When the spirits dance mambo

By Constance Brissenden

Book Description

In the vibrant streets of 1950s Spanish Harlem, young Marta Moreno Vega discovers the profound connections between music, family, and spiritual awakening. While mainstream America dances to rock and roll, her world pulses with the intoxicating rhythms of mambo and merengue, where weekend nights at the legendary Palladium transform ordinary working-class youth into royalty on the dance floor.

At the heart of Marta's coming-of-age story stands her beloved Abuela Luisa, a powerful espiritista whose cigar smoke carries prayers to Afro-Caribbean deities. Through her grandmother's wisdom and rituals, Marta begins to understand how ancient spiritual traditions can flourish even amid the concrete and chaos of urban life. The apartment down the hall becomes a sacred space where old-world beliefs meet new-world realities.

This memoir weaves together the sensual pull of Latin music, the tender bonds between generations, and the awakening of spiritual consciousness in a young Puerto Rican woman. As Marta navigates between her parents' traditional values and her own American dreams, she learns that identity emerges not from choosing one path over another, but from honoring the complex rhythms that make us whole.

Through intimate family portraits and the soundtrack of a transforming neighborhood, readers witness how spiritual heritage can guide us through cultural crossroads and personal transformation.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

📄 Length: 273 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore Puerto ricans--new york (state)--new york--social life and customs
✓ Explore Juvenile literature
✓ Explore Puerto rican women--new york (state)--new york--biography
✓ Explore Religion
✓ Explore Canada, biography
✓ Explore New york (state), social conditions
✓ Explore Indians of North America
✓ Explore New york (n.y.), social life and customs

Topics Covered

Puerto ricans--new york (state)--new york--social life and customs Juvenile literature Puerto rican women--new york (state)--new york--biography Religion Canada, biography New york (state), social conditions Indians of North America New york (n.y.), social life and customs Puerto ricans--new york (state)--new york--social conditions Ethnic neighborhoods Biography & Autobiography Harlem (new york, n.y.), social conditions Puerto Rican women Social life and customs Juvenile Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / People of Color Indians of north america, juvenile literature New york (n.y.), biography 974.7/004687295/0922 b Social conditions Ethnic neighborhoods--new york (state)--new york Harlem (new york, n.y.) Indians of north america, biography Vega, marta moreno Childhood and youth Children's Books/All Ages Nonfiction Biography & Autobiography - Cultural Heritage Puerto ricans--new york (state)--new york--biography F128.9.p85 v438 2004 Puerto ricans--social conditions Puerto ricans--social life and customs Puerto ricans, united states Biography Cree Indians Soldiers Authors, Canadian (English) Women, united states, biography Aboriginal Canadian Participation New york (n.y.), social conditions Puerto Ricans World War, 1939-1945