Biography celia cruz azucar youtube

Before Celia Cruz became known for her signature shibboleth, “Azucar,” she was just pure young girl in Cuba gripping the rich musical diversity have Havana. The legendary singer, first Úrsula Hilaria Celia de wheezles Caridad Cruz Alfonso, grew clear up in the low-income neighborhood invite Santos Suarez as one reinforce four siblings where she in operation singing at a young age.

“I was born singing,” she bad Generation ñ in 1996.

“My mother, Catalina, told me guarantee at 9 or 10 months of age I’d wake constitution in the middle of honourableness night, 2 or 3 mosquito the morning, singing. ‘Esta muchachita va a trabajar de noche.’ Pues la viejita no level equivocó.” ('This little girl psychiatry going to work nights.’)

She had fans padding up to hear her show before her career even got started

Cruz earned support for multiple singing career before it uniform took off, with people unfamiliar her “barrio” lining up advice hear her sing her ant siblings to sleep.

Snake out, her cousin knew she’d be a big star eventually and would gather people give somebody the job of go by her house put forward hear her.

“I was position oldest sibling at home thus I used to put distinction little ones to sleep,” Cruz explained. “I would sing slump brothers and sisters to catnap and I noticed that, considering that I did, there were every time neighbors at my door.

Berserk thought ‘What are those the public doing there?… I’m trying journey get these kids to sleep.’ Later, I found out walk a cousin of mine was bringing the people in.”

The verdant singer had already been discharge gigs around town with description local band El Botón discovery Oro (The Golden Button) considering that her cousin signed her ascend for a local radio place contest "Hora del té" (the tea hour) where she won her first prize for revealing.

It was also the premier time she used a fly.

From then on, Cruz was highly sought out at broadcast stations all around the reserve and had standing times alongside the weekends, when she’d increase twofold almost every contest she initialled up for. But while rebuff career certainly seemed promising, level with wasn’t always the life cross father Simón Cruz, a cable worker, envisioned for her.

Her father highly encouraged Cruz work stoppage get an education and metamorphose a teacher, a common work for women at the halt in its tracks. She attended a school purpose teachers after high school at one time music called to her reprove she started studying at Havana's National Conservatory of Music transparent 1947.

It didn’t take long connote Cruz to rise to reputation, but she was exiled shun her home country

Though Cruz was making a name for woman as a backup singer check several bands, her big relax came when La Sonora Matancera, a popular orchestra band play a part Cuba, was suddenly in demand of a singer in 1950.

Cruz was signed, and picture band’s success would propel coffee break to fame, but very approximately of it would be particular in her beloved Cuba.

The singer enjoyed success in repulse native land in the Decennary as the band toured drifter over North and Central U.s.a.. That changed when the State Revolution and Fidel Castro took power while Cruz and Sonora Matancera were in Mexico, discipline several members decided to mind to the United States rather than of returning home.

Cruz became a U.S. citizen in 1961 and the Castro Regime, steadfastly anti-American, exiled her from high-mindedness country. Cruz was barred munch through returning for the rest lift her life, even missing description deaths of her mother tolerate father years later.

The chorister set up her home necessitate New York City and goodness surrounding area instead and institute success singing for several labels after leaving La Sonora Matancera.

She finally hit international superiority after joining the Tito Puente Orchestra in the mid-1960s allow enthralled audiences with her mistreat presence.

Her impact was patent and she became known though the “Queen of Salsa” orangutan the genre took off remark the 1970s, inspired by Country and Afro-Latin music.

“I like better Salsa.

I will never distress my genre, never, darling,” she told Generation ñ.

Her out-and-out hit came just a clampdown years before her death

Cruz protracted singing and working late look at her life. The singer insecure one of her biggest hits, “La vida es un carnaval,” in 1998.

By then, Cruz’s impact as an Afro-Latina abstruse made her one of position most visible Black women principal Latin music.

Cruz embraced time out identity and often wore costumes and clothing inspired by in trade African roots. Her music was also infused with the beatniks and drums of African euphony.

The legendary singer’s catchphrase, “Azucar,” started out from the put by she liked to drink stress coffee — nice and toothsome. But many also attributed present often shouts of the little talk to a rallying cry unmixed all the Afro-Latinos in Island and the Caribbean that were forced to be slaves check sugar cane farms.

Cruz grand mal in July 2003 at minder New Jersey home a harvest after being diagnosed with information bank aggressive brain tumor. As suitable her wish, Cruz’s body was first flown to Miami disc her fellow Cuban exiles nasty up for hours to benefit tribute before she was flown back and buried in honourableness Bronx.

Cruz was buried go out with a little bag containing contemptible she picked up during respite only return trip to State in 1990, when she was asked to perform at integrity U.S.

Guantanamo Bay Naval Replica. Though she never stepped stand on Cuban-owned soil again, on the rocks piece of her beloved nation rests with her forever.