Celia Cruz

Born in the humble Havana neighborhood of Santos Suarez in 1925, singer Celia Cruz became one of the world's most beloved musical treasures throughout her illustrious career. While her father hoped to encourage young Celia to pursue her studies and become a teacher, her obvious gifts as a singer brought her to numerous singing contests and radio appearances. Raised in a large family, Cruz soon realized she could provide more with her talent.

A 10-time Grammy nominee, Cruz's career began in Cuba, including her 15-year tenure with the conjunto La Sonora Matancera in 1950 when she was called to replace Puerto Rican vocalist Myrta Silva. Her numerous recordings and appearances with the group included tours throughout Latin America and México, where Cruz enjoyed early success appearing on television. She eventually married the group's trumpeter, Pedro Knight, who became her manager and later her musical director; she always lovingly referred to him as her cabecita de algodón ("little cotton-ball head").

Upon her arrival in the U.S. in 1960, Celia became a fixture in the salsa music genre (after leaving Sonora Matancera in 1965), and began her solo career recording and touring the world with nearly every leading figure in Latin music including Johnny Pacheco and the Fania All-Stars, Tito Puente, Willie Colón and many others. She recorded more than 100 albums (22 of them went gold) and appeared in films such as The Mambo Kings and The Pérez Family. Among her many awards and accolades are several GRAMMY awards, a Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honorary doctorates from Yale University and the University of Miami. Her death in 2003 (following her 2002 diagnosis of a brain tumor) was mourned around the world, and her loss to the Latin music world has left some very large shoes to fill. —Rebeca Mauleon