Imelda didn't waste one tear on that walk away musician She banished all music from her life throwing away instruments and records and found a job Was it making candy Fireworks Sparkly underwear for wrestlers No Mamá Imelda made shoes And so did her daughter And then her son in law And her grandkids The Rivera business and the family grew in sync While music tore the family apart shoes held them together Miguel heard this story each year on Día de los Muertos the Day of the Dead He used to hear it from his Mamá Coco but she didn't remember much anymore This year she sat in a wicker wheelchair vacantly staring at the ofrenda that special place in their house where Miguel's family placed remembrances of and gifts for their ancestors to honor them Miguel kissed her cheek Hola Mamá Coco How are you Julio Miguel sighed Sometimes Mamá Coco had trouble remembering things like his name But that made her the best secret keeper He told her pretty much everything things he couldn't tell his abuelita who ran their household with an iron fist
If Abuelita said he needed to eat more tamales then Miguel ate more tamales If Abuelita wanted a kiss on her cheek then Miguel kissed her cheek And if Abuelita caught Miguel blowing a tune over the top of a soda bottle No music then Miguel would stop Abuelita even yelled at passersby No music to the truck driver blaring his radio No music to the gentlemen singing while they strolled down the street Her ban on music had affected all the aunts uncles and cousins too Miguel was pretty sure they were the only family in Mexico that hated music The worst part was that no one in his family seemed to care No one that is but him
Chapter 1 Leaving the family home behind Miguel breathed the crisp air of another sunny morning in Santa Cecilia As he headed into town with his shoeshine box he passed a woman sweeping a stoop She waved Hola Miguel Hola Miguel waved back Closer to town Miguel smiled at a lone guitar player plucking away at a song The farther in Miguel went the more music filled the air Church bells chimed in harmony A band played an upbeat tune A radio blared a swift cumbia rhythm Miguel soaked it all in He couldn't help tapping out a beat on a table covered with brightly colored wooden animal figurines
As Miguel rushed past another stand with pastries for sale he grabbed a pan dulce and tossed the vendor a coin Smelling the sweet bread Miguel's canine sidekick Dante sidled up to him Miguel tore off a piece of the bread and Dante chomped it down Everywhere Miguel looked people were preparing for their loved ones to return from the Land of the Dead by hanging colorful papel picado and laying marigold petals at their doorways As usual Mariachi Plaza was full of musicians strolling around waiting for their chance to serenade a couple or a family with a love song or a classic corrido Soon a tour group gathered around a large statue of a mariachi player in the center of the plaza And right here in this very plaza the young Ernesto de la Cruz took his first steps toward becoming the most beloved singer in Mexican history said the guide Everyone in the group nodded familiar with the legendary musician and singer Along with the tourists Miguel gazed up at the statue He'd seen it a hundred times but it always inspired him After a moment Miguel found a spot in the plaza
