In The Book of Life, the young musician who journeys to the Land of the Remembered is Manolo Sánchez.
Manolo is born into a family of celebrated bullfighters, but his real passion is music. He wants to play guitar and write songs rather than continue the Sánchez tradition of killing bulls. His love for María Posada and friendship with Joaquín Mondragon form the film's central emotional triangle.
After Manolo is bitten by Xibalba's serpent and dies, he arrives in the Land of the Remembered, where he meets deceased relatives and learns that Xibalba cheated in a wager involving María. Manolo then travels between the realms of the dead while trying to reclaim his life and protect San Ángel.
A common mix-up is confusing Manolo with Joaquín, who is also competing for María's affection. La Muerte and Xibalba are deities who rule the afterlife realms, not musicians. The film premiered in 2014, was directed by Jorge R. Gutiérrez, and uses Día de los Muertos imagery throughout its colorful story.