But, the authors maintain, the book is not a vehicle for peddling the latest nanosecond trend but is instead a critique of the culture-making business.

"Even though it's a profit-making enterprise, it's sort of a culture-making institution in the Spanish community," said Jesse Moskowitz, the store's owner.

By concentrating on himself and his stardom, on the roots of his appeal and on the dynamics of the relationship between popular art and the audience, he is exploring the entire culture-making industry.