MIAMI.- The Foundation Celia Cruz and the Celia Cruz Legacy Project announced the launch of Celia: My Lifethe second edition of the autobiography of the singer Celia Cruz, on the occasion of the commemoration of the twentieth birthday of the death of the so-called Queen of Salsa.
He book, which was published for the first time in 2004, was written by Guarachera de Cuba herself with the collaboration of the Mexican journalist Ana Cristina Reymundo, and narrates anecdotes from the personal and professional life of one of the most beloved artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. .
The introduction was given by the legendary North American poet Maya Angelou.
“Much has been written about Celia, but the world needs to hear her story told by herself, in her words and without detours. It seems incredible to me that twenty years have passed since Celia left us. I promised her that as long as I lived, her name and her legacy would remain intact for future generations,” said Omer Pardillo-Cid, who was her last artistic representative and is currently the artist’s international executor.
The legacy of Celia Cruz
When Celia Cruz died in July 2003, more than a million people in Miami and New York waited in line for hours to say goodbye. Others paid tribute to her in small commemorative celebrations, organized in her own homes and in street festivals throughout the world.
In the following two decades, the fame and affection for this emblematic artist has grown and continues to grow daily. Celia Cruz has become the most idolized Hispanic singer in history.
From her modest childhood in Cuba to her years of exile in Mexico and her impressive career in the United States, from her extravagant dresses to her simple and reserved personality, Celia was without a doubt a woman of contrasts.
She was sincere, spontaneous and accessible to her fans, but always very private. She was uninhibited without being decadent, honest without being offensive, confident without being arrogant, and generous to a fault. However, Celia was a primarily authentic woman. And it is that authenticity of hers that characterized her that made her public come to love her so much.
This second edition includes more photographs, and expands on what happened after his death in order to continue enriching his legacy.
Celia: My Life It is the celebration of the life of a woman gifted with extraordinary talent, passionate, hard-working, with an indestructible faith in God and humanity.
Celia Cruz was a person jealous of her privacy, so her private life, without constituting a mystery, was never in the public domain. Therefore, this work allows us to get closer to her memories and is, at the same time, a journey through the history of Latin music of the last sixty years. Likewise, the autobiography is the story of Celia Cruz’s family life, her childhood, her friendships, her love for her husband and, finally, her acceptance of the illness that would end up causing her death. her.
The result is a vivid portrait of a woman of extraordinary personality both artistically and privately. Celia: My Life It is a magnificent document about a life, a time and a way of thinking, essential for admirers of the singer and popular music.
Recently, Celia Cruz’s image was immortalized by the toy manufacturer Mattel in a Barbie doll as part of the Inspiring Women series, and in March 2024 the United States Department of the Treasury will honor the artist as one of the four women selected women whose face will be captured on a United States 25-cent coin, as part of the American Women Quarters program.
