When was Celia Cruz diagnosed with the brain tumor?
She had surgery for a brain tumor in December 2002, but in February she returned to the studio to record an album, ''Regalo de Alma,'' that is due for release Aug. 5 on Sony Discos. That same month, her 2002 album, ''La Negra Tiene Tumbao,'' won the Grammy Award for best salsa album.Jul 17, 2003
What illness did Celia Cruz have?
brain cancerCelia Cruz, the Afro-Cuban singer who rose from a humble Havana home to command half a century of Latin dance music with her sonorous voice and regal yet folksy personality, died Wednesday afternoon at her Fort Lee, N.J., home after a battle with brain cancer. She was 77.Jul 17, 2003
Why did Celia Cruz yell sugar?
It's about the singer's love for sugar. “Azucar, the Life and Music of Celia Cruz” is the title of the exhibition. Although the word “azucar” technically means “sugar,” it was used by Cruz as a “war cry” and a reference to the African slaves who toiled on Cuba's sugar fields, as Perez points out.Oct 22, 2021
Is Celia Cruz still alive?
July 16, 2003Celia Cruz / Date of death
What is a famous quote from Celia?
Top Celia Cruz Quotes“My life is singing. I don't plan on retiring. ... “Singing is my life. It has always been my life. ... “You would give up your career if you lost your voice for good, or if the impresarios stopped calling, or the audiences stopped coming. ... “When opportunity presents itself grab it.
What nationality is Celia?
AmericanCubanCelia Cruz/Nationality
What did Celia Cruz always say?
Before Celia Cruz became known for her signature catchphrase, “Azucar,” she was just a young girl in Cuba absorbing the rich musical diversity in Havana.Mar 8, 2021
What is Celia Cruz story?
Celia Cruz had a successful career in Cuba as a nightclub singer before moving to the United States, where from the 1970s she was known as the “Queen of Salsa Music.” Cruz's operatic voice moved through high and low pitches with ease, and her style of improvising rhymed lyrics added a distinctive flavour to salsa.
Who was Celia Cruz husband?
Pedro KnightCelia Cruz / Husband (m. 1962–2003)Pedro Knight Caraballo was a Cuban musician, and the husband and manager of singer Celia Cruz. Wikipedia
Did Celia Cruz speak English?
I set up an advance phone interview, but was told that it would have to be conducted in Spanish because Celia did not speak English, even though she had lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years.Jul 16, 2014
Who is Celia Cruz son?
Celia Cruz's 'Son Con Guaguancó' And The Bridge To Fame In Exile Recorded five years after Cruz left Cuba for good, Son Con Guaguancó depicts the singer on the cusp of major stardom as she adapts to a new life in the United States.Feb 13, 2018
When did Celia Cruz die and how?
Celia Cruz died on September 27, 2003. She passed away in Miami, Florida at the age of 73.
What happened to Celia Cruz?
Celia Cruz died in 2003.
Where did Celia Cruz die at?
Celia Cruz died at the age of 63, on September 16th, 2003.
What did Celia Cruz accomplish?
Celia Cruz had a successful career in Cuba as a nightclub singer before moving to the United States, where from the 1970s she was known as the “Que...
When did Celia Cruz leave Cuba?
After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Havana’s nightlife all but disappeared. Along with the other members of her band, La Sonora Matancera, in 1960...
What was Celia Cruz’s early life like?
Cruz grew up in Santos Suárez, a district of Havana, in an extended family of 14. After high school she attended the Normal School for Teachers in...
What is Celia Cruz's legacy?
Cruz's legacy has been honored since years before her death, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1987), the asteroid name 5212 Celiacruz (1989), the Excellence Awards at the 1990 Lo Nuestro Awards, and Celia Cruz Way in Miami (1991). She was also recognized with a star on Boulevard Amador Bendayán in Caracas, Venezuela, and a figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum. Besides, Cruz received three Honoris Causa doctorates from three universities in the United States: Yale University, Florida International University and University of Miami. Cruz, along with fellow Afro-Cuban musician Cachao, were inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1994. She was also inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999. In the same year, she was presented with the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award becoming the first recipient of the accolade.
Where was Celia Cruz born?
Early life. Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born on 21 October 1925, at 47 Serrano Street in the Santos Suárez neighborhood of Havana, Cuba. Her father, Simón Cruz, was a railway stoker, and her mother, Catalina Alfonso Ramos, a housewife who took care of an extended family.
What is the first name of Celia Cruz?
Celia Cruz. In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Cruz and the second or maternal family name is Alfonso. Cruz in Havana, 1957. Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century.
When did Celia Cruz break up with Sonora Matancera?
Cruz's big break came in 1950 when Myrta Silva, the singer with Cuba's Sonora Matancera, returned to her native Puerto Rico. Since they were in need of a new singer, the band decided to give the young Celia Cruz a chance.
Who is Celia Cruz?
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba".
How old was Celia when she started singing?
According to her mother, she began singing as a child at 9 or 10 months of age, often in the middle of the night.
What was Celia Cruz's first movie?
She was the subject of a BBC documentary, My Name Is Celia Cruz (1988), and she appeared in the films The Mambo Kings (1992; based on a novel by Oscar Hijuelos) and The Perez Family (1995).
What group did Celia Cruz sing with?
She also recorded with La Sonora Matancera, and beginning with Canta Celia Cruz (1956; “Celia Cruz Sings”), her songs with the group were compiled as full-length albums. In addition, Cruz headlined Havana’s Tropicana nightclub in the 1950s. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Havana’s nightlife all but disappeared.
Who is the Queen of Salsa?
Celia Cruz had a successful career in Cuba as a nightclub singer before moving to the United States, where from the 1970s she was known as the “Queen of Salsa Music.”. Cruz’s operatic voice moved through high and low pitches with ease, and her style of improvising rhymed lyrics added a distinctive flavour to salsa.
Who was the Cuban dancer in the 1960s?
Another Cuban émigré, Celia Cruz, became the reigning diva of Afro-Cuban dance music in the 1960s, as it evolved into salsa with smaller ensembles comprising rhythm and horn sections and through huge contributions by a number of musicians of Puerto Rican heritage, most notably bandleaders Tito Rodríguez, Tito…. Havana.
Who is Tito Puente?
Tito Puente. …musicians, most notably Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Puente received five Grammy Awards as well as numerous other honours, and he played 200 to 300 engagements a year until shortly before his death in 2000.…. salsa.
Who was the host of Celia Cruz?
In March 2003, Telemundo produced and aired a special tribute to Celia, entitled, “Celia Cruz: Azucar!”. Hosted by Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan, it featured performances by Jose Feliciano, Patti Labelle, Gilberto Santa Rose, Arturo Sandoval, Luis Enrique and Gloria Gaynor, to list a few.
When did Celia die?
On July 16, 2002, Celia performed to a full house at New York’s Central Park Summer Stage. She died in New Jersey one year later in 2003, at the age of 77. Her songs, performances and spirit remain international treasures.
What movie did Celia appear in?
She also appeared in several Hollywood movies, including the popular 1992 film “The Mambo Kings.”. She earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts by President Bill Clinton. Celia received honorary doctorates from Yale University and the University of Miami.
How many albums did Celia Cruz have?
Celia Cruz. Over the course of an amazing career, Celia recorded more than 80 albums and songs, earned 23 Gold Records, and won five Grammy Awards.
What was Celia's first communion?
First Communion. Celia was drawn to music from an early age. Legend has it that her first pair of shoes was actually a gift from a tourist for whom she sang. In addition to singing her siblings to sleep, Celia sang in school productions and community gatherings.
When was Celia inducted into the Latin Music Hall of Fame?
A street in Miami was renamed in her honor. In 1994, Celia was inducted into Billboards Latin Music Hall of Fame with fellow Cuban musician Cachao Lopez. In 1999, she was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. On July 16, 2002, Celia performed to a full house at New York’s Central Park Summer Stage.
What is Celia's fame?
Celia was a true pioneer of AfroLatinidad, focusing on the African elements of her identity (music, lyrics and dress) at a time when it was not popular to do so.
Who Was Celia Cruz?
Celia Cruz first gained recognition in the 1950s, as a singer with the orchestra Sonora Matancera. Relocating to the United States after the ascent of Fidel Castro, Cruz recorded 23 gold records with Tito Puente, the Fania All-Stars and other collaborators. Cruz died in New Jersey in 2003, at the age of 77.
Early Years
Cruz was born in Havana, Cuba on October 21, 1925. Cruz grew up in the poor Havana neighborhood of Santos Suárez, where Cuba's diverse musical climate became a growing influence. In the 1940s, Cruz won a "La hora del té" ("Tea Time") singing contest, propelling her into a music career.
Rising Musical Career
Cruz enrolled at the National Teachers’ College but dropped out soon after since her live and radio performances around were gaining acclaim. Tempering her own growing ambitions with her father’s wish for her to stay in school, she enrolled at Havana's National Conservatory of Music.
Commercial Success
At the time of the 1959 Communist takeover of Cuba, Sonora Matancera was touring in Mexico, and members of the band decided to leave Cuba for good, crossing into the United States instead 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 to Cuba.
Death and Legacy
Cruz died in New Jersey on July 16, 2003, at the age of 77. On October 13, 2015, Celia, a drama series inspired by the legendary singer's life, debuted on Telemundo. Cruz is remembered as one of the 20th century’s most beloved and popular Latin musicians.
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Biography - A Short Wiki
Afro-Cuban singer and dancer who was called the Queen of Salsa and who has won multiple awards for her salsa albums, including Grammy Awards for Best Salsa Album for La Negra Tiene Tumbao.
Quotes
I always clean before the cleaning lady comes. If not, when I come home, I can’t find anything. Cleaning ladies are always hiding things you leave out.
Celia Cruz Death
Celia passed away on July 16, 2003 at the age of 77 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA. Celia's cause of death was brain cancer.
Celia Cruz Birthday and Date of Death
Celia Cruz was born on October 21, 1925 and died on July 16, 2003. Celia was 77 years old at the time of death.
Celia Cruz - Biography
Celia Cruz was a Cuban singer, actress who was born on October 21, 1925.

Overview
Career
Isolina Carrillo was one of the first people to recognize Cruz's ability to sing Afro-Cuban music and asked her to join her Conjunto Siboney, where Olga Guillot also sang. She later joined Orquesta de Ernesto Duarte, Gloria Matancera, Sonora Caracas and Orquesta Anacaona. From 1947, she started to sing in Havana's most popular cabarets: Tropicana, Sans Souci, Bamboo, Topeka, etc. In 1948, …
Early life
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born on 21 October 1925, at 47 Serrano Street in the Santos Suárez neighborhood of Havana, Cuba. Her father, Simón Cruz, was a railway stoker, and her mother, Catalina Alfonso Ramos, a housewife who took care of an extended family. Celia was one of the eldest among fourteen children, including her three siblings, Dolores, Gladys and Bárbaro, and she used to sing cradle songs to put them to sleep. According to her mother, she b…
Death
In August and September 2002, Cruz underwent surgery due to breast cancer. In November that year, Cruz fell during a concert in Mexico. She was diagnosed with glioma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, and underwent surgery in December. Confident, Cruz said she did not shed one tear and that she was aiming to resume her artistic career. She finished recording her last album, Reg…
Tributes and legacy
Cruz's legacy has been honored since years before her death, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1987), the asteroid name 5212 Celiacruz (1989), the Excellence Awards at the 1990 Lo Nuestro Awards, and Celia Cruz Way in Miami (1991). She was also recognized with a star on Boulevard Amador Bendayán in Caracas, Venezuela, and a figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum. Besides, Cru…
Discography
• Cuba's Foremost Rhythm Singer (1958)
• Incomparable Celia (1958)
• Mi Diario Musical (1959)
• Canciones Premiadas (1961)
Filmography
• Salón México (Mexico, 1950)
• Una gallega en La Habana (Mexico, 1952)
• ¡Olé... Cuba! (Mexico/Cuba, 1957)
• Affair in Havana (USA/Cuba, 1957)
See also
• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• Music of Cuba
• History of Cuba