[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            A VOICE OF CUBA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2003

  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on July 16, 2003 
Mrs. Celia Cruz passed away, however, her legacy will be eternal. Celia 
Cruz was a musical genius and an extraordinary human being, dedicated 
to improving the lives of all, to the most admirable humanitarian 
causes, and with a profound love for Cuba and her people. Celia Cruz's 
exceptional life is a model and inspiration to all people. Her blessed 
voice combined with her gentle soul brought comfort and happiness to 
every corner of the planet.
  Mrs. Cruz was not only the Ambassador of free Cuba's music, she 
represented the finest qualities of Cuban-Americans and Cuban exiles, 
and was a constant voice for freedom on the oppressed island nation.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Cruz died longing to return to a free and 
democratic Cuba, but as Reverend Martin Anorga so eloquently stated 
during her funeral mass, ``Celia did not leave Cuba because she took 
Cuba with her when she left.''
  Hundreds of thousands of people of all nationalities paid their 
respects and tribute to the ``Queen of Latin Music'' in Miami and New 
York. Even at the moment of her death Mrs. Cruz made certain that her 
physical passing would be a celebration of the happiness she embodied.
  The passing of Celia Cruz is cause for deep pain. I send my deepest 
condolences to her husband, another great Cuban, Pedro Knight.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the record an editorial by 
The Washington Post which appropriately honors the life and legacy of 
Celia Cruz.

                            A Voice of Cuba

       Sugar is a symbol of Cuba, not only a core industry but a 
     key ingredient of its history and heritage and a timeless 
     reminder of both sweeter and grittier times for the island's 
     people. And in Spanish, ``Azucar!'' was also the signature 
     trill of Celia Cruz, whose voice has embodied the sound of 
     Cuba for decades.
       Ms. Cruz, who died Wednesday of brain cancer, was the voice 
     of a generation, and the one after, and the one after that. 
     She started out singing lullabies to her nieces and until the 
     end continued to shake what her mama gave her. Young couples 
     in the 1950s swayed to her rhythms as part of the band La 
     Sonora Matancera; those same couples' grandchildren got down 
     to her single ``La Negra Tiene Tumbao,'' whose album won a 
     Latin Grammy in 2002.
       When Ms. Cruz defected from Cuba in 1960, her songs were 
     banned in her home country, though in recent years Cuban 
     aficionados could listen to her hits by tuning into Miami 
     radio stations. At first, the sensation who left behind 
     stardom in Cuba and sought liberty in the United States had 
     no easy time; her efforts for the next decade stumbled. But 
     like so many immigrants seeking the American dream, she 
     eventually made it: That clear, operatic voice could not be 
     denied.
       Hers was a talent that reached far beyond her own culture. 
     In concert, she charmed audiences throughout Latin America, 
     Europe, Africa and Asia, and Ms. Cruz's more than 70 records 
     became a clarion call for music lovers worldwide. She moved, 
     effortlessly between the Afro-Cuban rhythms of her youth to 
     the salsa she defined and redefined; later in her career she 
     embraced hip-hop style and transformed it into eye-popping 
     music videos. For her, it was all part of the same music and 
     a shared experience.
       Unlike so many celebrities of the modern era, Ms. Cruz knew 
     firsthand of the atrocities of communism in Cuba, and she 
     spoke frankly of her time and challenges there. Ms. Cruz's 
     voice instantly fills a room with the feel of swaying palm 
     fronds and cigar smoke, bringing back memories of a Cuba 
     before Fidel Castro's dictatorship. But her art transcended 
     any political agenda. Ms. Cruz always remained a lady, coy 
     about her age and decked out in extravagant outfits even in 
     her last public appearances--accompanied nearly always by her 
     husband of 40 years, Pedro Knight.
       For thousands of Cuban exiles, listening to her music will 
     remain a time machine, a connection to a homeland that in 
     many ways no longer exists. She, like so many others of her 
     generation, was never able to return to the free Cuba for 
     which she longed. But her message was also one of hope, 
     inspiring fans of all nationalities with her indomitable 
     voice, ringing at once with grace and perseverance every time 
     she cried out, ``Azucar!''

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