[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E831-E832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING CELIA CRUZ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 31, 2009

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the life and work of Celia Cruz, an icon of Latin culture and 
Cuban music. Despite her passing in 2003, Celia's contributions 
continue to shape music and inspire others. She lives on as one of the 
most successful Cuban performers of the 20th century.
  Known around the world as the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz dedicated 
her life to music and the arts. Her 50 year career included 70 albums, 
countless gold and platinum records, hundreds of awards from 
prestigious institutions worldwide and three Grammy Awards and four 
Latin Grammy Awards.
  Born in Havana, Cuba, she enrolled in the National Music Conservatory 
at a young age and studied musical theory, voice and piano. In the 
1950s she joined the legendary group La Sonora Matancera and wrote many 
songs that have come to define Afrocuban music. In 1960 she left Cuba 
in search of freedom and in 1961 came to the U.S. By then she was 
recognized worldwide and the Salsa phenomenon soon spread across the 
U.S. and Europe.
  In 1987, Celia Cruz was given a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 
and years later Miami's famed ``Calle Ocho'' was named ``Celia Cruz 
Way.'' Among other honors, including Lifetime Achievement Awards, Celia 
was invited to the White House in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and 
awarded the National Medal of the Arts, the highest honor our country 
bestows upon an artist. Most recently, her life and work were featured 
in Azucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz, an exhibit at 
the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in D.C.
  Celia Cruz is remembered for many things, including her distinct 
voice and unique style, but her trademark remains the popular word she 
often chanted: Azucar, Spanish for sugar. Celia added sugar, spice and 
Latin flare to everything she did in life and never failed to surprise 
her audience. Despite her many professional accomplishments, many 
consider her marriage to lifelong partner and husband, Pedro Knight, 
her biggest success.
  Celia Cruz's death on July 16, 2003 brought to an end a life filled 
with a love for art, culture and music, but her legacy lives on each 
time her music is played. She has undoubtedly left a footprint on Latin 
music and her influence will forever be felt through the work of 
artists around the world. As we celebrate Women's History Month, I ask 
you to join me in honoring the life, work and music of Celia Cruz,

[[Page E832]]

our Queen of Salsa, so that her legacy may live on for generations to 
come.

                          ____________________