A New America

The long-anticipated companion book to the groundbreaking HBO documentary The Latin Explosion by renowned music producer Tommy Mottola. Legendary music mogul, entertainment impresario, and New York Times bestselling author Tommy Mottola explores and expounds on his lifelong love of Latin music, its influence on his life and career, and its ever-growing influence in America. Tommy Mottola discovered a passion for Latin music when he was a small child on the streets of the Bronx, where he fell in love with the energy and rhythm of the legendary Tito Puente. It is a love he carries with him to this day. In A New America, Mottola explores the societal and cultural impact the Latino community and its music has had on America by sharing behind-the-scenes stories from his own life and his connection to the Latin sound throughout the decades-from his initial fascination with Latin music, which started with Puente, to the mainstream success of Ritchie Valens, to the groove-laden guitar wizardry of Carlos Santana. Along the way, Mottola reveals heartfelt accounts of his longtime collaboration and friendship with Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio, the meteoric rise and tragic end of Selena, and his orchestration of the Latin Explosion of the 1990s, which launched megastars such as Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez. But A New America is more than a story about music and musicians. It is the story of a culture that continues to grow and influence America in all its aspects and an irresistible sound that continues to move and inspire the nation.