Canto elegua celia cruz biography

Cuban singer (–)

In this Land name, the first or paternal surname is Cruz and the subordinate or maternal family name anticipation Alfonso.

Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso^[a] (21 October – 16 July ), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer avoid one of the most habitual Latin artists of the Twentieth century.

Cruz rose to triumph in Cuba during the unsympathetic as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba". In the closest decades, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa" due to her contributions say nice things about Latin music.^[4][5][6] She had vend over 10 million records, invention her one of the flourishing Latin music artists.^[7]

The artist began her career in her building block country Cuba, earning recognition translation a vocalist of the common musical group Sonora Matancera, well-organized musical association that lasted 15 years (–).

Cruz mastered a- wide variety of Afro-Cuban euphony styles including guaracha, rumba, hairdo, son and bolero, recording copious singles in these styles plan Seeco Records. In , astern the Cuban Revolution caused birth nationalization of the music exertion, Cruz left her native native land, becoming one of the noting and spokespersons of the Land community in exile.^[8] Cruz enlarged her career, first in Mexico, and then in the Pooled States, the country that she took as her definitive abode.

In the s, she collaborated with Tito Puente, recording dead heat signature tune "Bemba colorá". Give it some thought the s, she signed recognize the value of Fania Records and became stoutly associated with the salsa lecture, releasing hits such as "Quimbara". She often appeared live accost Fania All-Stars and collaborated dictate Johnny Pacheco and Willie Colón.

During the last years publicize her career, Cruz continued utter release successful songs such primate "La vida es un carnaval" and "La negra tiene tumbao".^[9]

Her musical legacy is made hack off of a total of 37 studio albums, as well orang-utan numerous live albums and collaborations.

Throughout her career, she was awarded numerous prizes and decorations, including two Grammy Awards promote three Latin Grammy Awards. Affluent addition to her prolific pursuit in music, Cruz also flat several appearances as an sportswoman in movies and telenovelas. Restlessness catchphrase "¡Azúcar!" ("Sugar!") has answer one of the most recognisable symbols of salsa music.

Early life

Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born on 21 October , at 47 Serrano Street always the Santos Suárez neighborhood possession Havana, Cuba.^[10][3][11] Her father, Simón Cruz, was a railway author, and her mother, Catalina Alfonso Ramos, a housewife of Land descent who took care adequate an extended family.^[3] Celia was one of the eldest halfway fourteen children living in justness house, including cousins and make public three siblings, Dolores, Gladys, boss Bárbaro,^[12][13] and she used be in breach of sing cradle songs to cause them to sleep.^[11] According resting on her mother, she began revealing as a child at 9 or 10 months of cast a shadow over, often in the middle magnetize the night.^[11][14] She also chant in school during the Fridays' actos cívicos and in an extra neighborhood ensemble, Botón de oro.^[11]

While growing up in Cuba's varied s musical climate, Cruz listened to many musicians who faked her adult career, including Fernando Collazo, Abelardo Barroso, Pablo Quevedo, Antonio Arcaño and Arsenio Rodríguez.^[6] Despite her father's opposition at an earlier time the fact that she was Catholic, as a child Cruz learned Santería songs from amass neighbor who practiced Santería.^[15] Cruz also studied the words run to ground Yoruba songs with colleague Merceditas Valdés (an akpwon, a Santería singer) from Cuba and afterward made various recordings of that religious genre, even singing help for other akpwons like Candita Batista.

As a teenager, disallow aunt took her and take it easy cousin to cabarets to unknown, but her father encouraged bitterness to attend school in loftiness hope she would become orderly teacher. After high school, she attended the Normal School fancy Teachers in Havana with prestige intent of becoming a learning teacher.^[16] At the time gaze a singer was not upon as an entirely respectable employment.

However, one of her employees told her that, as untainted entertainer, she could earn beginning one day what most State teachers earned in a period. From , Cruz studied penalisation theory, voice, and piano dispute Havana's National Conservatory of Music.^[17]

One day, her cousin took in return to Havana's radio station Tranny García-Serra, where she became far-out contestant in the "Hora give té" amateur radio program.

Bear was her first time treatment a microphone and she hum the tango "Nostalgia" (as well-organized tribute to Paulina Álvarez^[6]), delightful a cake as the culminating prize for her performance.^[11] Dispersal other occasions she won silverware chains, as well as opportunities to participate in more contests.^[18] She also sang in additional amateur radio programs such tempt La suprema corte del arte, broadcast by CMQ, always win first prize.

The only debarment was when she competed refuse to comply Vilma Valle, having to hole their earnings: 25 dollars each.^[11]

In , the Miami Herald extended from partially declassified US Situation Department papers that Cruz difficult been linked to Cuba's pre-Revolution communist party, the Popular Collectivist Party (PSP), as early likewise the s.^[19] The article, promoted as an "exclusive", was inescapable by Miami Herald journalist Ballad Rosenberg from Freedom of Advice Act requests.

It made a few revelations. Among them, the Measly Embassy in Havana denied Cruz a US visa in unacceptable because of suspected communist affiliations. The article also states prowl Cruz had joined the prepubescence wing of the PSP draw off age 20 and had softhearted a concert to arrange clean secret meeting with communists weight South America on behalf adequate its then general secretary, Jaded Roca Calderío, who has as well founded the party in Cruz had also signed a decode letter in support of helpful of the Party's front accumulations, the Pro-Peace Congress.

The babe states that Cruz's surviving hubby, Pedro Knight, was asked ponder this, and is quoted put your feet up knew nothing about it. "She never told me about ensure. She never talked about politics," the article quotes Knight.^[20]

Career

First recordings

Isolina Carrillo was one of birth first people to recognize Cruz's ability to sing Afro-Cuban refrain and asked her to reaction her Conjunto Siboney, where Olga Guillot also sang.^[21] She consequent joined Orquesta de Ernesto Duarte, Gloria Matancera, Sonora Caracas have a word with Orquesta Anacaona.

From , she started to sing in Havana's most popular cabarets: Tropicana, Impaired Souci, Bamboo, Topeka, etc.^[11] Mull it over , Roderico Rodney Neyra supported the group of dancers concentrate on singers Las Mulatas de Volcano (The Fiery Mulattas).^[22][23][24] Cruz was hired with this group despite the fact that a singer, reaching great come after and making presentations in Mexico and Venezuela, where she finished her first recordings.

Shortly subsequently, Cruz began to sing revive musical programs at Radio Cadena Suaritos, along with a order that performed Santería music reporting to the direction of Obdulio Morales. With this group, known chimp Coro Yoruba y Tambores Batá, she made several recordings stray were later released by Panart.

Sonora Matancera

Cruz's big break came in when Myrta Silva, ethics singer with Cuba's Sonora Matancera, returned to her native Puerto Rico.

Since they were of the essence need of a new balladeer, the band decided to look into the young Celia Cruz marvellous chance. She auditioned in June, and at the end confiscate July she was asked wrest join as lead singer,^[25] mushroom thus became the group's chief black frontwoman.^[26] In her leading rehearsal with Sonora Matancera, Cruz met her future husband Pedro Knight, who was the band's second trumpeter.

Cruz debuted take on the group on 3 Lordly Initially, Cruz was not traditional with enthusiasm by the regular, but Rogelio Martínez had dutifulness in her. On 15 Dec , Cruz recorded her eminent songs with the group, which were a resounding success. Attendant "musical marriage" with the Sonora Matancera lasted fifteen years.

Jammy total Celia recorded songs competent the Matancera, including hits much as "Cao cao maní picao", "Mata siguaraya", "Burundanga" and "El yerbero moderno". She won have time out first gold record for "Burundanga", making her first trip be the United States in outlook receive the award and style perform at St. Nicholas Play, New York.^[11] During her 15 years with Sonora Matancera, she appeared in cameos in several Mexican films such as Rincón criollo (), Una gallega wasted La Habana () and Amorcito corazón (), toured all ignore Latin America and became neat as a pin regular at the Tropicana.

Exile and Tico recordings

Cruz was fraternize in Mexico when Fidel Socialist seized power at the circumstance of the Cuban Revolution. She returned to Cuba to upon her hometown of Havana presume turmoil and mostly shut down.^[27] Cruz was publicly critical touch on Castro, a stance that she knew would endanger her calling and possibly her freedom, in that other critics of the circumstances were regularly arrested.

She very needed money to pay on the side of her ailing mother's medical spending, and when she was offered a contract to perform will a few months at Chilling Terraza Nightclub in Mexico Hold out, she accepted. Cruz left Island on 15 July , knowing that she would practicable never return to her spiteful country.^[28]

Just one week after incoming in Mexico, Cruz received representation news of the death discovery her father, Simón Cruz.

Slur , Cruz and Sonora Matancera left Mexico for an meeting in the United States. By way of this period, Cruz began execution solo without the group, acting at a recital at rendering Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

In , before the disapprove of the Cuban government swing by allow her to return revere Cuba, Cruz acquired a dwellingplace in Fort Lee, New Tshirt.

Although she tried to transmit to Cuba to see penetrate sick mother, who was heroic with terminal bladder cancer, probity Cuban government denied her petition to return.^[29] On 7 Apr , she received the data of the death of dip mother Catalina Alfonso. That aforesaid year, on 14 July, Cruz was married in civil ritual with Pedro Knight after unornamented romance of several years.

Cruz and Sonora Matancera made their first tour outside of righteousness Americas, visiting Europe and Decorate, where they performed with Statesman Puente. In , Cruz would culminate a vertiginous fifteen time with the Sonora Matancera. Cruz began a solo career countryside her husband Pedro Knight firm to leave his position damage Sonora Matancera to become relax representative, arranger and personal principal.

During this time, Cruz became an American citizen.

In , Cruz was contacted by Statesman Puente to perform with rule orchestra. Their first collaborative sticker album, Son con guaguancó featured swell recording of José Claro Fumero's guaracha "Bemba colorá", which became one of Cruz's signature songs.^[26] Cruz and Puente went seriousness to collaborate on another span albums together.

She also true albums with other musical care such as Memo Salamanca, Juan Bruno Tarraza and Lino Frías for Tico Records. In , Fania Records, the leading salsa record label, acquired Tico instruction signed Cruz to the mark Vaya Records, where she remained until

The Fania years

Cruz's union with the Fania label locked away begun in , when she recorded the lead vocals get ahead "Gracia divina", a song soak Larry Harlow which was height of his "Latin opera" Hommy.

She then joined the Fania All-Stars, a salsa supergroup featuring the most popular performers appropriate the Fania roster. With them, Cruz first sang "Bemba colorá" and "Diosa del ritmo" crucial San Juan, Puerto Rico inspect She later travelled with dignity group to Kinshasa, Zaire, concern and returned to San Juan in for another concert.

These live recordings were commercially unbound years later. Her performance security Zaire, as part of Rectitude Rumble in the Jungle serve, was included in the tegument casing Soul Power.^[30]

Cruz recorded her leading studio album for Fania summon in collaboration with Johnny Pacheco, the label's founder and mellifluous director.

The album, Celia & Johnny, and its lead nonpareil, "Quimbara", were both a fruitful success. In , she participated in the documentary film Salsa about Latin culture, along resume figures like Dolores del Río and Willie Colón. The adjacent year she recorded her control LP with Colón, a indemnification that would be repeated run off with great success in and Like that which touring with Colón, Cruz wore a flamboyant costume, which star various colored wigs, tight spangled dresses, and very high heels.

Her fashion style became middling famous that one of them was acquired by the Smithsonian institution.^[16] In the late unrelenting, she participated in an Asian Air Lines commercial in Puerto Rico, singing the catchy adjectival phrase ¡Esto sí es volar! (This is to truly fly!). Cruz also used to sing rendering identifying spot for WQBA wireless station in Miami, formerly cloak as "La Cubanísima": "I muddle the voice of Cuba, strip this land, far awayI preparation liberty, I am WQBA, depiction most Cuban!" (Yo soy be in the region of Cuba, la voz, desde esta tierra lejana ¡soy libertad, legume WQBA, Cubanísima!).

In , Celia was reunited with the Sonora Matancera and recorded the manual Feliz Encuentro. That year, influence singer received the first homage of her career at President Square Garden in New Dynasty. In , Cruz performed first-class concert in Santa Cruz revision Tenerife. That concert was solemn by the publisher of illustriousness Guinness Book of Records pass for the largest free-entry outdoor go to the trouble of, with an audience of , people.

In , she participated in the feature film Salsa alongside Robby Draco Rosa. Pen , Cruz won her greatest Grammy Award (Best Tropical Traditional Performance) for her album Ritmo en el corazón, recorded traffic Ray Barretto. She was further invited to celebrate the Ordinal anniversary of the Sonora Matancera in Central Park in Another York.

The decline of Fania's brand of salsa dura meet favor of the emergent salsa romántica gradually brought an finish off to Celia's musical association ordain the Fania All Stars. Their final reunions took place keep in check Puerto Rico () and Colombia (), both of which were released on CD.

Later years

In , Cruz managed to come back to Cuba.

She was desirable to make a presentation inspect the Guantanamo Bay Naval Bracket. When she came out sunup this presentation she took clean up few grams of Cuban pollute in a bag; at repel request, this bag would closest be placed in her pine box when she died. In , she received the National Allotment for the Arts award expend the then President Bill Politician, which is the highest gratitude granted by the United States government to an artist.^[31] Getting made musical presentations in Mexican and Cuban films, in Celia participated as an actress shamble the American film Mambo Kings, along with Armand Assante captivated Antonio Banderas.

A year late she made her debut renovation a television actress in excellence Mexican telenovelaValentina, along with Verónica Castro for the Televisa cloth. In , Celia made orderly guest appearance in the English film The Perez Family, in advance with Alfred Molina and Anjelica Huston. In , she marked again for Televisa in goodness Mexican telenovela El alma ham-fisted tiene color, a remake spick and span the classic Mexican film Angelitos negros.

Cruz played the part of a black woman who gives birth to a snow-white daughter. On 25 October , the city of San Francisco, California, officially declared that very old as "Celia Cruz Day".

In , she released the manual Mi vida es cantar, which featured one of her well-nigh successful songs, La vida itchiness un carnaval.

In , she performed with Luciano Pavarotti rent the Pavarotti and Friends accord. In , Cruz released far-out new album under the administration of Sony Music, Celia Cruz and Friends: A Night be in the region of Salsa, where she recorded anon with Tito Puente, who boring shortly after. Thanks to that album, Cruz was awarded jettison first Latin Grammy.

In , the album Siempre viviré won her a second Latin Grammy. In that same year, she performed with Marc Anthony weight a tribute to Aretha Historiographer for VH1. In , Cruz released the album, La negra tiene tumbao, where she ventured into modern variants of Sea rhythms, influenced by rap delighted hip hop.

For this commit to paper she won her third Person Grammy and her second Land Grammy.

On 16 July , Cruz performed to a all-inclusive house at the free outer performing arts festival Central Feel embarrassed SummerStage in New York Knowhow. During the performance she intone "Bemba colorá". A live vinyl of this song was afterwards made available in on trig commemorative CD honoring the festival's then year history entitled, "Central Park SummerStage: Live from rendering Heart of the City".

Cruz appeared on the Dionne Statesman albums Dionne Sings Dionne turf My Friends & Me peer their Latin duet version tinge "(Do You Know The Develop To) San José".

Death

In Honoured and September , Cruz underwent surgery due to breast cancer.^[32] In November that year, Cruz fell during a concert give back Mexico.

She was diagnosed counterpart glioma, an aggressive form appreciated brain cancer, and underwent process in December.^[32] Confident, Cruz supposed she did not shed edge your way tear and that she was aiming to resume her elegant career.^[32] She finished recording inclusion last album, Regalo del Alma.

In February, she appeared locked in public again at the Ordinal Annual Grammy Awards to obtain the award for Best Salsa Album.^[32] In March , leadership US Hispanic network Telemundo stipendiary tribute to her. The ground, titled ¡Celia Cruz: Azúcar!, knotty figures such as Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, La India, Gloria Gaynor and Patti LaBelle halfway others.^[33][34] This was her mug public appearance.

On the salutation of 16 July , Cruz died at her home of the essence Fort Lee, New Jersey, slate the age of At back up express wish, her mortal remainder were first transferred to Algonquian for two days to grip the homage of her State exile admirers at Gesu Religous entity, before a funeral Mass activity St. Patrick's Cathedral and income in the Woodlawn Cemetery listed The Bronx, New York.^{[35][36][37][38][39]} Enterprise epilogue in her autobiography record that, in accordance with cook wishes, Cuban soil - which she had saved from fine visit to Guantánamo Bay - was used in her entombment.^[40][41][42]

Tributes and legacy

Cruz's legacy had bent honored for years before jilt death, including a star occupation the Hollywood Walk of Renown (), the asteroid name Celiacruz (),^[43] the Excellence Awards encounter the Lo Nuestro Awards,^[44] extremity Celia Cruz Way in City ().

She was also familiar with a star on Avenue Amador Bendayán in Caracas, Venezuela, and a figure in influence Hollywood Wax Museum. Besides, Cruz received three Honoris Causa doctorates from three universities in probity United States: Yale University, Florida International University and the Habit of Miami.^[45] Cruz, along criticize fellow Afro-Cuban musician Cachao, were inducted into the Billboard Italic Music Hall of Fame sentence ^[46] She was also inducted into the International Latin Medicine Hall of Fame in ^[47] In the same year, she was presented with the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award becoming rectitude first recipient of the accolade.^[48]

Through a formidable work ethic, Cruz rose to the very fastest in her genre.^[49] In Feb , her last album, Regalo del Alma, she won trim posthumous award at the Premios Lo Nuestro for best salsa release of the year.

Narrow down was announced in December meander a musical called ¡Azúcar! would open in Tenerife before socialize the world. The name arrives from Cruz's well-known catch expression of "¡Azúcar!" (“Sugar!”).

In , a music school was unfasten in the Bronx, named high-mindedness Celia Cruz Bronx High High school of Music.

Pedro Knight visited this school before his ephemerality to meet the students station share stories about her dulled. On June 4, , rank heavily Cuban-American community of Integrity City, New Jersey heralded secure annual Cuban Day Parade soak dedicating its new Celia Cruz Park (also known as Celia Cruz Plaza), which features a-one sidewalk star in her standing, at 31st Street and Bergenline Avenue, with Cruz's widower, Pedro Knight, present.

There are brace other similar dedications to Cruz around the world.^[50] Cruz's lead has expanded into Union City's "Walk of Fame",^[51] as original marble stars are added dressing-down spring to honor Latin diversion and media personalities, such brand merengue singer Joseíto Mateo, salsa singer La India, Cachao, State tenorBeny Moré,^[52]Tito Puente, Spanish voice television news anchor Rafael Pineda, salsa pioneer Johnny Pacheco,^[53] singer/bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa and descant promoter Ralph Mercado.^[54]

On 18 Might , the National Museum fail American History, administered by grandeur Smithsonian Institution and located false Washington, D.C., opened "¡Azúcar!", threaten exhibit celebrating the life fairy story music of Celia Cruz.

Depiction exhibit highlights important moments difficulty Cruz's life and career subjugation photographs, personal documents, costumes, videos, and music. Her biography Celia: Mi vida was also publicized in , based on complicate than hours of interviews become conscious the Mexican journalist Ana Cristina Reymundo.

The journalist and Box presenter Cristina Saralegui planned permission take the story of coffee break life to the cinema most recent the American actress Whoopi Cartoonist, admirer of the singer, oral her interest in representing spread, but the project was cancelled.^[55] From 26 September to 25 May , Celia, a melodic based on the life decompose Celia Cruz, played at class Off-Broadway venue New World Early childhood.

The show won four HOLA Awards from the Hispanic Practice of Latin Actors.^[56]

On 16 Go , Celia Cruz was prestigious by the United States Postal Service with a commemorative presence stamp.^[57] The Cruz stamp was one of a group get the picture five stamps honoring Latin symphony greats, also including Selena, Solon Puente, Carmen Miranda, and Carlos Gardel.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History collaborated exact photographer Robert Weingarten to fabrication an object-based portrait of Celia Cruz featuring artifacts in depiction museum. The portrait was reveal on 3 October ^[58]

On 21 October , Google honored brush aside with a Google Doodle.^[59]Jennifer Lopez honored Cruz with her show at the 41st American Descant Awards ceremony.^[60] The singers Yuri, La India, Maluma and Aymée Nuviola did the same bundle up the Latin American Music Laurels.

Also in , Cruz was inducted into the New Pullover Hall Fame.^[59] In October , Telemundo premiered an episode docu-drama based on Cruz's life, Celia.^[61]

In , the television networks RCN Televisión and Telemundo produced say publicly TV series Celia based decontamination the life of Crus.

Cruz was played by the nominate Jeimy Osorio and Aymée Nuviola and counted on the articulation of Patty Padilla.^[61] In , Angélique Kidjo released a celebration album to Cruz, entitled Celia, including songs spanning all be frightened of Cruz's career reinvented with public housing Afrobeat feel. It features Polite Allen (musician), Meshell Ndegeocello build up the Gangbé Brass Band.^[62]

In , a monument to Cruz was unveiled in the Cuban Birthright Park in Hialeah, Florida.^[63][64] Further in , the Celia Cruz Estate launched a brand elysian by Cruz which featured stock inspired and about Cruz.^[65]

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

On 2 June , New York City informal Celia Cruz by co-naming rendering intersection of Reservoir Avenue bid East th Street in character Kingsbridge Heights section of Rectitude Bronx, near the high high school that is the named tabled her honor, "Celia Cruz Way".^[68][69]Los Angeles has also named decency intersection of Hollywood Boulevard most important Argyle Avenue after her.^{[citation needed]}

In , Rolling Stone ranked Cruz at No.

18 on their list of the Greatest Strain accord of All Time.^[70] In Feb , Cruz was selected style an honoree in the Inhabitant Women quarter program, making amalgam the first Afro-Latina to be apparent on a U.S quarter.^[71][72]

Discography

Cruz verifiable with Seeco Records through tell off with Tico Records from utilize Later, she recorded with Vaya Records and with its father company, Fania Records.

Filmography

• Salón México (Mexico, )
• Una gallega en La Habana (Mexico, )
• ¡Olé Cuba! (Mexico/Cuba, )
• Affair delight 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 Tune euphony Festival ) (USA, )
• CELIA, Celia Cruz Bio-Drama ( on Telemundo)

Awards

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National College of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States.

Celia Cruz has received two credit from fourteen nominations, as spasm as a non-competitive Lifetime Completion award.^[73]

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is blaze to those who, during their lifetimes, have made creative assistance of outstanding artistic significance be introduced to the field of recording.

Celia Cruz won the award acquire

Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade emergency the Latin Academy of Stick Arts & Sciences to affirm outstanding achievement in the meeting industry. Celia Cruz has won four awards out of heptad nominations.

Cruz is also rank recipient of the president's Stateowned Medal of Arts.^[74][72]

See also

Notes topmost references

Notes

References