Cruz was bom in Cuba on October 21, 1924, and raised in a humble household located in the Santos Suarez neighborhood of Havana. Her father, Simon Cruz, was a railroad stoker, and her mother, Celia Alfonso, was a homemaker. Although Cruz's parents only had four children, they provided housing for as many as 14 relatives.
Celia displayed her musical talents and abilities early in life. While helping her mother put younger siblings to sleep, she sang to them, capturing the attention of neighbors and relatives who often congregated to listen to her beautiful voice and music. However, being a musical performer in those days was perceived as an unbecoming career for a young woman and her parents insisted that she pursue a traditional education. She graduated from the República de Mexico High School in Havana and enrolled at the Escuela Normal de Maestros to become a literature teacher. In 1947, one of her cousins entered her in a musical contest sponsored by the Radio Cadena Suaritos; she won the first prize for her rendition of the tango "Nostalgia."
After her mother persuaded her father to allow Celia to sing, Cruz went on to the Havana Conservatory, where she studied voice and music theory for three years. In the meantime, she continued singing on Cuban radio at Radio Cadena, Radio Progreso, and Radio Unión. During her musical beginnings, Celia specialized in native musical forms such as guarachas and the pregón. (Guarachas are a lively dancing rhythm native to Cuba and the pregón is a type of song that emulates the chants of vendors in the streets.) She also became a partner in Las Mulatas del Fuego (The Fiery Mulattoes), an all-women singing group.
In 1950, Cruz got her big break in show business when she was recruited to become the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera, the most popular Cuban band of the time. After overcoming some initial resistance from the public, who adored her predecessor, she eventually became a hit with the orchestra. Some of the hits of the time were "Burundanga," "Yerbero," and "Mata Siraguaya" songs that she later adapted into the popular salsa rhythm. She recorded her first songs with La Sonora and was featured in several movies. Her act with La Sonora became one of the most popular attractions at the Casino Tropicana, the Havana's principal nightclub during the 1950s. She toured extensively with the band both in Cuba and throughout Latin America.
Taking advantage of a scheduled musical tour to Mexico, Cruz and La Sonora left Cuba permanently in 1960. Like many other Cuban artists, she decided to escape Fidel Castro's regime after the revolution. She spent a year and a half in Mexico and in 1961 moved to the United States, where a long-term contract with a Los Angeles nightclub made it possible for her to qualify for American residency.
The early 1960s were a slow period for Cruz because Latino performers were not in high demand in the United States. Things started to change in 1965 after she sang with the Tito Puente Orchestra. Concertgoers were impressed by her voice, and songs such as "Quimbara Quibara" and "Bemba Colora" were hits with her audience. She also released several recordings with the Tico label, led by Puente.
During the 1970s, salsa music became popular in the United States and gave an incredible boost to Cruz's career. A rhythm that is uniquely Caribbean in nature, salsa combines the elements of Afro-Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican music. It blends themes from popular culture and combines them with strong rhythmic variations, powerful percussion, and sonorous voices. Salsa became extremely popular among Latino populations in the northeast, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The salsa phenomenon created the ideal circumstances for Cruz; an established performer, she knew the basic elements and the musical traditions that constitute salsa music. Starting with a landmark appearance in Larry Harlow's Latin opera Hommy at Carnegie Hall in 1973, performing with leading salsa interpreters such as Johnny Pacheco, Bobby Valentin, Andy Montañez, Willie Colón, Ray Barreto, Papo Lucca, Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, and eventually recording with the most important group of the time, the Fania All Stars, Cruz was at the center of the salsa revolution and soon became one of the top interpreters of salsa in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Hits such as "Usted Abusó" (You Abused Me), "El Guabá" (Scorpion), and "Yerbero Moderno" (Modern Folk Healer) as uniquely interpreted by Cruz and her accomplished partners, have become salsa classics.
2001 was a prolific year for Cruz. Her Web site chronicles that she was honored with a star at the entrance to the Jackie Gleason Theater for the Performing Arts in Miami Beach. She made several important television appearances, and her magnificent musical talents and career were profiled in a VH1 program honoring Aretha Franklin. She also sang in Italy alongside noted tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Cruz continued her chain of successful performances in 2002 and released La Negra tiene tumbao, one of her most successful recordings in recent years.
On July 16, 2003, Cruz died of brain cancer at her home in Fort Lee, New Jersey, at the age of 77. Her husband, Pedro Knight (died February 3, 2007), was there for her while she was going through cancer treatments. She had no children with him. After her death, her body was taken to lie in state in Miami's Freedom Tower, where more than 200,000 fans paid their final respects. Multiple vigils occurred worldwide in cities such as Havana, Miami, and Cali (the Cali vigil became notorious in Colombian history due to its three-day span) Knight had Cruz buried in a granite mausoleum that he had built in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City earlier in 2003, when she was dying.
Despite her weakened physical condition, and the grim health prospects faced by this formidable artist, she attended the 45th Annual Grammy Ceremony at the Madison Square Garden in February 2003, where the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded her a Grammy for "Best Salsa Album" for La negra tiene tumbao. She also received a Latin Grammy for this recording. Cruz was also recognized with four "Lo Nuestro" awards given annually by Spanish television network Univision.
No matter what the future may hold, Cruz has had a successful and impressive musical career and has received numerous awards and distinctions. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Yale in 1993. She won a Grammy, received a medal from the National Endowment for the Arts, had a street in Miami named after her, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame. With her trademark call of "Azucar!" (sugar), her amazing talents, and her humble personality, Cruz has earned the respect, admiration, and love of her audiences everywhere.
Cruz's departure from Cuba was motivated by her fears of Castro's communist ideology. Until recently, she refrained from criticizing his political regime openly. During the 1990s she started to vocalize her resentment toward Castro's human rights policies. This was partly motivated by the fact that Castro has never
granted her a visa to visit her relatives in Cuba. Her condemnation of Puerto Rican musician Andy Montanez, who went to perform in Cuba, led to a huge controversy in Puerto Rico and Miami. Although she denied that she ever criticized Montanez for appearing together with Castro, the dispute led to a boycott of her music in Puerto Rican radio stations and to the cancellation of one of her concerts on the island.
Almost 30 years after the emergence of salsa, Celia Cruz has retained the title of Queen of Salsa Reign. Her unique sonorous and metallic voice and vigorous dancing that would exhaust performers half her age, coupled with a powerful stage presence characterized by her long, sequined gowns and hats, colorful wigs, and high heels guarantee sold-out concerts. She has also appeared on Mexican television soap operas and in Hollywood movies.
Physical Characteristics:
The year 2002 also brought Cruz serious illnesses. Like her mother, who died from cancer, she confronted breast cancer in August and September 2002. As the year came to an end, however, her fans and followers learned that Cruz faced even a more threatening condition that forced her to undergo a serious operation to extirpate a cancerous tumor in her brain.
Despite her serious health problems, she has promised to fight cancer with the same strength and endurance that have characterized her musical career. Latin American artists are planning to host a tribute to the artist in March 2003.
During July 1960, following the revolution in Cuba, La Sonora Matancera was on tour in Mexico when the band members decided to settle in the United States. Castro vowed that none of the artists would ever be allowed back to Cuba. Celia Cruz attempted to return when her mother died in 1962, but was not granted government permission. Cruz became a US citizen in 1961 and a year later married Sonora's trumpet player Pedro Knight, who became her manager and musical director.
