Christina Aguilera will reportedly sing a duet with the legend via a hologram on the stage of “The Voice” on May 24th, during the show’s finale. However, no one connected to the show has confirmed the performance. “I am sworn to secrecy,” Aguilera told ET Online. “I can’t say anything, but I’m very excited about the finale. Very exciting things happening.”
Whitney Houston died of a drug overdose in 2012, the night before the Grammys in Los Angeles at the age of 48. Definitely too soon for such an iconic musical career.
Funerals aren’t known for being fun. Even when people say they want to ‘celebrate’ someone’s life, most of the time, funerals are gloomy events. Well, in Puerto Rico, there’s a trend that eschews the idea that funerals should be somber and cold.
In a move to liven up funeral ceremonies, Marin Funeral Home in Puerto Rico began organizing “standing funerals,” which let loved ones hang out with the deceased as they remembered them in life. Instead of looking at a casket, the deceased may be standing, sitting or even playing poker. Gives a whole new meaning to the word “wake.”
People first caught on to the trend in 2008, when Angel Luis “Pedrito” Pantojas Medina stood at his wake for three days.
According to El Nuevo Día, Pantojas said he always wanted to be on his feet, even at his funeral. His family wanted to honor his wish and the Marin Funeral Home made their request a reality. The community was so impressed, a trend was born.
David Morales Colón’s family took it one step further, having his body embalmed and then placed on his Honda motorcycle.
In life, Colon told his family he didn’t want a traditional funeral – so they immortalized the late motorcycle enthusiast on his bike. Everyone agreed it was incredibly lifelike and was as though he were still riding through the streets. He was not, however, buried with the bike, which was valued at $14,000.
Then came this paramedic, who wanted to be remembered as he served in life.
A soldier in life, Carlos Cabrera revered Che Guevara. In death, his family dressed him like Guevara and had him seated cross-legged with a cigar in his hand, just like his hero.
Christopher Rivera was decked out in his fight gear.
Sitting in her rocking chair and surrounded by flowers, Georgina Chervony Lloren wore her wedding dress to her funeral, just as she wished. What a way to go out!
Although other funeral directors have called the practice “sacrilegious,” Funeraría Marin knows they’ve struck a chord with local families. So much so, that they’re keeping their signature embalming process a total secret. Is it legal? Yes. According to the Washington Post, Puerto Rico’s Department of Health has looked into the process and concluded no law has been broken.
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