Johannesburg — On an electric spring afternoon, the city’s creative heart briefly became a bilingual altar: Spanish calaveras met South African choreography, pan de muerto met pap, and tequila cocktails were poured in honour of ancestors. Don Julio Tequila’s Día de los Muertos pop-up at Mamakashaka & Friends brought together Mexican ritual and African memory in a stylish, soulful gathering that felt equal parts fiesta and family remembrance.
The event was simple in concept and bold in execution: bring a Mexican tradition that celebrates life through remembrance — Día de los Muertos — and let Johannesburg re-interpret it through the sounds, food and community values that make South African culture sing. In practice that meant a packed courtyard, bespoke cocktails inspired by Mexican flavours, and a soundtrack that threaded Latin Latinidad through local rhythms. The fusion felt effortless because both traditions share the same underlying heartbeat: honouring those who came before and celebrating lineage through food, story and music.
Commanding the decks was DBN Gogo, whose set moved the crowd from reflective slow moments to full-on dance euphoria. Known globally for putting amapiano on the world map, she curated a set that braided Afro house, amapiano and Latin-inflected grooves — a sonic translation of the evening’s cultural conversation. “I’m thrilled to be part of the Dia de los Muertos celebration with Don Julio,” DBN Gogo said. “It is such a powerful way to honour those who paved the way for us. Music has always been my language of connection, and this moment is about celebrating life, legacy, and the energy that continues to move through us.”
Her performance set the tone: this was not appropriation dressed as entertainment, but a collaboration rooted in respect. Guests — including actress Linda Mtoba, actor Zola Nombona, amapiano talent Kelvin Momo and influencer-musician Tino Chinyani — danced and shared stories, lending the event the intimate warmth of a close-knit family reunion inside a chic Joburg courtyard.
Craft, flavour and a South African Pan de Muertos
Central to the pop-up’s culinary programme was Pan de Muerto, the sweet, symbolic bread traditionally baked for Día de los Muertos. For this edition Don Julio tapped celebrated pastry chef Jared Malemed of La Tarte Pâtisserie to reinterpret the classic — marrying French technique, South African ingredients and Mexican tradition. The result was a fragrant, citrus-kissed roll that honoured the bread’s symbolism (the circle of life, the playful “bones” on top) while making it sing on a Johannesburg plate.
Malemed’s involvement made the culinary bridge literal: his Pan de Muerto recipe (shared with guests and adapted in the event programme) invited attendees to bake remembrance at home, turning a communal ritual into a domestic practice. That recipe — rich in eggs, orange zest and butter, finished with a sugar dusting — became a talking point as people queued for cocktails and photos beneath colourful papel picado.
Don Julio’s craft moment — tequila that honours story
Don Julio framed the pop-up as both a brand celebration and a cultural exchange. Theo Zulu, Marketing Manager for Tequila & Rum (Don Julio & Casamigos) at Diageo South, West & Central Africa, said the event underscores Don Julio’s belief that “celebration and heritage go hand in hand” and that remembrance can — and should — be joyful. The brand’s bespoke cocktails blended Mexican ingredients with local flavours, served in a program that honoured craftsmanship from spirit to plate.
Bespoke serves — think smoky tequila with roasted fruit, bright citrus and a local herbal twist — created moments where guests could taste both countries at once. The effect was that heritage became a sensory conversation rather than a classroom lecture: everyone tasted the meeting point.
Why this kind of cultural fusion matters
At a time when global brands risk flattening traditions into décor, events like Don Julio’s Día de los Muertos succeed because they centre people, ceremony and craft. Here, a Mexican ritual was not exotic theatre but an invitation: South Africans could honour ancestors in a way that resonated with local customs of libation, remembrance and storytelling. For artists and creators — from DJs to pastry chefs — the event offered a template for respectful exchange: collaborate with custodians, highlight craftsmanship and let local flavour translate rather than imitate.
Recreating the moment at home
Chef Jared Malemed generously shared his Pan de Muerto method with guests and followers — a practical way to extend the evening’s spirit into kitchens across the city. His recipe (rich dough, orange blossom or zest, shaped “bones” for the tops, brushed with butter and dusted with sugar) was a reminder that ritual lives in small domestic acts. For home cooks, Malemed’s version is an accessible, heartful project: make the dough, shape the bones, invite a neighbour or elder to share the first piece.
A lasting memory: culture, craft and community
The Don Julio Día de los Muertos pop-up in Johannesburg did more than host a party: it modelled what happens when brands, artists and chefs approach cultural exchange with humility and curiosity. DBN Gogo turned a night of remembrance into movement; Jared Malemed translated a diaspora bread into Joburg kitchens; Don Julio offered a platform where Mexican and African ritual could converse rather than compete. Guests left with sticky fingers, new playlists and the sense that memory — when celebrated — becomes fuel for community
