Ulises Toirac Announces the "Second Round" of "Locos de Barrio" with an Introduction by Amir Valle

Renowned comedian Ulises Toirac has revealed from Havana that his latest book, Locos de Barrio: Segundo Round, will soon be available on Amazon. Toirac, who has been making Cubans laugh—and think—for over 45 years, brings his unique flair to this new release.

As an accomplished actor and screenwriter, Toirac describes this new collection as "more than just a sequel" to the original Locos de Barrio, which was published in December 2024. "I've sharpened my pen to explore both memory and the present," he shared on his Facebook page.

The book retains the same structure as the first: fifty stories sprinkled with what Toirac humorously calls "silly poems," verses that don't aspire to be Neruda but capture the essence of Cuban wit.

Within its pages, readers will find characters that any Cuban might recognize from their neighborhood or even their own reflection: Lía, the author's dog; Rafelito, the neighborhood's "quendi"; the brother's first attempt at cooking a potato omelet; and a mobile thief in a hospital, a scenario that in Cuba borders on a literary genre.

The Satirical Edge

Toirac doesn't stop at domestic nostalgia. The book also takes aim at "a microenterprise manager selling coffin glass," a satire highlighting the resourcefulness of Cuba's small private businesses, which often operate with more cleverness than infrastructure. Moreover, the book pays tribute to chikungunya, the virus that triggered a major epidemic in Cuba in 2025, affecting thousands, spreading across all 15 provinces, and resulting in numerous deaths in conjunction with dengue. A literary nod to a mosquito is a testament to the resilience—and humor—required to endure life in Cuba.

The "Second Round" features a foreword by Amir Valle, a Cuban writer based in Berlin, known for his extensive body of work and the founding of Ilíada Ediciones. Toirac expressed his pride: "The foreword is by Amir Valle, who graciously read the book during its editing and even praised it as literature." Valle, who won the International Novel Prize Mario Vargas Llosa in 2007, endorsing Toirac's work as literature is a commendation not available in any microenterprise, even those selling coffin glass.

The Voice of the People

According to Toirac, the common thread of the book is the everyday language of ordinary Cubans: "Sometimes harsh, but 'leído y escribido'." In the hands of an academic, this phrase might be seen as an error, but for Toirac, it's a declaration of authenticity. The book's cover features a caricature of Toirac himself—glasses, a knowing wink, finger pointing at the book.

As this "Second Round" gears up for release, Toirac, a sharp and consistent critic of the Cuban government and its absurdities, urged his followers to grab the first volume available on Amazon to complete the collection: "So you have the full set and hear the stories from the books themselves," he wrote.

"Coming soon, almost there, don't even move... Or move, and it'll be quicker," promised Toirac, with a nod to the typical Cuban timeline: between now and soon, but with no exact date.