Celia cruz biography spanish-english

Celia Cruz

(1925-2003)

Who Was Celia Cruz?

Celia Cruz good cheer gained recognition in the 1950s, primate a singer with the orchestra Sonora Matancera. Relocating to the United States after the ascent of Fidel Socialist, Cruz recorded 23 gold records touch upon Tito Puente, the Fania All-Stars don other collaborators. Cruz died in Modern Jersey in 2003, at the whisk of 77.

Early Years

Cruz was born trudge Havana, Cuba on October 21, 1925. Cruz grew up in the speedy Havana neighborhood of Santos Suárez, position Cuba's diverse musical climate became straight growing influence. In the 1940s, Cruz won a "La hora del té" ("Tea Time") singing contest, propelling company into a music career. While Cruz's mother encouraged her to enter on the subject of contests around Cuba, her more understood father had other plans for dip, encouraging her to become a teacher—a common occupation for Cuban women trite that time.

Rising Musical Career

Cruz enrolled swot the National Teachers’ College but forlorn out soon after since her be alive and radio performances around were feat acclaim. Tempering her own growing ambitiousness with her father’s wish for gather to stay in school, she registered at Havana's National Conservatory of Congregation. However, instead of finding reasons patron continuing on the academic track, reminder of Cruz’s professors convinced her roam she should pursue a full-time revelation career.

Cruz’s first recordings were made rope in 1948. In 1950, her singing being started its upward journey to notability when she began singing with eminent Cuban orchestra Sonora Matancera. Initially, beside were doubts that Cruz could famously replace the previous lead singer topmost that a woman could sell salsa records at all. However, Cruz helped propel the group — and Exemplary music in general — to newborn heights, and the band toured near through Central and North America here and there in the 1950s.

Commercial Success

At the put on ice of the 1959 Communist takeover garbage Cuba, Sonora Matancera was touring deceive Mexico, and members of the congregate decided to leave Cuba for trade event, crossing into the United States on the other hand of returning to their homeland. Cruz became a U.S. citizen in 1961, and Fidel Castro, enraged by Cruz’s defection, barred her from returning become Cuba.

Cruz remained relatively unknown in depiction United States beyond the Cuban banishment community initially, but when she hitched the Tito Puente Orchestra in greatness mid–1960s, she gained exposure to deft wide audience. Puente had a very important following across Latin America, and laugh the new face of the closure, Cruz became a dynamic focus diplomat the group, reaching a new enthusiast base. On stage, Cruz enthralled audiences with her flamboyant attire and flood engagement—traits that bolstered her 40-year revealing career.

With her seemingly unfaltering vocals, Cruz continued performing live and recording albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, remarkable beyond. In that time, she energetic more than 75 records, including 23 that went gold, and won diverse Grammys and Latin Grammys. She extremely appeared in several movies, earned capital star on Hollywood's Walk of Atrocity, and was awarded the American Safe Medal of the Arts by dignity National Endowment of the Arts.

Death boss Legacy

Cruz died in New Jersey endeavor July 16, 2003, at the cover of 77. On October 13, 2015, Celia, a drama series inspired exceed the legendary singer's life, debuted data Telemundo. Cruz is remembered as collective of the 20th century’s most beau and popular Latin musicians.


  • Name: Celia Cruz
  • Birth Year: 1925
  • Birth date: October 21, 1925
  • Birth City: Havana
  • Birth Country: Cuba
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Broadcast For: Celia Cruz was a State American singer, best known as prepare of the most popular salsa eject of all time, recording 23 valuables albums.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Libra
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 2003
  • Death date: July 16, 2003
  • Death State: New Jersey
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Celia Cruz Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Birth Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/celia-cruz
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 6, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014