Celia Cruz (1925-2003) was a Cuban singer who became one of the most popular artists of the 20th century. She was known as the “Queen of Salsa.”
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Womannica.
Today’s musician was a Cuban singer who became one of the most popular artists of the 20th century. She was known as the “Queen of Salsa.” Let’s talk about Celia Cruz.
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born in 1925 in Havana, Cuba. According to Celia’s mother, Catalina, Celia began singing at 10 months old in the middle of the night. She had thirteen younger siblings, and she often sang them to sleep. Growing up, Celia performed in school productions and a local ensemble. She also sang for tourists visiting Havana. On multiple occasions, Celia won talent competitions and took home gold chains and cake.
While Celia’s aunt was optimistic about Celia’s prospects in the entertainment industry, Celia’s father was more skeptical. He believed Celia should pursue her education and become a teacher. But Celia continued to sing, and she went on to study at Havana’s National Conservatory of Music.
In 1947, Celia sang in popular cabarets throughout Havana, like Tropicana, Bamboo, and Topeka. The following year, she joined a troupe of dancers and singers called Las Mulatas de Fuego and made her first recordings. Soon thereafter, Celia recorded with Coro Yoruba Y Tambores Batá, a group that performed Santería music in the West African language Yoruba. By this time, Celia was embraced throughout the island.
Celia had a raspy, rich voice that could capture a range of emotions. She wore lavish wigs and often cried, “Azucar!”, which means “sugar” in English and became her trademark expression. Celia later said, “When people hear me sing, I want them to be happy, happy, happy. I don't want them thinking about when there's not any money, or when there's fighting at home. My message is always felicidad -- happiness.''
Celia's breakout came in 1950 when she was invited to join Cuba’s most popular orchestra, La Sonora Matancera and became the group’s first Black front woman. During rehearsal, Celia met musician Pedro Knight, whom she married in 1962.
Initially, Celia’s performance in La Sonora Matancera was met with mixed reviews. But eventually the public fell in love. Her time with the band lasted fifteen years. They released 188 recordings and toured throughout Latin America together.
In 1960, Celia and Lo Sonora Matancera moved to Mexico following the Cuban revolution. The Castro regime barred her from returning, not even allowing her to attend her parent’s funerals. In 1962, Celia moved to New York and she and Pedro toured throughout Japan and Europe, performing with Tito Puente. In New York, Celia held onto her Cuban roots, but incorporated Puerto Rican and Dominican elements into her musical repertoire.
In 1965, Celia began a solo career. Pedro joined in on her journey and became her manager. In 1966 she released her first solo album, Son Con Guaguancó, which NPR hails as a significant recording that combined Afro-Cuban rhythms with guaguancó, rumba, mambo, cha-cha, guaracha, and bolero. Celia, who had gotten her start working with Yoruba music, understood that Caribbean music is rooted in West African rhythms, and she was able to bring this fusion to the United States.
In 1966, Celia performed with musician Tito Puente’s orchestra. Tito and Celia worked together on five albums for Tico Records, which introduced salsa and Latin jazz music to a mainstream American audience.
In 1973, Celia moved from traditional Cuban music to salsa, what was then a new hybrid. It was a move prompted by her collaboration with Larry Harlow, who directed an Afro-Cuban version of Tommy the rock opera, retitled Hommy.
In the 1970s, Celia sang with top salsa bandleaders, such as Johnny Pancheco and WIllie Colón. She also performed with the Fania All-Stars, a popular salsa group, and famously sang “Bemba Colorá” and "Diosa del ritmo." Celia was the only woman in the group.
In 1974, Celia collaborated with Johnny Pacheco on the studio album, “Celia & Johnny”. The song “Quimbara” became a commercial hit. In 1976, Celia was in a documentary about Latin culture alongside Dolores del Río and Willie Colón. Celia recorded three albums with Willie, and on their tours, she became a fashion icon. She wore extravagant costumes and wigs with vibrant colors. Her fashion was so memorable that one of her costumes has since been acquired by the Smithsonian.
In 1982, Celia recorded the album “Feliz Encuentro” with the help of La Sonora Matancera. That year, she sold out Madison Square Garden. In 1987 she performed a concert in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which broke the world record for the largest free outdoor concert with an audience of 250,000.
In 1989, Celia won her first Grammy award. She went on to win 6 more, including a posthumous lifetime achievement award. In 1989, Yale University also awarded her with an honorary doctorate.
In 1990, Celia was finally allowed to return to Cuba when she was invited to perform at Guantanamo Bay’s naval base. In 1994, Bill Clinton bestowed upon her the National Medal of the Arts.
Even as her health deteriorated, Celia remained animated in her later years. In 2002, at the age of 77, Celia released the album, La negra tiene tumbao (In English, “The Black Woman’s Got Style). Music critic Sharon Witmer called the album, “CD’s biggest draw,” and applauded its “mesmerizing” rhythms.
In 2003, after suffering from an aggressive brain tumor, Celia recorded her 70th and last album, Regalo del Alma, or A Gift from the Soul. The album featured the exuberance of Cruz's voice and was met with universal acclaim. Telemundo paid tribute to her with a special called Celia Cruz: Azúcar!, which included performances by Patti LaBelle, Marc Antony, and Gloria Gaynor.
That year, Celia died in her home in Fort Lee, New Jersey. She was 77 years old. Over 200,000 fans gathered at Miami’s freedom tower to pay their respects
Celia is remembered for her ability to overcome gender and racial barriers in the male-dominated world of salsa. She once said, ''Women are afraid to sing salsa, 'I don't know why. Maybe they think it's for men. But I think everybody can sing everything.''
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