Photo: Ibrahim Arce (Narcy Studios photographer), most likely / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on October 21, 1925 in Havana, Havana Province, Cuba, Celia Cruz was a singer and actor. Celia Cruz died on July 16, 2003 at the age of 77. Recorded honors include National Medal of Arts (1994), Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album (1990), Grammy Award for Best Salsa/Merengue Album (2004) and 4 more.
My Take
Celia Cruz is pure, irrepressible life. The Queen of Salsa earned that crown honestly, rising from 1950s Havana as La Guarachera de Cuba to a global icon whose ¡Azúcar! still electrifies dance floors. What moves me most is not the staggering list of Grammys or her National Medal of Arts, but the pride and joy she carried after leaving her homeland, never letting exile dim her voice. Her sound was color, warmth, and defiance all at once. Even decades after her passing in 2003, she remains the rare artist whose energy feels genuinely undimmed by time. A true and lasting queen.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Celia Cruz
- Name (Japanese)
- セリア・クルス
- Reading
- せりあ・くるす
- Born
- October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Ox
- Origin
- Havana, Havana Province, Cuba
- Occupation
- singer / actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1994 National Medal of Arts
- 1990 Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album
- 2004 Grammy Award for Best Salsa/Merengue Album
- 2016 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album
- 2003 Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album
- 2002 Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album
- 1994 Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Celia Cruz born?
Born October 21, 1925.
When did Celia Cruz die?
Died July 16, 2003, aged 77.
Where was Celia Cruz from?
Celia Cruz was from Havana, Havana Province, Cuba.
What did Celia Cruz do?
Celia Cruz worked as singer, actor.
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