![]() ![]() ![]() In time, she made more than 75 albums, 23 that went gold, she appeared in several movies, including ‘The Mambo Kings’ with Armand Assante and Antonio Bandares. On stage Cruz’s flamboyant costumes, soulful voice and engaging personality soon won her international acclaim. but she soon joined with Tito Puente and gained exposure to a wider audience. They were touring with the band in Mexico, when Fidel Castro came to power and they refused to return to Cuba and became citizens of the United States.Ĭelia Cruz was relatively unknown outside the Cuban exile community when she launched her solo career in the U.S. She married the band’s trumpet player, Pedro Knight in 1962. She sang with the band for 15 years and toured throughout the Latin America. Her first big professional break came three years later, when she was invited to join the much revered Latin band La Sonora Matancera. ![]() At the age of 22 she entered Cuba’s Conservatory of Music where she was inspired to sing in the Afro-Cuban tradition. Celia Cruz was drawn to music at an early age and with the encouragement from her family, she entered and won a number of local talent shows. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton(1994), inducted into the Billboards Latin Music Hall of Fame (1994) and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame (1999).īorn in 1925 to a poor family in a barrio outside of Havana, Cuba she was one of 14 children. Cruz, was one of Latin music’s most respected singers and sang only in Spanish. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we will be showcasing prominent Hispanic artists in history.Ĭelia Cruz was considered the “Queen of Salsa Music.” During her career she was the recipient of numerous honors and awards including eight (8) Grammy Awards in such categories as ‘Best Salsa Album’, ‘Best Salsa Performance’, ‘Best Tropical Traditional Album’ and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. ![]()
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