Celia Cruz
Personal Information
Born: 1925
Died: 2003
Country of Birth: Cuba
Nationality: Cuban-American
Ethnicity: Afro-Latina, Hispanic
Education
Normal School for Teachers Havana Cuba; Havana's National Conservatory of Music
Professional Life
Field of Study: Singer, political activist
Institution/Corporation: None found
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Degrees: Yale University, Florida International University, University of Miami
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1994 National Medal of Arts; Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; Star on Miami's Calle Ocho; 1990 Excellence Award, Lo Nuestro Awards; 1994 Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame; 1999International Latin Music Hall of fame; 1999 Latin Heritage Award, ASCAP; 2013 New Jersey Hall of Fame
Achievements: will appear on US coin quarter in 2024 as part of the American Women Quarters Program; won 3 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award) & 4 Latin Grammys; 1st Afro-Latina on US currency; 1st Afro-Latina to sing in Spanish on American TV & perform at Carnegie Hall; outspoken advocate against the regime of Fidel Castro
her signature catchphrase is Azucar which translates to sugar
she is known as the "Queen of salsa" or "the Queen of Latin American Music"
a high school & nearby street in the Bronx New York is named for her
she would always answer her fan mail by hand
a replica of her dressing room & a video loop of her putting on her make-up are on display at the "Celia Cruz Forever" exhibit in Miami's Tower theater & the displays contain numerous items she always traveled with including her statues of The virgin, her birth certificate, a rosary, a photo of her mother & her champagne glasses, other items on display there are her make-up, her favorite perfume (Shalimar) & her collection of fans
at the time of her death she had over 100 dresses including 1 she named El Sol or The Sun that weighed 42 pounds
approximately 40 of her dresses have been donated to the Smithsonian American Art Museum including a silver one she wore while performing at Cuba's famous tropicana cabaret over 70 years ago
22 of her dresses have been donated to the future American Latino Museum which is still in the planning stage
she had over 100 wigs & often wore one she named Maria Auxiliadora & an orange one that sold in a 2022 auction for $3,000
was not allowed to return to Cuba after touring in Mexico in 1960
Fidel Castro denied her permission to return to Cuba for her mother's funeral
was eventually allowed to return to Cuba in 1990 & before she left she gathered some Cuban soil & took it with her back to the US & it was buried in her coffin pursuant to her final wishes
2 of her rumba dresses & a pair of custom-made gold platform shoes are part of the "Entertainment Nation"exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of american History
was ranked #18 in Rolling Stone's list of 200 Greatest Singers
became an American citizen in 1965
performed in Zaire as part of the Rumble in the Jungle (boxing match between Muhammed ali & George Fraiser)
2011 US Postal Service issued a stamp with her picture
2015 Telemundo premiered an 80-episode docu-drama based on her life