Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz was a woman who should inspire us all. She was born in Cuba on October 21,1925. She was an inspiring singer whose voice floated into people's hearts and souls. However, like many people, she had some obstacles to overcome. In Cuba, she was known for her own type of unique style but she would not get enough of what she needed. She was betrayed by her country, and got very sick. She was a great inspiration for everyone that wanted to be famous. Actually people that were "better known than her" started looking up to her. She became known as Cuba's Guarachera. She actually made twenty-two gold albums. That's a record! But she started to become very sick, having surgery after surgery over and over again. Then she would spend days or weeks in seclusion or in the hospital. She lost all her hair and had to wear wigs. It was a wonder how she lived always smiling and saying "Azucar" which meant sugar. She was a great inspiration to everyone, no matter what you were interested in.

Celia Cruz began her career in a program called "La Hora De Te." She also appeared in many talent searches in Cuba. She won many of those talent searches and got to move on to the next phases. But she still continued recording for Cuban radio stations. In 1950, she made her first major breakthrough. She became lead singer in a Cuban band named "La Sonora Matanzera." She was, at first, not known very well but then she became very well-known with her sweet flowing melodic voice and the band switched its name to "Cafe Con Leche." Over the next five years that she was with the band, she traveled all over Latin America. After that she made the biggest decision of her life. She was not getting the opportunities, the amount of money, or the attention she deserved. She decided to move to the United States of America!

In 1960, in the aftermath of the Cuban revolution, Celia Cruz moved to the United States of America. In 1961, she and her orchestra started to perform in the Hollywood Palladium. Then in the next year she married her trumpet player, Pedro Night. After that she kept on playing for Cuba and she always thanked the people of Cuba for her success. In 1965, she and Pedro Night left the orchestra. Later in the 1990's, her mom died and she wanted to go Cuba for her funeral but she was denied. She was heart broken that the government of her native country betrayed her and did not let her go back to Cuba. In fact some of her music was never played in Cuba. How would you feel if the people that you thought loved you the most turned their backs on you the moment you left them. If that is not a struggle, then I don't know what is. I can only guess only few people have had that done to them. Celia Cruz had been betrayed by her country's cruel government. That was just the beginning of all the struggles that she had to go through.

In early 2003, Celia Cruz was very ill. She was also struggling in keeping up with all the new artists and she was not exactly as young as she acted. Celia had a terrible arthritic knee problem and immediately had to be operated on. But the Guarachera of Cuba wanted to continue as much as she could and was ready to go back to work. She continued for a little while, struggling for her career and always showing her smile.

Celia Cruz became very well known for her own unique type of style. She could hit high pitches as if drinking water. She also had a great way of combining her lyrics with her feelings. She also was happy all the time. She believed in living in the present, not the past or the future. "If anything happens, it is God's will and that will be mine." Celia always liked to say that. Then she was also one of the very few women to get twenty-two gold records. Celia could never be copied or immitated because there was no possible way to do that. She was unique and she was very well known as her own person not one of those artists who sings for money or fame. She sang for the love of it. She is still known as the creator of Salsa and everyone says she always will be.

My Hero is Celia Cruz because after all the struggles that she had she still managed to be a star. When I think about Celia Cruz I think about a strong brave woman who had to make a sacrifice for what she loved. She pursued her dream in becoming a heroine and that she is to me. Knowing how she has inspired all little Hispanic girls, it is touching to see how many lives she has impacted. It is also great to know that my mom's hero is also her, because it's sort of like a tradition and I plan to pass it on to my little cousins. A hero touches lives and inspires someone no matter what the person looks like. It matters what the person accomplished in his or her life as a hero. Sadly, in July of 2003, Celia Cruz passed away because of a brain tumor. A lot of memorials were held in her honor, including the street that she lived on in New York. It was renamed "Celia Cruz Way". Celia accomplished enough in her life to rest in peace.