Celia Cruz, known internationally as the revered “Queen of Salsa,” was a Cuban-American singer whose career spanned over six decades, cementing her legacy as one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Her rise to fame began in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning her the nickname “La Guarachera de Cuba” while she was the lead vocalist for the popular orchestra, La Sonora Matancera. Following the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960s, Cruz immigrated to the United States and became a central figure in the booming New York salsa scene, where she collaborated with musical legends like Tito Puente and was a member of the Fania All-Stars. Known for her powerful, wide-ranging voice, dynamic stage presence, flamboyant fashion, and her iconic catchphrase, “¡Azúcar!” (“Sugar!”), Cruz recorded over 75 albums, with 23 achieving gold status, and received multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards. Her influence as an Afro-Cuban woman broke barriers in a male-dominated industry, popularizing the salsa genre globally and becoming a celebrated symbol of Afro-Cuban heritage and Latin music excellence.
