Literary Nonfiction, Latino/Latina Studies, Art, Music. Double Vinyl LP Edition. WITH A CUBAN SONG IN THE HEART CON UNA CANCION CUBANA EN EL CORAZON features the artwork from 280 album covers from Ivan Acosta’s collection of over 5,000 long-playing discs–a collection which hangs in the living room of his New York City home and which includes the two albums that he and his sister smuggled out of Cuba on that August 28th, 1961; and by which he weaves a story of real life passages from his childhood in Santiago de Cuba and tidbits of history that lay dormant in those album covers, local lore and landmark events. Not a novel of politics, not a history of Cuban music, not an autobiography, but an anecdotal and musical journey of a soul, a Cuban, an exile, a Cuban- American liberated by and with the music. A double album compilation on Un-Gyve Records, packaged as a CD or in an alternate vinyl LP edition, and an exhibition of the album artwork coincides with the publication of WITH A CUBAN SONG IN THE HEART, which includes both the English and Spanish versions of the text.
The 12.5 x 12.5 card-cover book is 162 pages with 290 full colour illustrations, with an introduction by Wall Street Journal contributor and JazzWax founder, journalist and historian, Marc Myers.
A book about love: love for a nation that does not allow itself to be destroyed; love for traditions that cannot be lost; love for music so universal that no one can silence it.–Ileana Fuentes
Rich in sentiment, anecdote and history…I recommend it with enthusiasm.–Oscar Hijuelos
With this book, Ivan Acosta takes us by the hand on a musical and historical journey.–Mirta Ojito
…only minutes to gather your things. What would you grab to remind you of the life you left behind? A doll? A toy? A ring? Ivan reached for two 12- inch long-playing records, one by Luis Bravo and the other by Ramon Veloz. To take records is both an amazing and fabulous choice. It’s a simultaneous act of remembrance and revenge.–Marc Myers
