Celia Cruz: From “La Guarachera De Cuba” to the “Queen of Salsa”

Abstract

Born Ursula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso on October 21, 1924, in Havana, Cuba, Celia Cruz would go on to have a 60-yearlong musical performance and recording career.¹ At the time of her death in 2003, she was the undisputed Queen of Salsa, mourned by fans throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe.² Through her career she made over 76 records; won three Grammys and four Latin Grammys; and collaborated with a diverse range of musicians including salsa stars Tito Puente, Willie Collin, and Johnny Pacheco as well as soul performers Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle, alternative rocker David Byrne, hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean, and even famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti. She acted in two Hollywood films, The Mambo Kings and The Perez Family, as well as several Mexican telenovelas. Among her many honors, she received a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, received the American National Medal of the Arts, was the subject of a BBC documentary, and the subject of a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian, which has several wardrobe items from Celia Cruz’s stage performances on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC.³ There are several books based on her life, including a children’s book and her autobiography.⁴