Celia Cruz
Celia’s year! The global star continues to have an impact, inspiring new generations with her legacy
Latina Powerhouse Top 100 is an annual initiative celebrating the most influential, empowering, and inspiring women in our community. In celebration of this tradition, we recognize Latinas with outstanding professional achievements and impactful stories. This year, with great admiration, we are pleased to honor ‘the Queen of Salsa’, Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad de la Santísima Trinidad Cruz Alfonso, also known as Celia Cruz.
Celia is more current than ever. Although she passed away 20 years ago, her musical legacy has endured. Her vibrant personality was one of a kind. She was known for her contagious smile and wholehearted love for her fans. Celia’s unconditional love for her husband, Cuban-American trumpeter Pedro Knight, lasted forty-one years, until her death in 2003. He was her biggest fan and supporter.
Pioneer, visionary, and tireless worker, Celia stood out in a world predominantly dominated by men. The Cuban-American conquered the world with her art. Fans continue supporting her through her music, movies, and even her famous phrase, “Azúcar!.”
The United States Mint recently revealed that the Cuban-American artist is the first Latina who will have her own 25-cent coin, which will enter circulation in 2024.
And if this were not enough, 2023 has already been a historic year for her. Celia became the only Latina in the top 20 of the list of the 200 best singers of all time published by Rolling Stone magazine. Atop the list is the famous American artist Aretha Franklin.
Additionally, there is an exhibition in Miami – curated by Omer Pardillo Cid, who served as her manager – that reconstructs the artistic career of “La Guarachera de Cuba” called Forever Celia!, which is housed at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora. Through objects, awards, costumes, photos, and archival videos, the work of the singer who began her career in a working-class neighborhood in Cuba and ended up becoming a global icon and one of the most important voices of the 20th century, is fully recognized.
Life is still a carnival
‘La vida es un carnaval’ (Life is a Carnival), one of Celia’s iconic songs, continues to be an anthem throughout Latin America and beyond. It is a universal ode that encourages people to continue searching for the positive even when things do not go as planned. Celia’s roots were humble. Thanks to her musical and personal convictions, she achieved her dreams at a time when black women were highly scrutinized in the music industry. Time was on her side, as her work earned twenty-three gold albums, three Grammy Awards, four Latin Grammy Awards, and the President’s National Medal of Arts. In 2004, ‘La vida es un carnaval’ was included in Rolling Stone’s list of 500 best songs of all time.
“Music has been my hope, it gave me the courage to rise from poverty and touch the universe” –Celia Cruz –
Trendsetter
Celia’s style was a bold testament to fashion. Whether it was in concerts or at award ceremonies, her signature style and innovative approach set her apart. Celia’s iconic extravagant dresses, wigs of all shapes and colors, and the shoes she designed herself (and repurposed numerous times to continue matching her new outfits) complemented her artistry. Her fashion sense was already prominent as a young artist in Cuba in the 1950s. Even Jennifer Lopez did not hesitate to recreate ‘La Guarachera’s’ costume during her 2013 American Music Awards presentation.
The rebirth of an identity
It was not until the 1970s that young Latinos, especially Puerto Ricans and Cubans in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, started to embrace Salsa. At that time, youth were more interested in Rock and Roll than in the music of their countries of origin.
Her distinctly recognizable voice resonated with her musical message, reaching young people and simultaneously paving the path for women in Salsa. Named the undisputed queen of the genre, she continues to be the artist of the last four decades and beyond. Celia captivated all ages. At a concert in California, there was a 10-year-old fan and a 100-year-old fan. Celia had the power to connect with her audiences through her voice, which quickly earned critical acclaim.
“I was listening to the radio in Cuba the first time I heard Celia’s voice. I couldn’t believe the voice. It was so powerful and energetic. I swore it was a man, I had never heard a woman sing like that” –Tito Puente –
Her great achievements
The ‘Guarachera of America’ can be found on a dedicated Celia Cruz United States Postal Service stamp. It includes the image of ‘The Queen of Salsa,’ which is part of the Forever Stamps collection. She is one of five Latin legends who have been honored by the philatelic community in the United States alongside other illustrious artists including Selena, Carmen Miranda, Tito Puente, and Carlos Gardel. These five Latin legends represent different musical genres whose contributions have impacted American culture.
Celia’s achievements, successes, and recognitions are endless making her omnipresent. A Barbie doll of Celia has just been launched after the 2021 announcement, made by Mattel, where they revealed the image of the doll. This long-awaited creation was finally available to the public and was sold out within hours.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and as part of the famed brand’s ‘Inspiring Women Series’, Barbie Celia Cruz pays tribute to notable women of her time. The company’s official statement describes these figures as: “Brave women who took risks, changed rules, and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever.“
The legacy continues. Long live Celia!
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Thank you Omer Perdillo for your invaluable kindness and for sharing Celia’s world with us. As you noted, Celia Cruz loved ¡HOLA! and we love her back. Her legacy will continue inspiring new generations of Latinas across Latin America and the United States.
