Cruz, Celia (1925-2003), a Cuban-born singer, was the greatest female singer in the salsa style of music. Popularly known as la Reina de la Salsa (the Queen of Salsa), Cruz performed for more than 50 years in both Cuba and the United States. Cruz became internationally famous for her powerful voice, her exciting scat singing (singing wordless syllables instead of lyrics), her colorful costumes, and her skill at engaging the audience during her performance. She recorded more than 70 albums.
Cruz was born in Havana, Cuba, on Oct. 21, 1925. Her full name was Ursula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso. She began singing as a youngster. In 1950, she joined the band La Sonora Matancera, one of the top tropical bands of its day.
In 1960, La Sonora Matancera left Cuba for a job in Mexico. Rather than return to Cuba, which had come under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro the year before, Cruz and the band went to the United States. She became a permanent U.S. resident in the early 1960’s and a U.S. citizen in 1977. Cruz left La Sonora Matancera to begin her career as a soloist in 1965. She recorded albums with such Latin bandleaders as Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Johnny Pacheco, and Tito Puente. At the end of her career, Cruz was also performing disco and hip hop music. Cruz died on July 16, 2003.
