Cortijo′s Wake / El entierro de Cortijo

“The editor and translator, Juan Flores, provides a very informative, contextualized introduction to the writer, the story and the musical life of Cortijo and his musical colleagues. His translation reflects well the expressive quality of the language of the original text, which is made complex by its multiple, idiosyncratic registers.” - James Hassell, National Capital Language Resource Center

"Flores has provided a nuanced translation that is attentive to the inherent difficulties of making intelligible Afro-Puerto Rican working-class colloquial expressions for a non-Spanish-speaking audience. . . . I highly recommend this edition for historians who wish to explore how literary texts employ icons from popular culture to address reimaginings of the Puerto Rican nation in the late twentieth century. It will also be an invaluable teaching tool for Black studies scholars who do not speak and read Spanish but wish to incorporate Afro-Caribbean topics into their classroom." - Mark A. Hernandez , The Americas

"Stunning in its direct honesty and simplicity of style, this book is considered a contemporary classic of Puerto Rican literature. . . . This is a book you will find both informative and enjoyable reading. Cortijo's Wake is highly recommended." - Lee Prosser , JazzReview.com

"This autobiographical chronicle is a fundamental work for those wishing to understand more about the island’s social and cultural make-up and the key role of popular musicians . . . . For English-speaking readers who are unfamiliar with Puerto Rican music, it is to be hoped that after reading this engaging chronicle, you might be inspired to seek out recordings by some of the artists featured and discover the lively rhythms of bomba and plena which were influential in the creation of the salsa sound." - Vanessa Knights, Review of Popular Music

“A highly entertaining account of the wake and burial of Rafael Cortijo. . . . [Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá’s] book mixes first-hand descriptions of places and people with extravagant helpings of personal opinion.” - Gerald Guinness,, San Juan Star

“Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá’s El entierro de Cortijo is already a classic in contemporary Puerto Rican literature—challenging, entertaining, and enlightening. It is a real joy to see Juan Flores’s translation of Rodríguez Juliá’s narrative into English. Flores—sensitive to tone, sound, idiom, and meaning—has done an excellent job. Cortijo’s music echoes through the text.”— - Arcadio Díaz-Quiñones, Princeton University