64 Man of the West: A 1958 western starring Gary Cooper and Julie London, in which the heroine (London) is forced to strip while her protector is held at knife point.
65 itch mites: In Spanish, yaibíes; yabí is a Colombian term for a type of insect (Sarcoptes scabiei) that lives in the grass, causing an itch if you come in contact with it.
66 seven-phallused snail … coclí: Coclí is a common name peculiar to Colombia for the Buff-necked Ibis. For ‘seven-phallused snail’, see the next note.
67 Camilo José Cela … at the age of fifty: Camilo José Cela (1916–2002), a Spanish novelist and short-story writer associated with the Generation of ’36 movement (a group of writers working at the time of the Spanish Civil War); he’s mentioned here because at the age of fifty he published Oficio de tinieblas 5 (Tenebrae 5), a book written in a radically different style from his previous work: it explores themes of sexuality, including bestiality, and in fact mentions the ‘seven-phallused snail’ cited earlier – see previous note.
68 Barbáro’s skin … like the skin of Monsieur Valdemar: ‘Señor Valdemar’ in the original text; Caicedo is referring to a line in Edgar Allan Poe’s story ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’ (1845) describing Valdemar at the point of death: ‘the emaciation was so extreme that the skin had been broken through by the cheek-bones.’
69 8½: Referring to the film 8½ (1963) directed by Federico Fellini.
70 Juan Ladrillo: Juan Ladrillero (c.1490–1559), Spanish explorer and the founder of Buenaventura – what follows is a potted history of the city.
71 Hectór Piedrahíta Lovecraft: As with his mention of ‘Edgar Piedrahíta’ (Edgar Allan Poe) earlier (see note 58), Caicedo is referring to H. P. (Howard Philips) Lovecraft (1890–1937), pioneering American writer of horror and fantasy whose ‘Cthulhu Mythos’ story cycle was an early influence on Caicedo.
72 Mare Tenebrum: A reference to the mythical Mare Tenebrarum (Sea of Darkness), described by the mysterious Nubian geographer Ptolemy Hephaestion and frequently mentioned in the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
73 ‘the Spanish disease’: Syphilis was so called because congenital syphilis ran in the Spanish royal family.
74 Marquetalia Republic: One of the enclaves in rural Colombia which communist peasant guerrillas held during the aftermath of the decade-long period of civil war (approximately 1948–58) known as ‘La Violencia’.
75 Rain and snow … rain and snow: The title (and indeed the only lyrics) of ‘Lluvia con nieve’ (‘Rain and Snow’), a largely instrumental piece of salsa written and recorded in 1964 by Mon Rivera, nickname of Efraín Rivera Castillo (1925–78), band leader, singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who pioneered the trombone front-line in Latin American music. The ‘snow’ in the title is cocaine.
76 ‘Corazón de melón’: Title of the song by Las Hermanas Benítez from the 1958 film Sube y baja (Get Up and Get Down).
77 Let no one … give you shelter: Caicedo is playing with the lyrics of ‘El día que nací yo’: ‘Let no one dry your tears / Let no one give you shelter’.
78 It’s so sleazy but it’s so good: Alluding to the epigraph to the novel (see p. vi) – lyrics from ‘Cabo E’.
79 LIVEFOREVER: In Spanish, ‘Siempreviva’, a succulent perennial from the genus Sempervivum whose common names include ‘pinwheel’ and ‘house leek’ as well as ‘liveforever’.
80 the black coachman with the brightly coloured saddle: Probably a reference to lyrics which appear both in the song ‘A Eleguá’ and in some versions of ‘Iqui con iqui’. Eleguá (also known as Eshu or Ès.ù) is an Orisha (see note 1) and one of the most well-known deities of the religion – the god of fortune and death and a protector of travellers.
81 rumba on till you’re rumba’d out: In Spanish, ‘enrumbaté y después derrúmbate’; enrumbarse means ‘to find the way’ and derrumbarse ‘to collapse, fall, crash’, while the inclusion of rumba in both verbs gives the sense of partying on until you’re partied out.
82 There’s a fire at number 23: Lyrics from and the title in English of the song ‘Hay fuego en el 23’ by Arsenio Rodríguez (known by the nickname El Ciego Maravilloso, ‘The Marvellous Blind Man’) and covered by the group La Sonora Ponceña. The lyrics refer to an actual fire when Arsenio was living at 23 East 110 Street, in Manhattan. The song was written on the pavement while watching the blaze, and the words ‘There’s a fire at number 23’ came to mean ‘pay attention, this is important’.
83 A.C.: Andrés Caicedo.
84 That the author … has made use of the following songs: This is not an exhaustive list of all the songs in the book; some do not appear here and the list given does not follow the narrative chronologically.
85 Rosario Wurlitzer: The name Rosario is a nod to Andrés’s sister Rosario Caicedo; Wurlitzer is a reference to the famous jukebox manufacturer.
86 Unidentified lyrics from unknown songs: The first two lines are lyrics from ‘Iqui con iqui’; for ‘Cómete ese piano, Richie’ (‘Chow down on that piano, Richie’), see note 50.
List of Song Lyrics
Song lyrics, italicized in the main text, are listed below in the order in which they are quoted in the novel, along with a page reference and the title of the song (in the original language) from which they are taken. In places Caicedo seems to have misheard lyrics, or amended them slightly to fit his narrative. Where lyrics have been paraphrased or misquoted by Caicedo, this is indicated in brackets after the quotation. Please see the ‘List of Songs’ on p. 177 for the names of singers.
Lyrics Song Title
Babalú walks with me ‘Yo soy Babalú’
Vanity, because of you I lost ‘Vanidad’
In the faraway mountains there’s a horseman who’s riding; he’s alone in this world and for death he is biding ‘El jinete’
Peace and goodwill over my land ‘Guaguancó triste’
When the wind blows and the rain feels cold … Down the road, down the road ‘Moonlight Mile’
this could be the last time ‘The Last Time’
Heartbreaker! Painmaker! ‘Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)’
I can hear within me echoes of a cry ‘Guaguancó triste’
This little girl is so famous, they know her all over the world. She entraps men like a spider, they’ll do anything for this girl ‘Amparo Arrebato’
that speak of pain and hope … weep for my country ‘Guaguancó triste’
butín, butero tabique y afuero ‘Tin Marin’
on the tips of your toes, Teresa, on the tips of your toes ‘Con la punta del pie, Teresa’
let’s go back to my place and crank up the bembé ‘A jugar bembé’
Hey, Piraña, release me from your clutches, this woman she breaks everything she touches ‘Piraña’
hear the trumpets ring, hear the congas sing ‘¡Sonido bestial!’
saluting the great dancers of her youth (paraphrase) ‘Bailadores’
stand back and make way, he ain’t got much to say, just comes over to you and his hips, how they sway (paraphrase) ‘¡Sonido bestial!’
I’d swear I’d recognize you guys though you’re wearing a disguise ‘Te conozco bacalao’
play me, Richie, play me like an animal ‘¡Sonido bestial!’
we know Tito’s all the rage and when he plays he owns the stage ‘El diferente’
who was it said I co
uldn’t make it, who was it said I couldn’t fake it
a piece of wood from a sinking ship ‘Convergencia’
oh, I’m just a soul in pain on a lonely shore, a wandering soul who can cry no more
come on, Ray, what’s coming next will blow your mind ‘Agúzate’
the wave that veiled the mystery of Guarataro (paraphrase) ‘El Guarataro’
The rumba, the rumba is calling me, dance it, dance it like me ‘¡Ay compay!’
the culture of my land where deep inside a sun is born ‘Guaguancó triste’
inside a sun is born and I don’t find my love
Let’s go back to my place and crank up the bembé ‘A jugar bembé’
I call on Babalú and he comes to me, Babalú walks with me ‘Yo soy Babalú’
that’s the rhythm of Guarataro ‘El Guarataro’
I once knew a brave mulatto, who died up there in Guarataro
This fear that says to me: get sharp, they’re shooting at you ‘Agúzate’
but Babalú is with me too and I’ve brought saoco, fear and dread ‘Yo soy Babalú’
Obatala, Obatala who owns all heads! ‘El hijo de Obatala’
If I don’t raise no objection, I can’t get no satisfaction ‘El diferente’
Because it’s hard to die when you’re still alive
The Abakuá, when they come from the cumbá, waiting for the signal (paraphrase) ‘El Abakuá’
and the Enkame of Moruá
saluting everything that is, Abakuá
Because the saints deliver me from everything
My love for Adasa still burned in my heart ‘Adasa’
Beat out the rhythm, ’cos I don’t plan on stopping ‘Ae cumayé’
Give me salsa, ’cos salsa gets me hopping
good as you are, come dance with me ‘Salsa y control’
Che che colé, who led him astray ‘Che che colé’
come and bring Richie, let’s boogie ‘Richie’s jala jala’
jala, driver, take me there (paraphrase)
Caína come on, come on
the jala jala, let’s do the jala jala here (paraphrase)
and I brought it for you
the jala jala just for fun
Caína, come on, come on, God, you’ll see it’s good, jala like you’ve never done before
I’m happy to be in Colombia, I’m planning to dance me some cumbia. ‘Colombia’s Boogaloo’
Go ask anyone who’s got a clue: Colombia’s got its own boogaloo
boogaloo, aaaaaaaaay!
sacatión manantión ilé sacatión manantión jesua, sacatión manantión mojé ‘El Abakuá’
don’t conk out now, keep pumping to the rhythm, Miki ‘Ae cumayé’
Get sharp, people, because they’re watching you ‘Agúzate’
You’ve got to be a fly everywhere
the congas, congas move to the rhythm
I feel so close to you, I want you to know it ‘Mira la lluvia caer’
I keep on moving; I don’t stop like any decent person (misquotation) ‘Agúzate’
hey, these people don’t know but I’ve got a saint
I hear a voice keeps saying get sharp
who has no faith and no shelter ‘El Guarataro’
Right here where you see me ‘Bomba camará’
go back to your school, little girl, because you can’t handle me ‘Guaguancó raro’
You want more boogaloo? Who says no, who? ‘Iqui con iqui’
’cos I’ll bring you a little of everything ‘Traigo de todo’
Comfort me, Adasa, give me your blessing ‘Adasa’
pass me the cauldron, Macoró (misquotation) ‘Agallú’
a rolling stone, flotsam from a shipwreck, a suffering soul wandering alone ‘Convergencia’
Ay, move like you, Ay, move like you, Ay, move like you ‘Agallú’
in the modern style ‘Mambo jazz’
get hard, bongo ‘Ponte duro’
pum catapum viva Changó ‘Cabo E’
the Christmas bomba ‘Bomba en Navidad’
because, mamá, we got salsa ‘¿Qué bella es la Navidad?’
Tulia Fonseca, Tulia Fonseca (misquotation)
Change your trip or your dress will rip ‘El paso de Encarnación’
Little star, why have you lost your curious spell? Here on earth from the distance we hear your sad wail ‘Lucerito’
blue-funk blues ‘Penas penitas’
Ala-lolé-lolé … lo altare la araché ‘Lo atara la araché’
No one tells me that I got here first, that I’ve got the cash, that I’m whiter than you ‘Bomba camará’
Changó ta vení. Changó is coming ‘Changó ta vení’
Clock, don’t mark the hours ‘El reloj’
Rain and snow rain and snow rain and snow … and snow ‘Lluvia con nieve’
sway, Miki, sway, Miki, it’s for the saints, Miki (misquotation) ‘Ae cumayé’
and I’m playing the jala jala just for you, Puerto Rico is calling me ‘Richie’s jala jala’
saoco and bring on the beat ‘Iqui con iqui’
Richie Ray just got up to get down, and that’s something everyone knows ‘Guaguancó raro’
sad is his song ‘Guaguancó triste’
in me a sun is born and I don’t find my love
We are the plaintive note whimpered by the violin ‘Convergencia’
They laughed at boogaloo, and just look at them now ‘Que se rían’
Let no one know your name, let no one give you shelter (misquotation) ‘El día que nací yo’
the beat of every bembé ‘¡Ay compay!’
It’s so sleazy but it’s so good ‘Cabo E’
the black coachman with the brightly coloured saddle ‘A Eleguá’ and ‘Iqui con iqui’
There’s a fire at number 23 ‘Hay fuego en el 23’
List of Songs
Below are listed the titles of all the songs referred to in the novel, including all those in the Discography (p. 157), and the artists who composed/sang them.
‘A Eleguá’ – traditional
‘A jugar bembé’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘¿A mí qué?’ – Típica Novel
‘Adasa’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Ae cumayé’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Agallú’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Agúzate’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Ahora vengo yo’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Alafia cumayé’
– Ray Barretto
‘Amparo Arrebato’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Anacaona’ – Cheo Feliciano
‘Arrepentida’ (composed by Osmar da Fonseca) – Orquesta Los Satélites
‘¡Ay compay!’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Bailadores’ – Nelson y sus Estrellas
‘Bembé en casa de Pinki’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Bomba camará’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Bomba en Navidad’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Bongó loco’ – LeBrón Brothers
‘Cabo E’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Canto a Borinquen’ – Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe
‘Changa con pachanga’ – Randy Carlos
‘Changó ta vení’ – Justi Barreto
‘Charanga revuelta con pachanga’ – Randy Carlos
‘Che che colé’ – Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe
‘Colombia’s Boogaloo’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Colorín colorao’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Comején’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘Con la punta del pie, Teresa’ – Cortijo y su Combo
‘Convergencia’ – Johnny Pacheco and Pete ‘Conde’ Rodriguez
‘Corazón de melón’ – Las Hermanas Benítez
‘Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)’ – Rolling Stones
‘El Abakuá’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘El día que nací yo’ – Orquesta La Conspiración
‘El diferente’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘El galiván pollero’ – Pedro Infante
‘El Guarataro’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
‘El hijo de Obatala’ – Ray Barretto
‘El jinete’ – José Alfredo Jiménez
‘El paso de Encarnación’ – Larry Harlow
‘El reloj’ – Roberto Cantoral
‘Feria en M.’ – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
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