The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
"The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" is a novel by Oscar Hijuelos that explores the lives of two Cuban brothers, Cesar and Nestor Castillo, who are musicians trying to navigate the complex landscape of post-war America. Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, the story delves into themes of cultural identity, nostalgia, and the pursuit of the American Dream. The narrative begins with Cesar's reflection on his life as he grapples with the loss of his brother Nestor and the fading glory of their music career. A pivotal moment occurs when Nestor pens a song in memory of a lost love, which catches the attention of the famous character Ricky Ricardo, ultimately changing the brothers' fortunes.
Hijuelos vividly portrays the struggles faced by Cuban immigrants, showcasing their rich musical heritage as both a source of pride and a means of coping with their exile. Although the brothers experience brief fame through their appearance on "I Love Lucy," their success is fleeting, and they confront the harsh realities of aging, loss, and disillusionment. The novel culminates in themes of despair and longing, particularly as Cesar reflects on his past and contemplates the weight of his choices. "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" not only garnered the Pulitzer Prize for Hijuelos in 1990 but also serves as a poignant exploration of cultural memory and the complexities of immigrant life.
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Subject Terms
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
First published: 1989
The Work
Oscar Hijuelos’ life in an advertising agency had little to do with his passion for writing. When he first began thinking of the story that would become The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, he knew that an uncle and an elevator operator would be his models. The uncle, a musician with Xavier Cugat in the 1930’s and a building superintendent patterned after an elevator-operator-musician merged to become Cesar Castillo, the Mambo King. Cesar’s brother, Nestor, laconic, retrospective, lamenting the loss of a lover he left behind in Cuba, writes the song in her memory that draws the attention of Ricky Ricardo. He hears “Beautiful María of my Soul” as he catches the Mambo Kings in a seedy nightclub where gigs are cheap but long. Ricky’s interest changes their lives. The book altered Hijuelos’ literary career by winning for him the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 1990.
As the book opens, Cesar rots with his half-empty whiskey glass tipped at the TV beaming reruns. He seeks the I Love Lucy spot featuring Nestor and him as the Mambo Kings. Nestor has died. Cesar pathetically broods on the aging process, cirrhosis, and the loss of flamboyant times. Cesar’s old, scratchy records—brittle and warped—resurrect his music stardom. He laments his brother’s death by leafing through fading pictures.
In The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, Hijuelos presents pre-Castro Cubans, who, after World War II, streamed to New York. All communities may strive for the American Dream, but in Latino quarters, music, the mainstream of a culture, sought to free the oppressed. Hijuelos pursues thematic progression: The Castillo brothers become, for a moment, cultural icons by their appearance on I Love Lucy. Their fame does not last, however; Cesar comforts his ego with debauchery, and Nestor dies suddenly. The ironically named Hotel Splendour is where Cesar commits suicide.
Bibliography
Foster, David William, comp. Handbook of Latin American Literature. 2d ed. New York: Garland, 1992. The section on Cuban Americans discusses Hijuelos’ novel as a text inspired and guided by music, which becomes “the center of the narrative,” recalling the influential times in Latin music. Considers the dynamics of the exile experience as a major aspect of the work.
Kanellos, Nicolás. “The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.” Review of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, by Oscar Hijuelos. The Americas Review 18 (Spring, 1990): 113-114. Praises Hijuelos as an intellectual whose research-based novel is a well-documented chronicle of a period when Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean music strongly influenced popular culture in the United States.
Perez Firmat, Gustavo. Life on the Hyphen: The Cuban-American Way. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994. A scholarly volume of criticism focusing on selected Cuban cultural figures, such as Desi Arnaz and his television show “I Love Lucy.” Hijuelos and his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel are also discussed.
Shorris, Earl. “Neither Here nor There.” In Latinos: A Biography of the People. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992. Refers to the commercial and critical success of Hijuelos’ novel, and discusses death as a major theme in the book.