![]() As a proud Afro-Cuban exile musician living in the US, Cruz faced unmatched racism as both an Afro-Cuban woman, who fled authoritarian Cuba for the US forcing her to assimilate into an environment where her Spanish culture and immigrant status was “tolerated” since she fled communism. Facing indifferent rejection, despite several albums with Sonora Matancera bandleader Tito Puento, Cruz failed to succeed in the racially segregated music market of the 1960s-70s. Upon her arrival in New Jersey, miles from the bustling NYC music scene, Cruz was quickly drawn to the novel musical style of salsa, which fuses traditional Hispanic music with Caribbean sounds and african traditions. Evidently, as Castro’s power soared and threatened Cruz’s freedom, Havana’s once thriving nightlife and club scene evaporated, forcing Cruz and the Sonora Matancera to flee Cuba for the United States, seeking refuge and greater opportunities for their music and ideas. Despite Cruz’s shining career start, Cruz had to contend with the upheaval of the Cuban Revolution and the authoritarian rise of Fidel Castro, who she vocally criticized through her music and platform. During her tenure with Sonora Matancera, Cruz released Canta Celia Cruz (1956) and headlined at Havana’s Tropicana Club. Finally, getting her career breakthrough, Cruz starred in various Mexican films and dominated the silver screen. Cruz would become a common fixture on television and radio across Cuba. Fast forward to the 1950s, when Havana was emerging as a bustling center of Latin music and culture, Cruz started her career as a singer for the orchestra band Sonora Matancera and became its first black lead singer. ![]() From her youth onward, Cruz’s music embodies the rich and centuries old customs of Santeria and other African beliefs fused with the Spanish language. ![]() As an Afro-Latina woman, Cruz was raised believing in the diasporic religion of Santeria which fuses West-African folklore traditions and music orally preserved by African enslaved people in the Caribbean. Born in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, 1925, Cruz was born of humble beginnings and would become a fixture in dance halls and clubs during her 20s. “ no es una pasa de moda]” sings the legendary Celia Cruz, the iconic Queen of Salsa and arguably, one of the most synonymous singers with Cuban music. ![]()
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