Mama Coco, the old woman who would have inspired the Pixar character, dies at 109 years old

The old Mexican woman who would have inspired the character of Mama Coco in the Pixar film “Coco” died this Sunday, October 16, at the age of 109 in the city of Michoacán. The sad news was confirmed by Roberto Monroy, the tourism secretary of that municipality. “I am deeply sorry for the death of Mrs. Maria Salud Ramirez Caballero, ‘Mamá Coco’, a tireless woman and example of life, who was the inspiration for this beloved character who went around the world. My prayers for her rest and for her family to find resignation “.the official posted on his Facebook page.

Ramírez was born on September 16, 1913 in Santa Fe de la Laguna, in the municipality of Quiroga, Michoacán, the same place where he died. Pixar producers visited the location to take reference photos and get inspiration for the making of “Coco”, their 19th animated film, which revolves around the celebration of the Day of the Dead and the idea that, as long as they are remembered by their family, loved ones who leave us will stay with us.

After the premiere of “Coco” in 2017, Ramírez became known as Mama Coco. Her life took place entirely in her hometown, where she lived for more than a century and raised a family with her husband, who, like them, devoted himself to the craft of ceramics. She the old woman was already recognized in her community, but her Pixar film made her an even more emblematic figure of the place. She had three children and As in the animated film, he met his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as his great-grandchildren.

“Remember me if you hear my guitar cry

She will accompany you with her sad song

Until you are in my arms, remember me “

It was not recognized by Pixar

Mama Coco stars in what is one of the saddest and most emotional scenes in Pixar history, the ending of “Coco”, where Miguel sings ‘Recuérdame’ to her and she momentarily regains her clarity, remembering her father and the love he had given her when she was a child. Doña María has been linked to “Coco” since the release of the film. As we said, Disney visited several Mexican states in its process of documenting the country’s family and cultural traditions, including Michoacán, where the team lived with several families in the area, including that of María Salud Ramírez. The inhabitants immediately identified their neighbor in the character of ‘Coco’, but Disney did not recognize their alleged contribution, indeed.

In November 2018, the director of “Coco”, Lee Unkrich, went to Twitter to deny that Mama Coco was inspired by her: “This is not a true story. Mama Coco’s character isn’t based on any real person we’ve met on our travels. She is born exclusively from our imagination”. Despite Unkrich’s words, everyone continued to recognize Doña María as Mama Coco in the flesh. And they will continue to do so as long as their memory survives.