WHEN THE SPIRITS
DANCE MAMBO
A Memoir
WHEN THE SPIRITS DANCE MAMBO, the new book by Marta Moreno-Vega, will be released by A Three Rivers Press Original/ The Crown Publishing Group on November 16, 2004. This fascinating, thought provoking, and candid memoir call forth the spirits of Puerto Rican New York and the music, mysticism, and traditions of a quintessentially American childhood.
WHEN THE SPIRITS DANCE MAMBO traces Marta’s life growing up in Spanish Harlem, El Barrio, in the 1950’s and 60’s. While rock and roll was transforming American Culture, East Harlem pulsed with the sounds of mambo, merengue and the romantic boleros. Marta was exposed to these rhythms, as well as to her abuela’s religious beliefs, which embraced an eclectic mix of Catholic saints, African and Native America spirits, all of them invoked in the songs interpreted by renowned artists such as Celina, Tito Rodriguez, Celia Cruz and Mario Bauza. In this deeply compelling story, the author captures what it means to grow-up in the United States as a child of migrant parents, and explore the complexities of absorbing both, the rigid traditions of her family’s culture and the North American ideas that existed outside their protective scope. Marta’s poetic and rhythmic writing seduces the reader throughout the book, and does not let go.
“When the Spirits Dance Mambo does exactly what good books and music should make you do: invite a god to the dance floor and inspire you to make art from chaos.”
-Willie Perdomo, author of Where a Nickel Cost a Dime and Smoking Lovely.
Marta Moreno Vega, Ph.D. is the president and founder of the International Caribbean Cultural Center/African Diaspora Institute, and an associate in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program at Hunter College in New York. She is a priestess of the Santeria/Lucumi religion and an internationally recognized advocate of Afro-Caribbean religions. She is the author of The Altar of My Soul, The Living Traditions of Santería , published by One World/ Ballantine Books, Random House. She is also the director and co-producer of the acclaimed documentary entitled When the Spirits Dance Mambo, which debuted at the Havana International Film Festival in 2002.
Moreno Vega has made outstanding contributions to the arts and cultural movements in New York as well as around the world. Amongst many things, she is a former director of El Museo del Barrio and creator of Amigos del Museo del Barrio Inc., and one of the founders of the Association of Hispanic Arts, the Network of Centers of Color and the Roundtable of Center of Colors.
WHEN THE SPIRITS DANCE MAMBO will be presented at Borders, Columbus Circle, NYC, on Thursday, November 18th, 2004, and will be touring throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico thereafter. For schedule information and booking arrangements, please contact Sandra A. García at (212)569-4946 or by email at sgbetancourt@earthlink.net.