Who are Celia Cruz parents?
Simon CruzCatalina AlfonsoCelia Cruz/Parents
What happened to Celia Cruz mom?
Then in 1962, Celia's mom died, and when Celia requested permission to go bury her, the Cuban embassy denied her the visa.Nov 28, 2016
Did Celia Cruz come from a poor family?
Cruz was born in Havana to a poor family, and she regularly sang her brothers and sisters to sleep. She won a radio talent contest after a cousin took her to the radio station García Serra; first prize was a cake.Jul 17, 2003
Where is Celia Cruz parents from?
Havana, CubaCruz was born “Ursula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso” to working-class parents in Havana, Cuba. Her father, Simon Cruz, was a railroad stoker, and her mother, Catalina Alfonza, cared for their extended family of 14.Aug 25, 2012
What nationality is Celia?
AmericanCubanCelia Cruz/Nationality
What ethnicity is Celia?
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....Celia CruzLabelsSeeco Records Tico Records Fania Records Barbaro Records RMM Sony Discos13 more rows
What is a famous quote from Celia?
My life is singing. I don't plan on retiring. I plan to die on a stage. I can have a headache but when it's time to sing and I step on that stage there is no more headache.
Who is 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
Why did Celia leave Cuba?
Since Celia Cruz refused to bow to the new dictator, and wanted to continue to live the life of a free artist, she had to leave Cuba. However, when her mom was ill she tried to return to see her in 1962, but was barred from entering the country by Fidel Castro.Jul 16, 2020
How did Celia get her first big break?
It didn't take long for Cruz to rise to fame, but she was exiled from her home country. Though Cruz was making a name for herself as a backup singer in several bands, her big break came when La Sonora Matancera, a popular orchestra band in Cuba, was suddenly in need of a singer in 1950.Mar 8, 2021
Did Celia Cruz have sisters?
Dolores RamosGladys BécquerCelia Cruz/Sisters
Is vivo based on Celia Cruz?
Musically, he was influenced by musical giants such as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and, of course, the Buena Vista Social Club.Jul 29, 2021
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.
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".
Who was the first singer to sing Afro-Cuban music?
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, Roderico Rodney Neyra founded the group of dancers and singers Las Mulatas de Fuego (The Fiery Mulattas). Cruz was hired with this group as a singer, reaching great success and making presentations in Mexico and Venezuela, where she made her first recordings. Shortly thereafter, Cruz began to sing on musical programs at Radio Cadena Suaritos, along with a group that performed Santería music under the direction of Obdulio Morales. With this group, known as Coro Yoruba y Tambores Batá, she made several recordings that were later released by Panart .
Who won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award?
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to those who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Celia Cruz won the award in 2016.
Where is Celia Cruz from?
The second of four children, Celia Cruz was born Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso de la Santísima Trinidad in Havana, Cuba, in 1925. Her father, Simon Cruz, was a railroad stoker and her mother, Catalina Alfonso, was a homemaker who took care of her large extended family. Cruz grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Santos Suárez, where she was exposed to diverse musicians and performers who influenced her future singing career. Cruz began performing on local radio stations and she recorded her first track in Venezuela in 1948.
Who is the Queen of Salsa?
The only female member of the legendary Fania All Stars supergroup, Cruz became known around the world as the “Queen of Salsa.”. In 1990, she won her first Grammy Award for her album Ritmo en el corazón, a collaboration with Ray Barretto.
What happened to Sonora Matancera?
After the Cuban Revolution when Fidel Castro assumed power, he prohibited the members ‘Sonora Matancera’ from returning to their homeland. The band at that time was touring Mexico. The members, including Celia Cruz decided to settle in the United States. She tried to return to Cuba in 1962 when her mother died but was denied government permission.
How many Grammys did Celia Cruz win?
Awards & Achievements. Celia Cruz won a total of eight Grammy Awards (including the Latin Grammy Awards) during her lifetime and posthumously. In 1989, she won her first Grammy Award for ‘Best Tropical Latin Performance’. Thereafter, she repeatedly won Grammys for ‘Best Salsa Album’, ‘Best Salsa Performance’, and ‘Best Tropical Traditional Album’.
Where was Celia Cruz born?
Childhood & Early Life. Celia Cruz was born on 21 October 1925, in Santos Suárez, Havana, Cuba. She was the second of four children, born to Simon Cruz, a railroad stoker, and Catalina Alfonso, a homemaker. She was drawn to music from an early age. Growing up in an extended family and being one of the eldest among fourteen children, ...
Who is Celia Cruz?
Who was Celia Cruz? Celia Cruz was a Cuban singer of Latin music and was the most popular Latin artist of the 20th century. She was well known for her operatic and poignant voice, and improvised rhythmic lyrics. Recognised globally as the ‘Queen of Salsa’, Celia Cruz was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts.
When did Celia Cruz start singing?
After winning various singing contests on radio stations, Celia Cruz’s first recordings were made in Venezuela in 1948. Soon after, her first big break happened in 1950 when she replaced Myrta Silva as a singer in Cuban band ‘La Sonora Matancera’.
When was Celia Cruz's album recorded?
Celia Cruz’s live album, ‘Celia Cruz and Friends: A Night of Salsa’ was recorded in 1999 during a concert. Some of the participants of the concert were Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, La India, et al. The album reached # 12 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart and received a Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album.
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.
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
BIOGRAPHY NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives.
Overview
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…
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, …
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