Celia Cruz Quotes | Quotes of famous people

Celia Cruz Quotes

Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso , known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban 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". In the following decades, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa" due to her contributions to Latin music. She had sold over 10 million copies, making her one of the best-selling Latin music artists.She began her career in her home country Cuba, earning recognition as a vocalist of the popular musical group Sonora Matancera, a musical association that lasted 15 years . Cruz mastered a wide variety of Afro-Cuban music styles including guaracha, rumba, afro, son and bolero, recording numerous singles in these styles for Seeco Records. In 1960, after the Cuban Revolution caused the nationalization of the music industry, Cruz left her native country, becoming one of the symbols and spokespersons of the Cuban community in exile. Cruz continued her career, first in Mexico, and then in the United States, the country that she took as her definitive residence. In the 1960s, she collaborated with Tito Puente, recording her signature tune "Bemba colorá". In the 1970s, she signed for Fania Records and became strongly associated with the salsa genre, releasing hits such as "Quimbara". She often appeared live with Fania All-Stars and collaborated with Johnny Pacheco and Willie Colón. During the last years of her career, Cruz continued to release successful songs such as "La vida es un carnaval" and "La negra tiene tumbao".Her musical legacy is made up of a total of 37 studio albums, as well as numerous live albums and collaborations. Throughout her career, she was awarded numerous prizes and distinctions, including two Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. In addition to her prolific career in music, Cruz also made several appearances as an actress in movies and telenovelas. Her catchphrase "¡Azúcar!" has become one of the most recognizable symbols of salsa music.

Wikipedia

✵ 21. October 1925 – 16. July 2003

Celia Cruz: 4 quotes 1 like

Famous Celia Cruz Quotes

“I was having dinner at a restaurant in Miami, and when the waiter offered me coffee, he asked me if I took it with or without sugar…I said, ‘Chico, you’re Cuban. How can you even ask that? With sugar!’”

Celia Cruz

On the origin of her catchphrase "Azúcar"; from a 2000 interview quoted in “Celia Cruz, 77; Queen of Salsa’s Passing Marks the End of a Musical Era” https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-17-me-cruz17-story.html in Los Angeles Times (2003 Jul 17).

The quote is discussed in Why Did Celia Cruz Say, "Azúcar"? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaHb_ms1YkAWhy in the Smithsonian Music Channel.

“Women are afraid to sing salsa…I don't know why; maybe they think it's for men. I am not a composer, or a soneo, a singer and a poet, which is very difficult. But I think everybody can sing everything.”

Celia Cruz

On the gender stereotypes surrounding salsa singers in “CELIA CRUZ: AT THE TOP OF SALSA” https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/19/arts/celia-cruz-at-the-top-of-salsa.html in New York Times (1985 Nov 19).

“When people hear me sing…I want them to be happy, happy, happy. I don't want them thinking about when there's not any money, or when there's fighting at home. My message is always felicidad - happiness.”

Celia Cruz

On what she hopes for her audience in “CELIA CRUZ: AT THE TOP OF SALSA” https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/19/arts/celia-cruz-at-the-top-of-salsa.html in New York Times (1985 Nov 19).

“I never talk about age, but I was born singing. My mother, Catalina, told me that at 9 or 10 months of age I’d wake up in the middle of the night, 2 or 3 in the morning, singing "esta muchachita va a trabajar de noche."”

Celia Cruz

Pues la viejita no se equivocó.

On her first time singing, part of her Interview with Generación Ñ http://generation-ntv.com/writing/celia-cruz-1996 in 1996.

A similar statement in shown in the BBC Arena documentary "My Name Is Celia Cruz" https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qmxcl from 1988.