Music was strictly forbidden in Miguel Rivera's family in Coco due to a painful historical event involving a musician and profound family abandonment.
The Origin of the Rivera Family's Music Ban
The deeply ingrained music ban within the Rivera family originated from the traumatic experience of Miguel's great-great-grandmother, Mamá Imelda. Her husband, who was a passionate singer, chose to leave his family to travel the world and pursue his musical career.
This act of abandonment forced Mamá Imelda to raise their daughter, Coco, entirely on her own. The heartbreak and hardship she endured led her to associate music with betrayal and neglect. As a direct consequence:
- She completely banned music from their household, viewing it as the root cause of her suffering.
- She dedicated the family's efforts entirely to shoemaking, establishing it as their enduring legacy and a stable, reliable source of income, starkly contrasting with the instability brought by music.
This strict rule was then passed down through generations, becoming a fundamental, albeit often misunderstood, tradition within the Rivera household. For decades, the family viewed music not as a source of joy or cultural expression, but as the very thing that tore their family apart and caused immense suffering, shaping their identity and values.
