Once she came to New York, she began recording with Tito Puente, a famous Latin Music band leader in the mid-1960s. This devastated Celia and she eventually immigrated to the United States with her husband Pedro Knight. Celia attempted to return to Cuba in 1962 when her beloved mother died, but the Castro government cruelly refused her permission to attend the funeral. These brave actions sadly cost Celia her citizenship when the Communists banned her and all the members of La Sonora Matancera from entering Cuba again. She would speak out against Castro inside and outside of Cuba while on tour. She did not even look at them when she sang and refused to sing the song that Fidel Castro requested of her. Celia did not mention their name once and she dedicated her performance to the people of Cuba. Each artist there was supposed to dedicate their performance to the regime. They took away Celia’s home and all that she had worked so hard for.Ĭelia was forced to perform along with La Sonora in front of the Communists. The communists even took away people’s houses and forced them on the streets. The Castro regime confiscated private property and said it belonged to the government. The Castro Regime tortured and killed those that spoke out against their cause and beliefs. Celia was one of the few stars to speak out against the Revolution. In 1959, Fidel Castro and the Communists took over Cuba. The band’s maestro Rogelio Martinez and the band’s trumpeter Pedro Knight were instrumental in her success. Celia was on top of the Latin World and she became Cuba’s biggest star. Celia became her replacement and through her talent she took the band to new heights.Ĭelia and La Sonora traveled all over Latin America, from Mexico to Colombia to the Dominican Republic to Venezuela. Myrta Silva, the band’s previous lead singer before Celia, decided to retire due to her pregnancy and go back to Puerto Rico. In 1950, when she was 25 years old, after participating in many radio contests, Celia achieved her dream which was the first of many as she became a part of La Sonora. The support of her mother Catalina Alfonso along with her aunts played a critical role in Celia and her destiny. Celia refused to listen and participated in radio contests on Havana’s radio stations to get her name and talent before the public. He wanted Celia to be a teacher and follow his dictates. Her father, Simon Cruz, did not appreciate her talent and had other plans for her. Show business was not seen as a suitable career for a single, respectable woman of that time and the idea of her being a performer was not acceptable to her father. La Sonora was so big they were like the Earth, Wind, and Fire of Cuba. As she was developing her talent, Celia wanted to become a singer with Cuba’s most famous band, La Sonora Matancera. She would go on to study at the National Conservatory of Music. However, her natural talent could not be ignored. Although a Roman Catholic, she was exposed to and learned the musical traditions of Santeria, which is the religion that comes from the Yoruba of Africa.Ĭelia attended the Normal School for Teachers in Havana hoping to become a teacher. The music of Cuba is a vital mixture of both the European and the African, in short, a coming together of the Spanish guitar and African drum. It was unique and stirring.Īll her life, Celia absorbed and experienced the incredible musical culture that was all around her. Yet, most of these criticisms ceased when the audience heard her voice. She often felt the sting of racism and sexism as she was told she was not attractive enough or fair enough to be a star. Celia’s path to stardom was not an easy one. She was born to Simon Cruz and Catalina Alfonso. This is Celia Cruz´s Story and how she achieved this legacy.Ĭruz was born Ursula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso on Octoin the neighborhood of Santos Suárez in Cuba’s capital city, Havana. A genuine hero who through the power of her voice was the sound of Latin Music, battled prejudice, and who spoke out against Communism in Cuba. This is the story of someone who was more than a singer and role model. She was more than an entertainer she was a symbol of hope and of freedom. Jmarked the fifteen-year anniversary of the death of Cuba’s greatest singer and the undisputed Queen of Latin Music, Celia Cruz.
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