When Hope Is Gone
The Story of Papo Salsa
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It was a long time ago, man, when I was young. I used to live up by Randall Avenue. It was like the sun was always shinin' back then, you know what I'm sayin'? The neighborhood wasn't that great , but it was our whole world and it was home. Even though Pops worked hard, we didn't have much. It was rough sometimes, but I was good, man. I didn't go around robbin' and stealin' like some of these other dudes. My thing was dancin', man. Salsa dancing. And none of that merengue or boogaloo bullshit either, man. It was Salsa caliente, HOT Salsa. Willie Colon, Larry Harlow, Eddie Palmieri. The Corso, the Cheetah, I snuck into all those places. Had to 'cause I was only sixteen. But it was alright 'cause I was good! They called me the "Fred Astairs of Soundview". I wanted to be the first salsa dancer on American Bandstand, with that gringo Dick Clark, you heard of him, right? ALL the mamis wanted to hang with me. Little kids used to look up to me, wanting me to teach them how to dance like me. They all wanted to be like Papo Salsa, an' get all the girls.
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About the Book
Eduardo Torres is a forty-five-year-old recovering drug addict, down on his luck, trying to survive on the streets of New York’s South Bronx. Living in a homeless shelter, he spends his days begging for handouts and doing odd jobs for neighborhood merchants. But he wasn’t always like this. In his dashing youth, Eduardo was known and loved for his love of salsa music and his natural dancing ability. Once revered as “Papo Salsa” in his neighborhood , Eduardo is now a different man—broken and hopeless. He’s one of many victims of the turbulent times of the late sixties and early seventies, when the Vietnam War shattered lives, tortured families, and stole innocence from even the most well-intentioned individuals. One day, Papo Salsa encounters José Antonio Rivera, an educated professional from the same neighborhood as Papo. Though a few years younger, José remembers Papo as a heartthrob to girls of all ages, a guy the neighborhood boys looked up to. But Papo does not immediately recognize José. He begins telling a story of bad breaks and wrong decisions, in an attempt to explain why he is where he is now. When Hope Is Gone is a graphic yet moving story of love found and lost, set in the volatile environments of urban life, war, and drug addiction. Throughout the years and the fears, the hypnotic rhythms of salsa music—the soundtrack of the times—is the one thing these wounded souls could always turn to for inspiration.
About the Author
Pedro E. Acevedo is a freelance writer living in Westbury, New York. Avid enthusiasts of salsa music, he and his wife are well known in the New York City Latin dance club community. Having served in the Armed Forces in the mid-70's alongside many Vietnam veterans, Pedro heard first-hand accounts of the horrors those soldiers endured and inspired him to write this book. He has since enjoyed a successful career as an accountant for various foreign banks.