patio, Legend Medicina Sónica & La India Colombia, “Piel de Obsidiana la Cumbia del Xoloitzcuintle” In his capacity as a solo artist, the frontman of the Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad presents a celebratory tribute to the pre-Hispanic Xoloitzcuintli dog, joined by his bandmates from Maldita Vecindad, as well as La India Colombia and Legend Medicina Sónica. The track — which fuses bullerengue, cumbia, ska and funk — was released on Tuesday (Oct. 27), the national day dedicated to this ancient canine, whose presence in the ancestral Mexican imagination is deeply intertwined with life, death and spiritual companionship. According to pre-Hispanic mythology, the Xolo serves as a guide for souls on their journey to Mictlán. Listen to it here Silvana Estrada, “Un Rayo de Luz” “How beautiful death must be, for no one has ever returned from there,” sings a melancholic Silvana Estrada on this track, featured on her acclaimed 2025 album Vendrán Suaves Lluvias. The Mexican singer-songwriter wrote this song in memory of her friends Jorge and Andrés Tirado, who were victims of homicide in Mexico City. Following months of creative block in the wake of her friends’ deaths, Estrada managed to find inspiration during a residency at the Home of Chavela Vargas in 2024, as she revealed in an interview with Billboard Español. Listen to it here Lupita Infante, “Flores del Camposanto” The American singer — granddaughter of the iconic Mexican actor and singer Pedro Infante — delivers a majestic, mariachi-style rendition of this song, which was written by Luis Rosado Vega and performed in 1986 by the late Mexican singer-songwriter and musician Óscar Chávez. Infante recorded the piece as a tribute to those who have “departed” and to the place where they rest: the cemetery. Listen to it here Carlos Rivera, “Calavera” For this song, the Mexican artist chose to go beyond the usual satire, focusing instead on a deeper reflection on death — a “true calavera” (skull) — in which the rawness and beauty of death are intertwined. The song captures the opening of Mictlán — the underworld according to the Mexica worldview — and employs a diverse array of instrumentation, including rattles, teponaztli (slit drums), psalteries, guitars, guitarrón, vihuela, flutes, trumpets and a string quartet. Listen to it here Pehuenche & Renee Mooi, “El Vacío” Mexican musicians Pehuenche and Renee Mooi join forces on “El Vacío,” which arrives on digital platforms this Friday (Oct. 30). The song — featuring folk-inspired sounds presented in a contemporary style — explores the pain of losing a romantic partner, and the process of rebuilding oneself from a place of vulnerability. The track draws upon the Mexican musical roots that define Pehuenche’s work, transforming grief into a quest for identity and rebirth. Come back to listen to it here Vicente Fernández & Luis Ángel “El Flaco,” “Cuando Yo Quería Ser Grande” A new version of a classic by ranchera icon Vicente Fernández, this track was re-released last September as part of the album Tributo al Rey con Banda (Grandes Duetos Vol. 2), featuring a special rendition alongside Luis Ángel “El Flaco.” The song explores themes of childhood, love for one’s parents and the memories that stay with us throughout our lives. Listen to it here Son Rompepera & La Pambelé, “José Dolores” In this song, the Gama brothers pay a posthumous tribute to their father, musician José Dolores Gama, from whom they inherited a passion for the marimba — an instrument that has become their signature, and which they have fused with punk, cumbia and garage music in their musical project. The track was included on their third and latest album, Marimbazos de Oro, released in September. “And it will be your marimba that carries on your legacy,” the band sings in honor of their mentor. Listen to it here Enrique Bunbury, “Creer Que Se Puede Creer” The opening track of Enrique Bunbury’s album De Un Siglo Anterior, released in April, embodies the hope and strength required to keep believing, even during difficult times. The song offers an intimate reflection on personal faith, the search for meaning and the need to move forward without compromising one’s own values — at a time when uncertainty seems to define the collective pulse. 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