BookLiveforever

HLAS annotation

• The long-awaited translation of ¡Que viva la música!, first published in 1977, the year the 25-year old Caicedo committed suicide. Liveforever is a rhythmic, vibrant novel centered on the young María del Carmen Huerta and the tough, intense night world of music - centrally salsa - in the Colombian city of Cali in the 70s. In his introduction Juan Gabriel Vásquez explains that, in the 36 years since its publication, ¡Que viva la música! has become, first in Colombia, and later throughout Latin America, a genuine example of "the cult novel" (p. 11). Penguin's publication of the English translation is evidence of what Alberto Fuguet has called "the Caicedo phenomenon," meaning both that Caicedo is finally gaining critical recognition and that many years after its publication, the novel speaks directly to today's generation. The book includes a note in which the translator discusses translating the novel's unmarked entwinement of speech and music. [MCG]