Celia Cruz

Known as the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz was a celebrated Cuban singer who achieved international fame with a long list of best-selling Spanish-language albums over a long career. She died at the age of 77 in 2003. In her career, she earned 14 Grammy Award nominations with three wins plus a Lifetime Achievement Award and four Latin Grammy Awards. She made highly praised recordings as she became one of the most famous Latin artists around the world. Born in Havana, she began singing as a child and won a local radio talent contest before studying at the Havana Conservatory. She sang and toured with the top Cuban band La Sonora Matancera and headlined at the iconic Tropicana nightclub. She moved to New York in 1961 and had stints with bandleaders such as Tito Puente, Johnny Panchco, Willie Colón and Ray Barreto and performed with the Fania All-Stars. Her earliest albums include 'La Incomparable Celia' (1958), 'Mi Diario Musical' (1959) and 'Sabor y Ritmo de Pueblos' (1965). In the early 2000s, 'Regalo Del Alma' topped Billboard's Top Latin Albums Chart while 'Hits Mix' and 'Exitos Eternos' peaked at number two. She acted in television series including 'Valentina' (1993) and 'El Alma No Tiene Color' (1997) and appeared with Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas in the 1992 feature film 'Mambo Kings'. She was active in education and received many honours including a commemorative postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service in 2011.

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