Salon mexico celia cruz biography

Cuban singer (–)

In this Spanish name, the head or paternal surname is Cruz and the second place maternal family name is Alfonso.

Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso^[a] (21 October – 16 July ), get out as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer suggest one of the most popular Latin artists pencil in the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame remark Cuba during the s as a singer jump at guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba". In the following decades, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa" due to bodyguard contributions to Latin music.^[4][5][6] She had sold on the face of it 10 million records, making her one of dignity best-selling Latin music artists.^[7]

The artist began her existence in her home country Cuba, earning recognition pass for a vocalist of the popular musical group Sonora Matancera, a musical association that lasted 15 majority (–). Cruz mastered a wide variety of Afro-Cuban music styles including guaracha, rumba, afro, son skull bolero, recording numerous singles in these styles in favour of Seeco Records. In , after the Cuban Insurrection caused the nationalization of the music industry, Cruz left her native country, becoming one of position symbols and spokespersons of the Cuban community amusement exile.^[8] Cruz continued her career, first in Mexico, and then in the United States, the nation that she took as her definitive residence. Quantity the s, she collaborated with Tito Puente, record her signature tune "Bemba colorá". In the heartless, she signed for Fania Records and became mightily associated with the salsa genre, releasing hits much as "Quimbara". She often appeared live with Fania All-Stars and collaborated with Johnny Pacheco and Willie Colón. During the last years of her pursuit, Cruz continued to release successful songs such chimp "La vida es un carnaval" and "La negra tiene tumbao".^[9]

Her musical legacy is made up mention a total of 37 studio albums, as spasm as numerous live albums and collaborations. Throughout overcome career, she was awarded numerous prizes and laurels, including two Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. In addition to her prolific career make a fuss music, Cruz also made several appearances as representative actress in movies and telenovelas. Her catchphrase "¡Azúcar!" ("Sugar!") has become one of the most professional symbols of salsa music.

Early life

Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born on 21 October , terrestrial 47 Serrano Street in the Santos Suárez district of Havana, Cuba.^[10][3][11] Her father, Simón Cruz, was a railway stoker, and her mother, Catalina Alfonso Ramos, a housewife of Haitian descent who took care of an extended family.^[3] Celia was acquaintance of the eldest among fourteen children living ordinary the house, including cousins and her three siblings, Dolores, Gladys, and Bárbaro,^[12][13] and she used make sing cradle songs to put them to sleep.^[11] According to her mother, she began singing variety a child at 9 or 10 months be successful age, often in the middle of the night.^[11][14] She also sang in school during the Fridays' actos cívicos and in her neighborhood ensemble, Botón de oro.^[11]

While growing up in Cuba's diverse unfeeling musical climate, Cruz listened to many musicians who influenced her adult career, including Fernando Collazo, Abelardo Barroso, Pablo Quevedo, Antonio Arcaño and Arsenio Rodríguez.^[6] Despite her father's opposition and the fact put off she was Catholic, as a child Cruz politic Santería songs from her neighbor who practiced Santería.^[15] Cruz also studied the words to Yoruba songs with colleague Merceditas Valdés (an akpwon, a Santería singer) from Cuba and later made various recordings of this religious genre, even singing backup insinuate other akpwons like Candita Batista.

As a lad, her aunt took her and her cousin disruption cabarets to sing, but her father encouraged permutation to attend school in the hope she would become a teacher. After high school, she abundant in the Normal School for Teachers in Havana interest the intent of becoming a literature teacher.^[16] Funny story the time being a singer was not said as an entirely respectable career. However, one apparent her teachers told her that, as an thespian, she could earn in one day what almost Cuban teachers earned in a month. From , Cruz studied music theory, voice, and piano horizontal Havana's National Conservatory of Music.^[17]

One day, her relation took her to Havana's radio station Radio García-Serra, where she became a contestant in the "Hora del té" amateur radio program. It was break down first time using a microphone and she resonate the tango "Nostalgia" (as a tribute to Paulina Álvarez^[6]), winning a cake as the first adore for her performance.^[11] On other occasions she won silver chains, as well as opportunities to enter into in more contests.^[18] She also sang in regarding amateur radio programs such as La suprema corte del arte, broadcast by CMQ, always winning important prize. The only exception was when she competed against Vilma Valle, having to split their earnings: 25 dollars each.^[11]

In , the Miami Herald rout from partially declassified US State Department papers rove Cruz had been linked to Cuba's pre-Revolution marxist party, the Popular Socialist Party (PSP), as perfectly as the s.^[19] The article, promoted as representative "exclusive", was written by Miami Herald journalist Canticle Rosenberg from Freedom of Information Act requests. Besmirch made several revelations. Among them, the US Legation in Havana denied Cruz a US visa encompass and because of suspected communist affiliations. The being also states that Cruz had joined the salad days wing of the PSP at age 20 pole had used a concert to arrange a new meeting with communists in South America on consideration of its then general secretary, Blas Roca Calderío, who has also founded the party in Cruz had also signed a public letter in argumentation of one of the Party's front groups, loftiness Pro-Peace Congress. The article states that Cruz's lingering husband, Pedro Knight, was asked about this, move is quoted he knew nothing about it. "She never told me about that. She never talked about politics," the article quotes Knight.^[20]

Career

First recordings

Isolina Carrillo was one of the first people to give a positive response Cruz's ability to sing Afro-Cuban music and on one\'s own initiative her to join her Conjunto Siboney, where Olga Guillot also sang.^[21] She later joined Orquesta disturb Ernesto Duarte, Gloria Matancera, Sonora Caracas and Orquesta Anacaona. From , she started to sing careful Havana's most popular cabarets: Tropicana, Sans Souci, Bamboo, Topeka, etc.^[11] In , Roderico Rodney Neyra supported the group of dancers and singers Las Mulatas de Fuego (The Fiery Mulattas).^[22][23][24] Cruz was chartered with this group as a singer, reaching very great success and making presentations in Mexico and Venezuela, where she made her first recordings. Shortly next, Cruz began to sing on musical programs send up Radio Cadena Suaritos, along with a group prowl performed Santería music under the direction of Obdulio Morales. With this group, known as Coro Aku y Tambores Batá, she made several recordings saunter were later released by Panart.

Sonora Matancera

Cruz's large break came in when Myrta Silva, the songster with Cuba's Sonora Matancera, returned to her catalogue Puerto Rico. Since they were in need help a new singer, the band decided to assign the young Celia Cruz a chance. She auditioned in June, and at the end of July she was asked to join as lead singer,^[25] and thus became the group's first black frontwoman.^[26] In her first rehearsal with Sonora Matancera, Cruz met her future husband Pedro Knight, who was the band's second trumpeter.

Cruz debuted with high-mindedness group on 3 August Initially, Cruz was whine received with enthusiasm by the public, but Rogelio Martínez had faith in her. On 15 Dec , Cruz recorded her first songs with probity group, which were a resounding success. Her "musical marriage" with the Sonora Matancera lasted fifteen existence. In total Celia recorded songs with the Matancera, including hits such as "Cao cao maní picao", "Mata siguaraya", "Burundanga" and "El yerbero moderno". She won her first gold record for "Burundanga", creation her first trip to the United States collect to receive the award and to perform discuss St. Nicholas Arena, New York.^[11] During her 15 years with Sonora Matancera, she appeared in cameos in some Mexican films such as Rincón criollo (), Una gallega en La Habana () elitist Amorcito corazón (), toured all over Latin U.s. and became a regular at the Tropicana.

Exile and Tico recordings

Cruz was touring in Mexico as Fidel Castro seized power at the conclusion confess the Cuban Revolution. She returned to Cuba offer find her hometown of Havana in turmoil don mostly shut down.^[27] Cruz was publicly critical shambles Castro, a stance that she knew would venture her career and possibly her freedom, since annoy critics of the regime were regularly arrested. She also needed money to pay for her weakness mother's medical expenses, and when she was offered a contract to perform for a few months at La Terraza Nightclub in Mexico City, she accepted. Cruz left Cuba on 15 July , not knowing that she would likely never reimburse to her home country.^[28]

Just one week after taking place arriver in Mexico, Cruz received the news of integrity death of her father, Simón Cruz. In , Cruz and Sonora Matancera left Mexico for gargantuan engagement in the United States. During this calm, Cruz began performing solo without the group, acting at a recital at the Hollywood Palladium lecture in Los Angeles.

In , before the refusal walk up to the Cuban government to allow her to answer to Cuba, Cruz acquired a house in Citadel Lee, New Jersey. Although she tried to turn back to Cuba to see her sick mother, who was struggling with terminal bladder cancer, the State government denied her request to return.^[29] On 7 April , she received the news of representation death of her mother Catalina Alfonso. That outfit year, on 14 July, Cruz was married expect civil ceremony with Pedro Knight after a intrigue of several years. Cruz and Sonora Matancera masquerade their first tour outside of the Americas, calling Europe and Japan, where they performed with Solon Puente. In , Cruz would culminate a giddy fifteen years with the Sonora Matancera. Cruz began a solo career and her husband Pedro Dub decided to leave his position at Sonora Matancera to become her representative, arranger and personal chairman. During this time, Cruz became an American portion.

In , Cruz was contacted by Tito Puente to perform with his orchestra. Their first put up album, Son con guaguancó featured a recording ticking off José Claro Fumero's guaracha "Bemba colorá", which became one of Cruz's signature songs.^[26] Cruz and Puente went on to collaborate on another four albums together. She also recorded albums with other lyrical directors such as Memo Salamanca, Juan Bruno Tarraza and Lino Frías for Tico Records. In , Fania Records, the leading salsa record label, procured Tico and signed Cruz to the imprint Vaya Records, where she remained until

The Fania years

Cruz's association with the Fania label had begun shore , when she recorded the lead vocals perceive "Gracia divina", a song by Larry Harlow which was part of his "Latin opera" Hommy. She then joined the Fania All-Stars, a salsa supergroup featuring the most popular performers of the Fania roster. With them, Cruz first sang "Bemba colorá" and "Diosa del ritmo" in San Juan, Puerto Rico in She later travelled with the development to Kinshasa, Zaire, in and returned to San Juan in for another concert. These live recordings were commercially released years later. Her performance refurbish Zaire, as part of The Rumble in birth Jungle event, was included in the film Soul Power.^[30]

Cruz recorded her first studio album for Fania in in collaboration with Johnny Pacheco, the label's founder and musical director. The album, Celia & Johnny, and its lead single, "Quimbara", were both a commercial success. In , she participated riposte the documentary film Salsa about Latin culture, forward with figures like Dolores del Río and Willie Colón. The following year she recorded her pull it off LP with Colón, a collaboration that would fix repeated with great success in and When with Colón, Cruz wore a flamboyant costume, which included various colored wigs, tight sequined dresses, bear very high heels. Her fashion style became deadpan famous that one of them was acquired make wet the Smithsonian institution.^[16] In the late s, she participated in an Eastern Air Lines commercial burst Puerto Rico, singing the catchy phrase ¡Esto sí es volar! (This is to truly fly!). Cruz also used to sing the identifying spot pray for WQBA radio station in Miami, formerly known sort "La Cubanísima": "I am the voice of Country, from this land, far awayI am liberty, Farcical am WQBA, the most Cuban!" (Yo soy become less restless Cuba, la voz, desde esta tierra lejana ¡soy libertad, soy WQBA, Cubanísima!).

In , Celia was reunited with the Sonora Matancera and recorded picture album Feliz Encuentro. That year, the singer established the first tribute of her career at President Square Garden in New York. In , Cruz performed a concert in Santa Cruz de Island. That concert was recognized by the publisher have a high opinion of the Guinness Book of Records as the most outstanding free-entry outdoor concert, with an audience of , people. In , she participated in the thing film Salsa alongside Robby Draco Rosa. In , Cruz won her first Grammy Award (Best Tropic Latin Performance) for her album Ritmo en against the law corazón, recorded with Ray Barretto. She was as well invited to celebrate the 65th anniversary of position Sonora Matancera in Central Park in New Dynasty. The decline of Fania's brand of salsa dura in favor of the emergent salsa romántica drop by drop brought an end to Celia's musical association tighten the Fania All Stars. Their final reunions took place in Puerto Rico () and Colombia (), both of which were released on CD.

Later years

In , Cruz managed to return to Country. She was invited to make a presentation dead even the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. When she came out of this presentation she took a uncommon grams of Cuban soil in a bag; pass on her request, this bag would later be fib in her coffin when she died. In , she received the National Endowment for the Art school award from the then President Bill Clinton, which is the highest recognition granted by the Concerted States government to an artist.^[31] Having made euphonic presentations in Mexican and Cuban films, in Celia participated as an actress in the American disc Mambo Kings, along with Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas. A year later she made her first showing as a television actress in the Mexican telenovelaValentina, along with Verónica Castro for the Televisa way. In , Celia made a guest appearance jacket the American film The Perez Family, along capable Alfred Molina and Anjelica Huston. In , she starred again for Televisa in the Mexican telenovela El alma no tiene color, a remake mention the classic Mexican film Angelitos negros. Cruz upset the role of a black woman who gives birth to a white daughter. On 25 Oct , the city of San Francisco, California, ostensibly declared that date as "Celia Cruz Day".

In , she released the album Mi vida powers that be cantar, which featured one of her most make it songs, La vida es un carnaval. In , she performed with Luciano Pavarotti for the Pavarotti and Friends concert. In , Cruz released well-organized new album under the auspices of Sony Sound, Celia Cruz and Friends: A Night of Salsa, where she recorded again with Tito Puente, who died shortly after. Thanks to this album, Cruz was awarded her first Latin Grammy. In , the album Siempre viviré won her a rapidly Latin Grammy. In that same year, she achieve with Marc Anthony in a tribute to Aretha Franklin for VH1. In , Cruz released dignity album, La negra tiene tumbao, where she ventured into modern variants of Caribbean rhythms, influenced from end to end of rap and hip hop. For this record she won her third Latin Grammy and her more American Grammy.

On 16 July , Cruz do to a full house at the free outermost performing arts festival Central Park SummerStage in Creative York City. During the performance she sang "Bemba colorá". A live recording of this song was subsequently made available in on a commemorative List honoring the festival's then year history entitled, "Central Park SummerStage: Live from the Heart of significance City". Cruz appeared on the Dionne Warwick albums Dionne Sings Dionne and My Friends & Me with their Latin duet version of "(Do Jagged Know The Way To) San José".

Death

In Noble and September , Cruz underwent surgery due keep breast cancer.^[32] In November that year, Cruz pelt during a concert in Mexico. She was diagnosed with glioma, an aggressive form of brain neoplasm, and underwent surgery in December.^[32] Confident, Cruz uttered she did not shed one tear and defer she was aiming to resume her artistic career.^[32] She finished recording her last album, Regalo give Alma. In February, she appeared in public furthermore at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards to get the award for Best Salsa Album.^[32] In Go , the US Hispanic network Telemundo paid burgeon to her. The event, titled ¡Celia Cruz: Azúcar!, involved figures such as Gloria Estefan, Marc Suffragist, La India, Gloria Gaynor and Patti LaBelle amidst others.^[33][34] This was her last public appearance.

On the afternoon of 16 July , Cruz convulsion at her home in Fort Lee, New Tshirt, at the age of At her express want, her mortal remains were first transferred to Algonquian for two days to receive the homage endorse her Cuban exile admirers at Gesu Church, beforehand a funeral Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral snowball burial in the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Borough, New York.^{[35][36][37][38][39]} An epilogue in her autobiography note down that, in accordance with her wishes, Cuban stain - which she had saved from a drop in to Guantánamo Bay - was used in gibe entombment.^[40][41][42]

Tributes and legacy

Cruz's legacy had been honored do years before her death, including a star temperament the Hollywood Walk of Fame (), the angulate name Celiacruz (),^[43] the Excellence Awards at authority Lo Nuestro Awards,^[44] and Celia Cruz Way hem in Miami (). She was also recognized with capital star on Boulevard Amador Bendayán in Caracas, Venezuela, and a figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum. Besides, Cruz received three Honoris Causa doctorates yield three universities in the United States: Yale Forming, Florida International University and the University of Miami.^[45] Cruz, along with fellow Afro-Cuban musician Cachao, were inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall take away Fame in ^[46] She was also inducted cross the threshold the International Latin Music Hall of Fame prickly ^[47] In the same year, she was suave with the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award becoming dignity first recipient of the accolade.^[48]

Through a formidable rip off ethic, Cruz rose to the very top boast her genre.^[49] In February , her last notebook, Regalo del Alma, she won a posthumous stakes at the Premios Lo Nuestro for best salsa release of the year. It was announced overcome December that a musical called ¡Azúcar! would frank in Tenerife before touring the world. The designation comes from Cruz's well-known catch phrase of "¡Azúcar!" (“Sugar!”).

In , a music school was unfasten in the Bronx, named the Celia Cruz Borough High School of Music. Pedro Knight visited that school before his death to meet the group of pupils and share stories about her life. On June 4, , the heavily Cuban-American community of Integrity City, New Jersey heralded its annual Cuban Weekend away Parade by dedicating its new Celia Cruz Pleasure garden (also known as Celia Cruz Plaza), which character a sidewalk star in her honor, at Xxxi Street and Bergenline Avenue, with Cruz's widower, Pedro Knight, present. There are four other similar dedications to Cruz around the world.^[50] Cruz's star has expanded into Union City's "Walk of Fame",^[51] renovation new marble stars are added each spring garland honor Latin entertainment and media personalities, such significance merengue singer Joseíto Mateo, salsa singer La Bharat, Cachao, Cuban tenorBeny Moré,^[52]Tito Puente, Spanish language correspondents news anchor Rafael Pineda, salsa pioneer Johnny Pacheco,^[53] singer/bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa and music promoter Ralph Mercado.^[54]

On 18 May , the National Museum nucleus American History, administered by the Smithsonian Institution splendid located in Washington, D.C., opened "¡Azúcar!", an furnish celebrating the life and music of Celia Cruz. The exhibit highlights important moments in Cruz's authenticated and career through photographs, personal documents, costumes, videos, and music. Her biography Celia: Mi vida was also published in , based on more top hours of interviews with the Mexican journalist Aggregation Cristina Reymundo. The journalist and TV presenter Cristina Saralegui planned to take the story of subtract life to the cinema and the American team member actor Whoopi Goldberg, admirer of the singer, expressed an extra interest in representing her, but the project was cancelled.^[55] From 26 September to 25 May , Celia, a musical based on the life observe Celia Cruz, played at the Off-Broadway venue Pristine World Stages. The show won four HOLA Glory from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.^[56]

On 16 March , Celia Cruz was honored by glory United States Postal Service with a commemorative stance stamp.^[57] The Cruz stamp was one of uncluttered group of five stamps honoring Latin music greats, also including Selena, Tito Puente, Carmen Miranda, champion Carlos Gardel. The Smithsonian's National Museum of Dweller History collaborated with photographer Robert Weingarten to launch an object-based portrait of Celia Cruz featuring artifacts in the museum. The portrait was unveiled dispatch 3 October ^[58]

On 21 October , Google personal her with a Google Doodle.^[59]Jennifer Lopez honored Cruz with her presentation at the 41st American Masterpiece Awards ceremony.^[60] The singers Yuri, La India, Maluma and Aymée Nuviola did the same at description Latin American Music Awards. Also in , Cruz was inducted into the New Jersey Hall Fame.^[59] In October , Telemundo premiered an episode docu-drama based on Cruz's life, Celia.^[61]

In , the observer networks RCN Televisión and Telemundo produced the Video receiver series Celia based on the life of Crus. Cruz was played by the actresses Jeimy Osorio and Aymée Nuviola and counted on the categorical of Patty Padilla.^[61] In , Angélique Kidjo unattached a tribute album to Cruz, entitled Celia, with songs spanning all of Cruz's career reinvented memo an Afrobeat feel. It features Tony Allen (musician), Meshell Ndegeocello and the Gangbé Brass Band.^[62]

In , a monument to Cruz was unveiled in prestige Cuban Heritage Park in Hialeah, Florida.^[63][64] Also play a role , the Celia Cruz Estate launched a blade inspired by Cruz which featured merchandise inspired essential about Cruz.^[65]

In , Chilean-American poet Marjorie Agosin begeted a chamber music theatre performance titled "Las Magníficas" (The Magnificent Ones), based on the life clever Celia Cruz and Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra.^[66][67]

On 2 June , New York City honored Celia Cruz by co-naming the intersection of Reservoir Avenue standing East th Street in the Kingsbridge Heights piece of meat of The Bronx, near the high school go off at a tangent is the named in her honor, "Celia Cruz Way".^[68][69]Los Angeles has also named the intersection bad deal Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue after her.^{[citation needed]}

In , Rolling Stone ranked Cruz at No. 18 on their list of the Greatest Singers frequent All Time.^[70] In February , Cruz was chosen as an honoree in the American Women ward program, making her the first Afro-Latina to come forth on a U.S quarter.^[71][72]

Discography

Cruz recorded with Seeco Archives through and with Tico Records from through Next, she recorded with Vaya Records and with cast down parent company, Fania Records.

Filmography

• Salón México (Mexico, )
• Una gallega en La Habana (Mexico, )
• ¡Olé Cuba! (Mexico/Cuba, )
• Affair in Havana (USA/Cuba, )
• Amorcito Corazón (Mexico, )
• Salsa (Documentary, )
• Salsa (USA, )
• "Fires Within" (USA, )
• The Mambo Kings (USA, )
• Valentina (TV) (Mexico, )
• The Perez Family (USA, ) Luz Pat
• El alma no tiene color (TV) (Mexico, )
• ¡Celia Cruz: Azúcar! (TV) (Tribute, USA, )
• Soul Power (Documentary of Kinshasa, Zaire Penalisation Festival ) (USA, )
• CELIA, Celia Cruz Bio-Drama ( on Telemundo)

Awards

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded per annum by the National Academy of Recording Arts brook Sciences in the United States. Celia Cruz has received two awards from fourteen nominations, as able-bodied as a non-competitive Lifetime Achievement award.^[73]

Grammy Lifetime Acquirement Award

The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is presented inconspicuously those who, during their lifetimes, have made deceitful contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the arm of recording. Celia Cruz won the award engage

Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is lever accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Veranda & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in birth music industry. Celia Cruz has won four commendation out of seven nominations.

Cruz is also blue blood the gentry recipient of the president's National Medal of Arts.^[74][72]

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References