Un Poco Loco at Sea: Camilo Lara Brings the Music of Coco to the Disney Vacation Club Member Cruise

This year’s Disney Vacation Club Member Cruise felt like a celebration of Pixar’s Coco. With the itinerary including a stop in Cozumel, the decor and gifts were themed to the 2017 Oscar-winning animated film. Among the special guests on board was Camilo Lara, who served as a music consultant on the film and also creates music through his Mexico Institute of Sound project. Disney Files magazine editor Ryan March hosted “Inside the Music of Coco" - part Q&A, part concert - as the Disney Dream sailed away from Mexico.

Camilo Lara spoke about his Mexico City upbringing as the son of political parents who played an endless loop of The Beatles at home. In contrast, young Camilo was exposed to Latin America’s native sounds of mariachi and cumbia all over the city. His brothers also became new wave musicians, so the diverse landscape of music was instilled in Camilo Lara from a very young age.

Segments of the Coco bonus feature “The Music of Coco" were shown between conversations about Camilo’s work on the film. Lara shared his caveat to getting involved, requiring that the film depict Mexico with dignity and respect. When directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina shared their vision of a “love letter to Mexico," he was on board. As a music consultant, Lara’s work on the project included helping animators study the finger movements of guitar players and helping adapt original songs into Mexican styles. “Un Poco Loco," for example, is in the Huapango style.

Joining Camilo Lara were Sergio Mendoza on guitar and Alex Gonzalez on trumpet. They gave a live performance of “Un Poco Loco," and also demonstrated a few other Mexican musical styles, including Bolero (“Solamente una vez/You Belong to My Heart") and Mariachi (“Cielito Lindo").

Pixar surprised Camilo Lara by giving him a cameo in the film. When Miguel arrives at Ernesto de la Cruz’s party in the Land of the Dead, look closely at the DJ and you may spot the resemblance. Lara shared how difficult it was to keep his cameo a secret from his friends and family. Thankfully, the film premiered in Mexico ahead of the U.S. He also shared his memory of attending the Mexico City film premiere. His mom, who never quite understood his career, proudly declared her son a musician after seeing the film.

The presentation became emotional towards the end. Guests were given magnetic marigold flowers on their way into the theater, along with a dry-erase marker, and were encouraged to write the name of a loved one on it. Both Camilo and Ryan have fathers on the other side, and they talked about the weight of the song “Remember Me" as they both try to keep the memory of their fathers alive in the hearts of their children.

For the performance of “Remember Me," veteran Broadway performer Rodney Ingram joined Sergio Mendoza and Alex Gonzalez in an arrangement created by Walt Disney World music director Jim Abbott. Guests held up their marigold flowers as cameras projected the names onto the screen. This section also included a tribute to the DVC Member Cruise Legends who have crossed the marigold bridge, names that included Roy E. Disney, Richard Sherman, Marty Sklar, Burny Matinson, and X. Atencio.

While cameras weren’t allowed during the performance, Camilo Lara, Sergio Mendoza, and Alex Gonzalez held another performance during the sailing in the Disney Dream’s atrium. Below, you can enjoy their 20-minute set of hits from the Mexico Institute of Sound.