She Was Known As The Queen Of Salsa, And She Was One Of The Most Famous Latin Singers Of The 20th Century Who Also Won Several Grammy Awards
If you love Latin music, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard of the legendary Celia Cruz. If you haven’t, now is a great time to learn about this powerful woman in music!
Otherwise known as the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz was one of the most famous Latin singers of the 20th century, and her influence is still present today.
Celia was born in October 1925 in Havana, Cuba. She lived in a house with her large family and was the oldest of the 14 children there.
She started singing at a very young age and would often sing lullabies for the younger children in her house.
Celia loved performing as a kid and sang with her neighborhood ensemble and performed in school productions.
Her father wanted her to attend school and eventually become a teacher. So after she graduated from high school, she went to the Normal School for Teachers.
But over time, Celia realized that singing and performing was her dream, so she left to study music theory, voice, and piano at Havana’s National Conservatory of Music.
At the start of her professional career, Celia competed in radio singing competitions and won many. Her talent being broadcasted on the radio got her recognized by other musicians and producers in the area.
She was eventually asked to join and sing for various music groups. By 22, she performed in some of Havana’s most popular music clubs and cabarets.
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Celia’s big break came in 1950 when she joined the band Sonora Matancera. She stayed with the group for 15 years and recorded hundreds of songs with them. She also met her husband through the band, one of the trumpeters, Pedro Knight.
In 1960, after the Cuban revolution had broken out, Celia and her band were banned from returning to Cuba after accepting a contract in Mexico.
In the early 1960s, she became an American citizen and moved to New Jersey. With the help of her husband, Pedro, Celia decided to embark on a solo career, and she took off when she began making salsa music. When she was 49, she signed to Fania Records, a label dedicated to salsa music. She was the only female artist under the label at that time.
She continued to record and perform salsa music in venues across cities like New York and became loved for her wonderful energy, fabulous outfits, and beautiful voice. Even in her later years, Celia was a star.
Celia won her first Grammy award for Best Tropical Latin Album for her album Ritmo En El Corazón in 1989 at 64. She went on to win one more American Grammy and three Latin Grammys.
In addition to singing, Celia also starred in a series of films, television shows, and Mexican telenovelas. In 1994, she received the National Endowment for the Arts award from President Bill Clinton.
Celia continued capturing the hearts of audiences and salsa music lovers until the end of her life. She began her battle with cancer in 2002 but still recorded one more album, Regalo del Alma, which was released in February 2003. She died that same year in July at the age of 77.
Celia recorded over 80 albums and won over 100 awards throughout her career. Celia’s impact on the music industry was extremely strong, and it’s proven by the way her fans and artists continue to honor her today.
Documentaries and exhibits about her life have been shown in major cities, a school has been named after her, and she was even featured on a postage stamp. If you’re a Celia Cruz fan already, what’s your favorite song of hers?
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