Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso

Celia Cruz was born in La Habana, she was the second daughter of four siblings. She is the Cuban salsa singer who spent most of her life developing her career in the United States. Recognized throughout the world, Celia Cruz is undoubtedly the most famous and highest-paid Latin American singer of all time.

Celia was the most successful Cuban and Latin American singer of the twentieth century, with twenty-two gold albums to her name. Known throughout the world for her excellent quality as a singer and for her famous phrase "Sugar!", a symbol of her philosophy towards life and her pride in being Cuban. Her style transcended eras and remained current for almost fifty years.


She began her interest in singing as a very young child, in her home when she sang to her parents since she loved to get attention. The little girl wanted to be a teacher, but her desire for music won out.

Although she was very shy, Celia learned the popular songs of the time and sang them to her family and friends.
As a teenager she began to sing on Radio García Serra, on a very popular program called "La Hora del Té", a program in which she delighted listeners with a tango "Nostalgia".

Some time later Celia participated in a competition program called: "The Supreme Court of Art".

After finishing her studies, Celia received her teaching degree, which she complemented with piano lessons at the Municipal Academy of Music. When Celia was about to practice her career, a blessed voice confessed to her that with what she really loved she would earn in one day what she would make in a year as a teacher. That is how Celia happily launched herself into the profession she loved so much.

In 1948 Celia Cruz was hired to be part of the group "Las Mulatas de Fuego", where she stood out as a singer and her companions accompanied her with dancing, which led them straight to success, so much so that they were able to travel to Venezuela the following year.

The following year they traveled to Mexico presenting the songs they performed, and upon returning to Cuba Cruz recorded with the "Gloria Matancera". Some time later Celia was hired by Radio Cadena Suaritos, the radio station of her beloved city.

In 1950, Celia meets Don Sotolongo, who went to find her there so that she would be part of the Sonora Matancera, since Myrta Silva had left to return to Puerto Rico. Finally arrived the longed-for day when she would begin with this project.

She finally debuted in August of 1950, they performed in public and did not have much acceptance, but since the radio station owner had faith in them, they bet on more and so in December she recorded her first 78 rpm record, "Mr Siegel", which contained her first two songs: Cao, cao maní picaó (José Carbó Menéndez) and Mata Siguaraya (Lino Frías).

The success was so great that the musical union lasted 15 years, their unforgettable hits: Burundanga, Caramelos, El hierbero moderno, Tu voz, Ritmo tambó y flores, Pa' la paloma, Nuevo ritmo omelenkó, Vallán vallende, La sopa en botella, etc...

In 1974 she releases her album with Johnny Pacheco, "Celia y Johnny", an album where all the numbers were hits such as: "Químbara", "Toro Mata", "Vieja Luna", among others. Thanks to this Celia obtained a gold record.

Three years later with several projects underway, she records with the sensational Willie Colón, her first single which included hits such as: "Usted abusó", "A papá", "Pun Pun Pun Calatu".

In 1980, Celia Cruz recorded and toured throughout Latin America, giving multiple concerts and television shows wherever she went.

Two years later she reunited with the Sonora Matancera, and recorded a sensational album titled "Feliz Encuentro".
In 1987 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Celia was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest concert to date.

In 1989, the Cuban woman won her first Latin Grammy for her album recorded with Ray Barretto and also received an invitation to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Sonora Matancera in New York, sharing the stage with her longtime companions: Daniel Santos, Carlos Argentino, Vicentico Valdés, Bobby Capó, among others.

Two years later she participated alongside Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas in the film "The Mambo Kings", and it was in 1993 that she recorded her album "Azúcar Negra", Celia Cruz in 1997, records for Televisa the television series "El alma no tiene color", and that same year the city of San Francisco officially declares that day for Celia Cruz.

A year later she releases "Mi vida es cantar", from which the song "La Vida es un Carnaval" became a hit throughout the world.

In the year 2000 Cruz is again nominated for a Grammy and wins it for her album "Celia and Friends", and the following year she wins the Grammy for her album "Siempre Viviré".

After two years Celia Cruz records a new album "La Negra tiene Tumbao", and that same year she underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor that frightened her.

Fortunately Celia was able to continue in the music world that she always loved and recorded the album "Regalo del Alma".
In 2003, her last year of life, she was honored at the Telemundo network. It was on a July afternoon of that same year that Celia passed away in her home in New Jersey.

In February of the following year her last album was published after her death, which won a posthumous award at the Premios Lo Nuestro as best salsa album of the year.

In 2005 a biography titled "Celia: Mi vida" was published, based on interviews with Mexican journalist Ana Cristina Reymundo. This biography was planned to be made into a film but negotiations stalled.

Discography
•(1951) Juntos (Together), year unknown El Pai Y La Mai
•(1951) Rumba Para Pareja
•(1951) Mambo Del Amor
•(1951) La Guagua (The Bus)
•(1951) La Danza Del Cocoyé
•(1953) Melao De Caña
•(1953) Boncó
•(1953) Nuevo Ritmo Omelenkó
•(1953) Burundanga
•(1953) A Todos Mis Amigos
•(1953) Matiagua
•(1954) En El Bajío
•(1954) Saoco
•(1954) Y Mi Negro Está Cansado
•(1954) Juancito Trucupey
•(1954) Pá La Paloma
•(1954) Oyá Diosa Y Fe
•(1955) Mi Soncito
•(1955) Cont. El Marinero
•(1955) El Merengue
•(1955) Muñecas De Cha Cha Chá
•(1955) Oyela, Gózala
•(1955) Yerbero Moderno
•(1955) Goza Negra
•(1955) Sandunguéate
•(1955) Celia Cruz En Vivo Radio Progreso, Vol. 1
•(1955) Celia Cruz En Vivo Radio Progreso, Vol. 2
•(1956) Celia Cruz En Vivo Radio Progreso, Vol. 3
•(1956) Mi Amor Buenas Noches
•(1956) Rock and Roll
•(1956) El Lleva Y Trae
•(1956) Me Voy a Pinar Del Río
•(1956) Tuya Y Más Que Tuya
•(1956) Luna Sobre Matanzas
•(1956) Contentosa
•(1956) Gozando
•(1956) No Encuentro Palabras
•(1956) La Merenguita
•(1957) Ipso Calypso
•(1957) La Sopa En Botella
•(1958) Mi Tumba Se Rompió
•(1958) Mi Coquito
•(1958) Jingle Bells
•(1958) Aguinaldo Antillano
•(1958) Baho, Kende
•(1958) Poco a Poco
•(1958) Qué Voy a Hacer
•(1958) Madre Rumba
•(1958) Dile Que Por Mí No Tema
•(1958) Bajo La Luna
•(1958) Changó Ta Vení
•(1958) La Negrita Sandunguera
•(1958) Camadde
•(1959) Dime La Verdad
•(1959) Sueños De Luna
•(1959) Así Quiero Morir
•(1959) Crocante Habanero
•(1960) Ya Te Lo Dije
•(1960) Caramelos
•(1960) Mágica Luna
•(1960) Marcianita
•(1958) La Incomparable Celia
•(1959) Mi Diario Musical
•(1965) Sabor y Ritmo de Pueblos
•(1965) Canciones Premiadas
•(1966) Cuba y Puerto Rico Son
•(1966) Son con Guaguanco
•(1967) Bravo
•(1967) A Ti México, Con La Sonora de Memo Salamanca
•(1968) La Excitante
•(1968) Serenata Guajira
•(1969) Quimbo Quimbumbia
•(1970) Etc. Etc. Etc.
•(1972) Celia Cruz & Tito Puente: Algo Especial Para Recordar
•(1973) Celia Cruz & Fania All Stars
•(1976) Recordando el Ayer
•(1975) Tremendo Cache
•(1977) Only They Could Have Made This Álbum
•(1978) Brillante
•(1978) Eternos
•(1978) A Todo Mis Amigos
•(1979) La Ceiba
•(1980) Celia, Johnny & Pete
•(1981) Celia & Willie
•(1982) Feliz Encuentro
•(1983) Celia Cruz, Adalberto Santiago, Ray Barretto: Tremendo Trio
•(1984) Homenaje a Beny More, Vol. 3
•(1986) De Nuevo
•(1987) La Candela
•(1987) The Winners
•(1988) Ritmo en el Corazon
•(1990) La Guarachera del Mundo
•(1992) La Verdadera Historia
•(1992) Tributo a Ismael Rivera
•(1993) Introducing
•(1993) Azucar Negra
•(1993) Azucar!
•(1993) Boleros
•(1994) Homenaje a Los Santos
•(1994) Las Guaracheras de La Guaracha
•(1994) Mambo del Amor
•(1994) Merengue, Saludos Amigos
•(1994) Irrepetible
•(1995) Cuba's Queen of Rhythm
•(1995) Irresistible
•(1995) Festejando Navidad
•(1995) Double Dynamite
•(1996) Celia Cruz
•(1997) Alma con Alma, The Heart & Soul of Celia Cruz and Tito Puente
•(1997) También Boleros
•(1997) Duets
•(1997) Cambiando Ritmos
•(1998) Afro-Cubana
•(1998) Mi Vida Es Cantar
•(2000) Celia Cruz and Friends: A Night of Salsa
•(2000) Siempre Vivire
•(2000) Habanera
•(2001) At the Beginning
•(2001) La Negra Tiene Tumbao
•(2002) Edicion Limitada
•(2002) Unrepeatable
•(2002) Carnival de Exitos
•(2003) Las Estrellas de la Sonora Matancera
•(2004) Regalo del Alma

Films
Salón México (1948)
Rincón criollo (1950)
Una gallega en la Habana (1955)
De espaldas (1955)
¡Olé, Cuba! (1956)
Affair in Havana (1957)
Amorcito corazón (1961)
Salsa!! (1988)
The Mambo King's (1992)
The Pérez Family (1995)

Television Series
Valentina (1993)
El alma no tiene color (1997)
[edit] DVD Specials
Yo soy, Celia Cruz
¡Azúcar!, Tribute to Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz & Friends - A Night of Salsa
La Eterna Voz
Celia The Queen
Celia Cruz and the Fania All-Stars in Africa
An Extraordinary Woman
In Africa: Guantanamera
El Show de Romerín
El Show de Romerín Vol.2
El Show de Romerín Vol.3
El Show de Romerín Vol.4

Other Compilation Albums
Azúcar Caliente
Candela Pura
Cocktail Hour
A Rough Guide to Celia Cruz
Cuba Bella
El Carnaval de la Vida
Boleros Eternos Vol.1
Boleros Eternos Vol.2
Éxitos Eternos Vol. 1
Éxitos Eternos Vol. 2
50 Años Cantando para Ti
49 Minutes Willie Colon & Associates
Serie 32
Cambiando Ritmos
Mango Mangüe
Carnaval de Éxitos
Canto a la Caridad
Cuba Guaracha y Son
Gozando...Siempre Gozando
At the Beginning...
Queen of Salsa
On Fire: The Essential
Habanera
La Reina y Sus Amigos
Angelitos Negros
Tributo a los Orishas
Con Sabor a Cuba
Salsa Superstar
La Irresistible
Afro-Cubana
Salsa y azucar
Madre Rumba

In the year 2012 Celia Cruz was declared a notable figure of American culture and will be immortalized in a painting by artist Robert Weingarten for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History located in Washington D.C.

The painting will be exhibited starting in fall 2012 at the institution, permanently.