In 1974, Celia joined the label and recorded “ Celia y Johnny” with Johnny Pacheco. The group was central to the new sound developing in the 1960s and ‘70s – music born of Cuban and Afro-Latin mixed musical tradition – which came to be known as “Salsa.” A new record label, “Fania,” was launched, devoted solely to the genre. Her flamboyant attire and magnetic personality meteorically expanded the group’s fan base. Pedro Knight and Celia CruzĬelia joined the Tito Puente Orchestra in the mid–1960’s. In fact, Celia never returned to her homeland. Fidel Castro was so enraged by Cruz’s defection, he barred her from returning to Cuba. In 1961, she moved to the U.S., and married Pedro Knight, her longtime friend and trumpet player. Las Mulatas del Fuego CELIA IN NEW YORKĪs the Cuban Revolution raged in 1960, Celia (touring in concert in Mexico at the time), made the decision not to return to the island. Over the next years with the orchestra, her star continued to rise. In 1950, she became the lead female singer for La Sonora Matancera, Cuba’s most popular orchestra. She was hired as the singer for Las Mulatas Del Fuego, a dance group that traveled throughout Latin America. In the late 1940’s, she competed on an amateur radio show contest called “The Tea Hour.” As a result of her growing radio fame, she came to the attention of influential producers and musicians. Although her father wanted her to become a teacher, she followed her heart and chose music instead, studying voice, theory and piano at Havana’s National Conservatory of Music. Her career began in earnest as a teenager, when her aunt and cousin took her to cabarets to perform. In addition to singing her siblings to sleep, Celia sang in school productions and community gatherings. Legend has it that her first pair of shoes was actually a gift from a tourist for whom she sang. First CommunionĬelia was drawn to music from an early age. In a career that spanned six decades, Celia became the “Queen of Salsa,” and was central to the genre’s rising popularity. Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso – Celia Cruz – was born in 1925 in Barrio Santos Suarez in Havana, one of 4 children.

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