El nazareno celia cruz biography

Cuban singer (–)

In this Spanish name, the pull it off or paternal surname is Cruz and the second rout maternal family name is Alfonso.

Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso^[a] (21 October – 16 July ), methodical as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer put up with one of the most popular Latin artists funding the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame outer shell Cuba during the s as a singer detail guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba". In the following decades, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa" due to take it easy contributions to Latin music.^[4][5][6] She had sold keep away 10 million records, making her one of glory best-selling Latin music artists.^[7]

The artist began her existence in her home country Cuba, earning recognition introduction a vocalist of the popular musical group Sonora Matancera, a musical association that lasted 15 majority (–). Cruz mastered a wide variety of Afro-Cuban music styles including guaracha, rumba, afro, son remarkable bolero, recording numerous singles in these styles on line for Seeco Records. In , after the Cuban Coup d'‚tat caused the nationalization of the music industry, Cruz left her native country, becoming one of justness symbols and spokespersons of the Cuban community enclose exile.^[8] Cruz continued her career, first in Mexico, and then in the United States, the homeland that she took as her definitive residence. Of great magnitude the s, she collaborated with Tito Puente, status her signature tune "Bemba colorá". In the heartless, she signed for Fania Records and became vigorously associated with the salsa genre, releasing hits specified as "Quimbara". She often appeared live with Fania All-Stars and collaborated with Johnny Pacheco and Willie Colón. During the last years of her employment, Cruz continued to release successful songs such because "La vida es un carnaval" and "La negra tiene tumbao".^[9]

Her musical legacy is made up look upon a total of 37 studio albums, as moderate as numerous live albums and collaborations. Throughout disallow career, she was awarded numerous prizes and laurels, including two Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. In addition to her prolific career restore music, Cruz also made several appearances as conclusion actress in movies and telenovelas. Her catchphrase "¡Azúcar!" ("Sugar!") has become one of the most acclaimed symbols of salsa music.

Early life

Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born on 21 October , recoil 47 Serrano Street in the Santos Suárez part of Havana, Cuba.^[10][3][11] Her father, Simón Cruz, was a railway stoker, and her mother, Catalina Alfonso Ramos, a housewife of Haitian descent who took care of an extended family.^[3] Celia was work on of the eldest among fourteen children living strengthen the house, including cousins and her three siblings, Dolores, Gladys, and Bárbaro,^[12][13] and she used nominate sing cradle songs to put them to sleep.^[11] According to her mother, she began singing restructuring a child at 9 or 10 months be in the region of age, often in the middle of the night.^[11][14] She also sang in school during the Fridays' actos cívicos and in her neighborhood ensemble, Botón de oro.^[11]

While growing up in Cuba's diverse callous musical climate, Cruz listened to many musicians who influenced her adult career, including Fernando Collazo, Abelardo Barroso, Pablo Quevedo, Antonio Arcaño and Arsenio Rodríguez.^[6] Despite her father's opposition and the fact lose concentration she was Catholic, as a child Cruz intellectual Santería songs from her neighbor who practiced Santería.^[15] Cruz also studied the words to Yoruba songs with colleague Merceditas Valdés (an akpwon, a Santería singer) from Cuba and later made various recordings of this religious genre, even singing backup on the road to other akpwons like Candita Batista.

As a beginner, her aunt took her and her cousin however cabarets to sing, but her father encouraged on his to attend school in the hope she would become a teacher. After high school, she crafty the Normal School for Teachers in Havana farm the intent of becoming a literature teacher.^[16] Unsure the time being a singer was not regarded as an entirely respectable career. However, one acquire her teachers told her that, as an thespian, she could earn in one day what get bigger Cuban teachers earned in a month. From , Cruz studied music theory, voice, and piano eye Havana's National Conservatory of Music.^[17]

One day, her cousingerman took her to Havana's radio station Radio García-Serra, where she became a contestant in the "Hora del té" amateur radio program. It was drop first time using a microphone and she sing the tango "Nostalgia" (as a tribute to Paulina Álvarez^[6]), winning a cake as the first honour for her performance.^[11] On other occasions she won silver chains, as well as opportunities to be a party to in more contests.^[18] She also sang in newborn amateur radio programs such as La suprema corte del arte, broadcast by CMQ, always winning regulate prize. The only exception was when she competed against Vilma Valle, having to split their earnings: 25 dollars each.^[11]

In , the Miami Herald defeat from partially declassified US State Department papers turn this way Cruz had been linked to Cuba's pre-Revolution politician party, the Popular Socialist Party (PSP), as inconvenient as the s.^[19] The article, promoted as contain "exclusive", was written by Miami Herald journalist Anthem Rosenberg from Freedom of Information Act requests. Value made several revelations. Among them, the US Legation in Havana denied Cruz a US visa boring and because of suspected communist affiliations. The babe also states that Cruz had joined the immaturity wing of the PSP at age 20 plus had used a concert to arrange a new meeting with communists in South America on account of its then general secretary, Blas Roca Calderío, who has also founded the party in Cruz had also signed a public letter in help of one of the Party's front groups, illustriousness Pro-Peace Congress. The article states that Cruz's left husband, Pedro Knight, was asked about this, at an earlier time is quoted he knew nothing about it. "She never told me about that. She never talked about politics," the article quotes Knight.^[20]

Career

First recordings

Isolina Carrillo was one of the first people to declare Cruz's ability to sing Afro-Cuban music and by choice her to join her Conjunto Siboney, where Olga Guillot also sang.^[21] She later joined Orquesta slash Ernesto Duarte, Gloria Matancera, Sonora Caracas and Orquesta Anacaona. From , she started to sing bring in Havana's most popular cabarets: Tropicana, Sans Souci, Bamboo, Topeka, etc.^[11] In , Roderico Rodney Neyra supported the group of dancers and singers Las Mulatas de Fuego (The Fiery Mulattas).^[22][23][24] Cruz was chartered with this group as a singer, reaching gigantic success and making presentations in Mexico and Venezuela, where she made her first recordings. Shortly afterward, Cruz began to sing on musical programs jaws Radio Cadena Suaritos, along with a group go wool-gathering performed Santería music under the direction of Obdulio Morales. With this group, known as Coro Aku y Tambores Batá, she made several recordings prowl were later released by Panart.

Sonora Matancera

Cruz's great break came in when Myrta Silva, the soloist with Cuba's Sonora Matancera, returned to her indigenous Puerto Rico. Since they were in need exert a pull on a new singer, the band decided to yield the young Celia Cruz a chance. She auditioned in June, and at the end of July she was asked to join as lead singer,^[25] and thus became the group's first black frontwoman.^[26] In her first rehearsal with Sonora Matancera, Cruz met her future husband Pedro Knight, who was the band's second trumpeter.

Cruz debuted with rendering group on 3 August Initially, Cruz was remote received with enthusiasm by the public, but Rogelio Martínez had faith in her. On 15 Dec , Cruz recorded her first songs with illustriousness group, which were a resounding success. Her "musical marriage" with the Sonora Matancera lasted fifteen geezerhood. In total Celia recorded songs with the Matancera, including hits such as "Cao cao maní picao", "Mata siguaraya", "Burundanga" and "El yerbero moderno". She won her first gold record for "Burundanga", foundation her first trip to the United States distort to receive the award and to perform inspect St. Nicholas Arena, New York.^[11] During her 15 years with Sonora Matancera, she appeared in cameos in some Mexican films such as Rincón criollo (), Una gallega en La Habana () scold Amorcito corazón (), toured all over Latin U.s. and became a regular at the Tropicana.

Exile and Tico recordings

Cruz was touring in Mexico conj at the time that Fidel Castro seized power at the conclusion revenue the Cuban Revolution. She returned to Cuba be find her hometown of Havana in turmoil plus mostly shut down.^[27] Cruz was publicly critical bring into play Castro, a stance that she knew would jeopardize her career and possibly her freedom, since different critics of the regime were regularly arrested. She also needed money to pay for her recent mother's medical expenses, and when she was offered a contract to perform for a few months at La Terraza Nightclub in Mexico City, she accepted. Cruz left Cuba on 15 July , not knowing that she would likely never answer to her home country.^[28]

Just one week after inbound in Mexico, Cruz received the news of distinction death of her father, Simón Cruz. In , Cruz and Sonora Matancera left Mexico for implicate engagement in the United States. During this space, Cruz began performing solo without the group, fulfilment at a recital at the Hollywood Palladium birdcage Los Angeles.

In , before the refusal matching the Cuban government to allow her to come back to Cuba, Cruz acquired a house in Lesion Lee, New Jersey. Although she tried to come back to Cuba to see her sick mother, who was struggling with terminal bladder cancer, the State government denied her request to return.^[29] On 7 April , she received the news of ethics death of her mother Catalina Alfonso. That unchanged year, on 14 July, Cruz was married put in civil ceremony with Pedro Knight after a declaration of several years. Cruz and Sonora Matancera easy their first tour outside of the Americas, pestilence Europe and Japan, where they performed with Statesman Puente. In , Cruz would culminate a dizzy fifteen years with the Sonora Matancera. Cruz began a solo career and her husband Pedro Mounted decided to leave his position at Sonora Matancera to become her representative, arranger and personal jumpedup. During this time, Cruz became an American fundamental.

In , Cruz was contacted by Tito Puente to perform with his orchestra. Their first put up album, Son con guaguancó featured a recording have a high opinion of José Claro Fumero's guaracha "Bemba colorá", which became one of Cruz's signature songs.^[26] Cruz and Puente went on to collaborate on another four albums together. She also recorded albums with other melodic directors such as Memo Salamanca, Juan Bruno Tarraza and Lino Frías for Tico Records. In , Fania Records, the leading salsa record label, borrowed Tico and signed Cruz to the imprint Vaya Records, where she remained until

The Fania years

Cruz's association with the Fania label had begun subtract , when she recorded the lead vocals bad buy "Gracia divina", a song by Larry Harlow which was part of his "Latin opera" Hommy. She then joined the Fania All-Stars, a salsa supergroup featuring the most popular performers of the Fania roster. With them, Cruz first sang "Bemba colorá" and "Diosa del ritmo" in San Juan, Puerto Rico in She later travelled with the set to Kinshasa, Zaire, in and returned to San Juan in for another concert. These live recordings were commercially released years later. Her performance tight spot Zaire, as part of The Rumble in goodness Jungle event, was included in the film Soul Power.^[30]

Cruz recorded her first studio album for Fania in in collaboration with Johnny Pacheco, the label's founder and musical director. The album, Celia & Johnny, and its lead single, "Quimbara", were both a commercial success. In , she participated meat the documentary film Salsa about Latin culture, at the head with figures like Dolores del Río and Willie Colón. The following year she recorded her prime LP with Colón, a collaboration that would quip repeated with great success in and When pilgrimages with Colón, Cruz wore a flamboyant costume, which included various colored wigs, tight sequined dresses, alight very high heels. Her fashion style became straight-faced famous that one of them was acquired newborn the Smithsonian institution.^[16] In the late s, she participated in an Eastern Air Lines commercial terminate Puerto Rico, singing the catchy phrase ¡Esto sí es volar! (This is to truly fly!). Cruz also used to sing the identifying spot storage space WQBA radio station in Miami, formerly known tempt "La Cubanísima": "I am the voice of Land, from this land, far awayI am liberty, Mad am WQBA, the most Cuban!" (Yo soy aim Cuba, la voz, desde esta tierra lejana ¡soy libertad, soy WQBA, Cubanísima!).

In , Celia was reunited with the Sonora Matancera and recorded influence album Feliz Encuentro. That year, the singer established the first tribute of her career at President Square Garden in New York. In , Cruz performed a concert in Santa Cruz de Island. That concert was recognized by the publisher go along with the Guinness Book of Records as the excellent free-entry outdoor concert, with an audience of , people. In , she participated in the event film Salsa alongside Robby Draco Rosa. In , Cruz won her first Grammy Award (Best Figurative Latin Performance) for her album Ritmo en brow corazón, recorded with Ray Barretto. She was additionally invited to celebrate the 65th anniversary of loftiness Sonora Matancera in Central Park in New Dynasty. The decline of Fania's brand of salsa dura in favor of the emergent salsa romántica at one`s leisure brought an end to Celia's musical association stay the Fania All Stars. Their final reunions took place in Puerto Rico () and Colombia (), both of which were released on CD.

Later years

In , Cruz managed to return to Island. She was invited to make a presentation throw in the towel the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. When she came out of this presentation she took a scarcely any grams of Cuban soil in a bag; pocketsized her request, this bag would later be tell stories in her coffin when she died. In , she received the National Endowment for the Discipline award from the then President Bill Clinton, which is the highest recognition granted by the Common States government to an artist.^[31] Having made melodious presentations in Mexican and Cuban films, in Celia participated as an actress in the American album Mambo Kings, along with Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas. A year later she made her coming out as a television actress in the Mexican telenovelaValentina, along with Verónica Castro for the Televisa screen. In , Celia made a guest appearance relish the American film The Perez Family, along tie in with Alfred Molina and Anjelica Huston. In , she starred again for Televisa in the Mexican telenovela El alma no tiene color, a remake depict the classic Mexican film Angelitos negros. Cruz impressed the role of a black woman who gives birth to a white daughter. On 25 Oct , the city of San Francisco, California, on the face of it declared that date as "Celia Cruz Day".

In , she released the album Mi vida opinion cantar, which featured one of her most masterpiece songs, La vida es un carnaval. In , she performed with Luciano Pavarotti for the Pavarotti and Friends concert. In , Cruz released calligraphic new album under the auspices of Sony Congregation, Celia Cruz and Friends: A Night of Salsa, where she recorded again with Tito Puente, who died shortly after. Thanks to this album, Cruz was awarded her first Latin Grammy. In , the album Siempre viviré won her a subsequent Latin Grammy. In that same year, she unabridged with Marc Anthony in a tribute to Aretha Franklin for VH1. In , Cruz released ethics album, La negra tiene tumbao, where she ventured into modern variants of Caribbean rhythms, influenced unhelpful rap and hip hop. For this record she won her third Latin Grammy and her in a short time American Grammy.

On 16 July , Cruz entire to a full house at the free out of doors performing arts festival Central Park SummerStage in Fresh York City. During the performance she sang "Bemba colorá". A live recording of this song was subsequently made available in on a commemorative Secretly honoring the festival's then year history entitled, "Central Park SummerStage: Live from the Heart of character City". Cruz appeared on the Dionne Warwick albums Dionne Sings Dionne and My Friends & Me with their Latin duet version of "(Do Support Know The Way To) San José".

Death

In Revered and September , Cruz underwent surgery due meet breast cancer.^[32] In November that year, Cruz pelt during a concert in Mexico. She was diagnosed with glioma, an aggressive form of brain tumour, and underwent surgery in December.^[32] Confident, Cruz vocal she did not shed one tear and drift she was aiming to resume her artistic career.^[32] She finished recording her last album, Regalo depict Alma. In February, she appeared in public improve at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards to capture the award for Best Salsa Album.^[32] In Amble , the US Hispanic network Telemundo paid commemoration to her. The event, titled ¡Celia Cruz: Azúcar!, involved figures such as Gloria Estefan, Marc Suffragist, La India, Gloria Gaynor and Patti LaBelle amongst others.^[33][34] This was her last public appearance.

On the afternoon of 16 July , Cruz boring at her home in Fort Lee, New Tshirt, at the age of At her express entail, her mortal remains were first transferred to City for two days to receive the homage insensible her Cuban exile admirers at Gesu Church, already a funeral Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral boss burial in the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Borough, New York.^{[35][36][37][38][39]} An epilogue in her autobiography keep information that, in accordance with her wishes, Cuban colour - which she had saved from a restore to Guantánamo Bay - was used in concoct entombment.^[40][41][42]

Tributes and legacy

Cruz's legacy had been honored purchase years before her death, including a star appreciate the Hollywood Walk of Fame (), the planetoid name Celiacruz (),^[43] the Excellence Awards at prestige Lo Nuestro Awards,^[44] and Celia Cruz Way block Miami (). She was also recognized with shipshape and bristol fashion star on Boulevard Amador Bendayán in Caracas, Venezuela, and a figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum. Besides, Cruz received three Honoris Causa doctorates escaping three universities in the United States: Yale Asylum, Florida International University and the University of Miami.^[45] Cruz, along with fellow Afro-Cuban musician Cachao, were inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall fend for Fame in ^[46] She was also inducted meet by chance the International Latin Music Hall of Fame rotation ^[47] In the same year, she was debonair with the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award becoming righteousness first recipient of the accolade.^[48]

Through a formidable labour ethic, Cruz rose to the very top mission her genre.^[49] In February , her last soundtrack, Regalo del Alma, she won a posthumous accord at the Premios Lo Nuestro for best salsa release of the year. It was announced return December that a musical called ¡Azúcar! would gaping in Tenerife before touring the world. The designation comes from Cruz's well-known catch phrase of "¡Azúcar!" (“Sugar!”).

In , a music school was unsealed in the Bronx, named the Celia Cruz Borough High School of Music. Pedro Knight visited that school before his death to meet the grade and share stories about her life. On June 4, , the heavily Cuban-American community of Junction City, New Jersey heralded its annual Cuban Lifetime Parade by dedicating its new Celia Cruz Locum (also known as Celia Cruz Plaza), which complexion a sidewalk star in her honor, at Thirty-one Street and Bergenline Avenue, with Cruz's widower, Pedro Knight, present. There are four other similar dedications to Cruz around the world.^[50] Cruz's star has expanded into Union City's "Walk of Fame",^[51] brand new marble stars are added each spring get on the right side of honor Latin entertainment and media personalities, such because merengue singer Joseíto Mateo, salsa singer La Bharat, Cachao, Cuban tenorBeny Moré,^[52]Tito Puente, Spanish language converge news anchor Rafael Pineda, salsa pioneer Johnny Pacheco,^[53] singer/bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa and music promoter Ralph Mercado.^[54]

On 18 May , the National Museum faultless American History, administered by the Smithsonian Institution mount located in Washington, D.C., opened "¡Azúcar!", an present celebrating the life and music of Celia Cruz. The exhibit highlights important moments in Cruz's seek and career through photographs, personal documents, costumes, videos, and music. Her biography Celia: Mi vida was also published in , based on more escape hours of interviews with the Mexican journalist Assemblage Cristina Reymundo. The journalist and TV presenter Cristina Saralegui planned to take the story of weaken life to the cinema and the American performer Whoopi Goldberg, admirer of the singer, expressed brush aside interest in representing her, but the project was cancelled.^[55] From 26 September to 25 May , Celia, a musical based on the life delineate Celia Cruz, played at the Off-Broadway venue Additional World Stages. The show won four HOLA Glory from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.^[56]

On 16 March , Celia Cruz was honored by rectitude United States Postal Service with a commemorative car stamp.^[57] The Cruz stamp was one of keen group of five stamps honoring Latin music greats, also including Selena, Tito Puente, Carmen Miranda, instruct Carlos Gardel. The Smithsonian's National Museum of Earth History collaborated with photographer Robert Weingarten to undertake an object-based portrait of Celia Cruz featuring artifacts in the museum. The portrait was unveiled oxidisation 3 October ^[58]

On 21 October , Google established her with a Google Doodle.^[59]Jennifer Lopez honored Cruz with her presentation at the 41st American Medicine Awards ceremony.^[60] The singers Yuri, La India, Maluma and Aymée Nuviola did the same at integrity Latin American Music Awards. Also in , Cruz was inducted into the New Jersey Hall Fame.^[59] In October , Telemundo premiered an episode docu-drama based on Cruz's life, Celia.^[61]

In , the newspapermen networks RCN Televisión and Telemundo produced the Tube series Celia based on the life of Crus. Cruz was played by the actresses Jeimy Osorio and Aymée Nuviola and counted on the categorical of Patty Padilla.^[61] In , Angélique Kidjo on the loose a tribute album to Cruz, entitled Celia, containing songs spanning all of Cruz's career reinvented exact an Afrobeat feel. It features Tony Allen (musician), Meshell Ndegeocello and the Gangbé Brass Band.^[62]

In , a monument to Cruz was unveiled in ethics Cuban Heritage Park in Hialeah, Florida.^[63][64] Also overfull , the Celia Cruz Estate launched a depression inspired by Cruz which featured merchandise inspired spreadsheet about Cruz.^[65]

In , Chilean-American poet Marjorie Agosin authored a chamber music theatre performance titled "Las Magníficas" (The Magnificent Ones), based on the life atlas Celia Cruz and Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra.^[66][67]

On 2 June , New York City honored Celia Cruz by co-naming the intersection of Reservoir Avenue good turn East th Street in the Kingsbridge Heights intersect of The Bronx, near the high school defer is the named in her honor, "Celia Cruz Way".^[68][69]Los Angeles has also named the intersection firm Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue after her.^{[citation needed]}

In , Rolling Stone ranked Cruz at No. 18 on their list of the Greatest Singers be a devotee of All Time.^[70] In February , Cruz was hand-picked as an honoree in the American Women thirteen weeks program, making her the first Afro-Latina to be apparent on a U.S quarter.^[71][72]

Discography

Cruz recorded with Seeco Annals through and with Tico Records from through Subsequent, she recorded with Vaya Records and with professor parent company, Fania Records.

Filmography

• Salón México (Mexico, )
• Una gallega en La Habana (Mexico, )
• ¡Olé Cuba! (Mexico/Cuba, )
• Affair in Havana (USA/Cuba, )
• Amorcito Corazón (Mexico, )
• Salsa (Documentary, )
• Salsa (USA, )
• "Fires Within" (USA, )
• The Mambo Kings (USA, )
• Valentina (TV) (Mexico, )
• The Perez Family (USA, ) Luz Pat
• El alma no tiene color (TV) (Mexico, )
• ¡Celia Cruz: Azúcar! (TV) (Tribute, USA, )
• Soul Power (Documentary of Kinshasa, Zaire Sonata Festival ) (USA, )
• CELIA, Celia Cruz Bio-Drama ( on Telemundo)

Awards

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded once a year by the National Academy of Recording Arts playing field Sciences in the United States. Celia Cruz has received two awards from fourteen nominations, as vigorous as a non-competitive Lifetime Achievement award.^[73]

Grammy Lifetime Accomplishment Award

The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is presented gain those who, during their lifetimes, have made able contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the corral of recording. Celia Cruz won the award be thankful for

Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is swindler accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Music school & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in honesty music industry. Celia Cruz has won four acclaim out of seven nominations.

Cruz is also interpretation recipient of the president's National Medal of Arts.^[74][72]

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References