Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a three-time Grammy Award and four-time Latin Grammy winning Cuban-American salsa singer. She spend most of her career living is New Jersey. She worked both in the Unites States and in several Latin American countries. Cruz is also known as the Queen of Salsa or “La guarachera de Cuba".

Celia Cruz was one of the most successful Cuban singers ever. There is no doubt about her being the most influential female figure in the history of Afro-Cuban music. Her voice is strong and powerful. Cruz has become a true legend of Latin American music.

Cruz began singing on Cuban radio in the late 1940s. Later she became the lead singer of Cuban big band, La Sonora Matancera in 1950. She continued recording and touring with them until 1965. In 1966 she joined the Tito Puente Orchestra. Together they recorded eight albums. In 1973 she also sang the role of Gracia Divina in a Latin Opera at Carnegie Hall. Later she appeared in The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and The Perez Family. In total she has recorded over 50 albums, of which 20 became gold.

Celia Cruz has never revealed her exact year of birth. It is estimated between 1916 and 1929. It may have been 1924. In the 1990's, whether she was in her early 60s or late 70s, Celia Cruz continued to be perform for her public, inspiring and vibrant as always.

Background information

Birth name: Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso

Born: October 21, 1924?

Origin: Havana, Cuba

Died: July 16, 2003 Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA

Genre: Salsa

Occupation: Singer

Years active: 1948 – 2003