Infprmacion

BIOGRAFIA DE CELIA CRUZ
Cruz was born in the diverse Santos Suárez neighborhood of Havana, Cuba. She is the second child of fourteen children[2] born to Catalina Alfonso and Simón Cruz. Simón workedin the railroads as a stoker, and Catalina took care of the extended family.
While growing up in Cuba's diverse 1930s musical climate, Cruz listened to many musicians that later influenced her adultcareer, such as Paulina Alvarez, Fernando Collazo, Abelardo Barroso, Pablo Quevedo, Arsenio Rodríguez, and Arcaño y sus Maravillas. Celia Cruz also studied the words to Yoruba songs with colleagueMercedita Valdes (an Akpwon santeria singer) from Cuba and Celia made various recordings of this religious genre singing even back up for other female akpwons like Candita Batista.[3]
When she was ateenager, her aunt took her and her cousin to cabarets to sing, but her father encouraged her to keep attending school, in hopes that she would become a Spanish language teacher. However, one of herteachers told her that as an entertainer she could earn in one day what most Cuban teachers earned in a month. Cruz began singing in Havana's radio station Radio Garcia-Serra's popular "Hora del Té"daily broadcast, she sang the tango "Nostalgias", (and won a cake as first place) often winning cakes and also opportunities to
In 1950, Cruz made her first major breakthrough, after the lead singer ofthe Sonora Matancera, a renowned Cuban orchestra, left the group and Cruz was called to fill in. Cruz was hired permanently by the orchestra, but she wasn't well accepted by the public at first.However, the orchestra stood by their decision, and soon Cruz became famous throughout Cuba. During the 15 years she was a member, the band traveled all over Latin America, becoming known as "Café ConLeche" (coffee with milk). Cruz became known for her trademark shout "¡Azúcar!" ("Sugar!" in Spanish). The catch phrase started as the punch line for a joke Cruz used to tell frequently at her concerts....