In the small town of Santa Cecilia lives Miguel Rivera, a 12-year-old boy who dreams of being a musician like his famous idol Ernesto de la Cruz, a popular composer / singer and movie star who died when he was crushed by a bell in a live presentation However, Miguel's family has a long and strict restriction towards music that goes back generations in the past, when Miguel's great-great-grandmother was abandoned by a musician who decided to leave his family in order to follow his dreams. Because of this, the family of Miguel (the Rivera) hates everything related to music, 5 6 especially the grandmother, who overprotects him and takes care of any musical influence. As a result, the only relative Miguel likes is his great-grandmother, "Mama Coco."