The Mambo Kings Page #2

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Oh, sorry, man.

Did you have a band in Cuba?

Yeah. The Havana Melody Boys.

We used to slaughter

more than a cow.

With a first-class arranger...

...someone who knows the ropes...

...we'll set New York on fire.

Where you gonna find an arranger

like that?

I'm telling you...

How you gonna pay him?

With steaks and hamburgers?

Just leave it to me.

You have very good taste.

Lecuona is the finest composer

alive today.

Thank you, Cesar...

...Nestor, for your generosity.

So Frankie tells me that you

and your brother are very talented.

That you've written songs

with a new sound.

We got so many now,

they fill a suitcase.

And you have just come from Havana

where you played in clubs?

Our last job was at the Tropicana

in Havana.

We played all the clubs in Cuba.

All the clubs.

You want to know if I would be

interested in arranging these songs?

Yes.

One...

...the son of Chang.

The other...

...the son of Yemay,

goddess of the sea.

Fire and water.

Yes.

I must hear them play.

Let's go downstairs to my club.

- You play for us there, okay?

- Of course.

Friday night, Empire Ballroom.

Happiness, the American way.

Come to the Empire.

"The deepest urge

in human nature...

...is the desire to be important,

to be great.

The rare individual

who satisfies this hunger...

...will hold people

in the palm of his hand...

...so even the undertaker

will regret his death."

The undertaker can regret our death...

...but it'd be nice

if he came to see the show first.

Here, give these pretty fliers

to the people.

I show you my deepest urge.

Come Friday night.

- Mambo Kings!

- Mambo, Mambo King. Mambo, please.

You come see me,

I'll come see you, okay? Please.

Come on, Nestor, come on, Nestor!

You are a musician?

Yes, I am a musician.

I can tell you're a good musician.

How?

I mean, thank you.

My name is Nestor Castillo.

- Delores.

- Delores.

Delores Fuentes.

The song you were whistling before?

A bolero.

I have written

12 different versions of it.

It has a name?

"Beautiful Maria of my Soul."

Something like that.

This Maria...

...inspired 12 different versions

of your song?

It's just a name.

Maybe I'll write it

using your name instead.

I clean house for a rich man on 61 st.

He's so rich, he's unhappy.

But he always says

I can help myself to any of his books.

So for lunch...

...I make roast-beef sandwiches

and read.

What will you do with all that reading?

I'm studying to be a schoolteacher.

I got to school twice a week.

At night.

You're ambitious, huh?

Yes.

I want to make something of myself.

Is your family here?

Yes, my sister.

My father died last year.

I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.

And the song at the bus stop?

"Beautiful Maria of My Soul."

We were going to be married.

What happened?

She married the owner of the club

where my brother and I played.

- I'm sorry.

- That's okay.

You know, Delores...

...I'm going to have

my own little club someday.

You see? You are ambitious too.

A little bit.

Why don't you come dancing with me?

Friday.

You can see us play.

How are you?

I love you.

Yeah! Come on!

Which one is he?

The one in the middle, dancing?

The one with the trumpet.

That Castillo, he looks like trouble.

Yes, I know, but I think he is worth it.

Mambo Kings, ladies and gentlemen!

Come on, let's hear it for them!

Mambo Kings!

And now, ladies and gentlemen...

...let's get ready for Machito...

- Thank you, thank you.

...and his Afro-Cubans!

Mambo Kings! Don't forget that!

So we're a bunch of farm boys, huh?

Drinks for everyone

on the Castillo brothers!

- Hey, how are you?

- Fine.

This is the girl I told you about,

Delores Fuentes.

- My brother Cesar.

- Pleased to meet you.

I'm Anna Maria, Delores' sister.

You fellows were great!

Lanna Lake, honey. Nice to meet you.

I think I'll go powder my nose.

- I'll be back in a minute, okay?

- Okay. I'll wait here.

He thinks he's the last Coca-Cola

in the desert.

He is, honey.

Johnny, signing with me

was just the beginning.

From here, anything you want.

El Morocco, the Palladium.

Your future is gold.

Thank you, Fernando.

I'm very grateful.

It's my pleasure.

Ladies and gents,

it's my pleasure to introduce...

...direct from Puerto Rico,

El Suavecito, Johnny Casanova.

This is for you.

It's beautiful.

You like?

Let me do it.

I'm really happy you're here, Delorita.

Thank you for coming.

They've been on top

for about 40 weeks now.

We play circles around them.

Montoya says if we top the Diamonds,

we'll play any club.

A month from now, they'll be opening

for you, and you'd go on another day.

Very, very impressive, Seor Castillo.

I knew it when I saw you

at the Palladium...

...that you were very talented.

You feel the music...

...and that nobody can teach you

or take away.

Congratulations.

It's a lucky coincidence

to run into each other.

But I always say, God puts his children

exactly where they should be.

That's funny, I always said that too.

Have a Havana with me, Cesar.

And let's see how Fernando Perez

can take the Mambo Kings to the top.

Who the hell are you, anyway?

The Mambo pope?

Guy thinks I came to America

to trade one thief for another.

- Cesar.

- I think you don't know who I am, seor.

Whoever you are, I know in Havana...

... los Mafioso with balls of steel

could not own Cesar Castillo.

So don't you try.

You have much to learn, Mambo King.

Pray God you learn it...

...before the banana boat

sails back to Cuba.

- What are you, the captain?

- Cesar, are you crazy?

I'm crazy, and your brain's so soft,

already you forgot Luis.

It's lucky I have that

as a reminder for the rest of my life.

Let's get out of here before these

pendejos give me a stroke.

Here. Pay with that.

Leave the business to me

and stick to your music, kid.

"It was a fabulous night

at the Empire Ballroom...

...as a new band came on the scene.

The Latin rhythms filled the air as...

...under the hip-swinging,

pelvis-grinding...

...admiralship of their singer,

Cesar Castillo...

...the fabulous Mambo Kings

made a fabulous debut."

As Mr. v anderbilt says, "He who can,

has the whole world with him.

He who cannot,

walks the world alone."

Miss Enchantment, if you wanna come

with a Mambo King...

- ...I'll show you a little piece of Havana.

- Yeah, a very little piece.

Bigger than your piece.

Mr. Ricci.

Did you see this "fabulous night at

the Empire Ballroom" debut?

I know. Everybody love you guys.

But it's such a shame.

- What's the shame?

- My girl Luisa, she no call you?

I got no call. Who got a call?

Seor Castillo, my club,

it is booked for months.

Maybe there is one place for you,

I put you in.

Sorry, I make a mistake

with the booking.

- You made a mistake?

- I'm sorry, I got partners.

- I can't do anything about it.

- Come here.

- Hey, Cesar.

- We had a deal!

- Hey, we had a deal!

- The club is booked.

Hey, don't touch my brother!

Hey, don't push him! Don't push him.

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