Combining a piercing and powerful voice with a larger-than-life personality and outrageous and original stage costumes, she was one of the few women to succeed in the male-dominated world of
salsa music. At her death in 2003, she was celebrated around the world as the
Queen of Salsa.
Salsa is music born in New York City, based on the rhythm of the Cuban
son and combined with other Afro-Caribbean musical genres such as the
plena, bomba, cumbia, merengue, and
rumba. As the personification of
salsa, Celia Cruz came to represent all Latinos.
“
¡Azúcar! ” highlights important moments in Cruz's life and career through photographs, personal documents, costumes, rare footage, music, and music videos. The exhibition starts with her childhood and early appearances on Cuban radio with bands such as the Sonora Matancera. It shows her later collaborations with Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, and Ray Barretto, among others. The dozen featured costumes include a dress worn for early 1950s performances in Cuba and the dress designed by Narciso Rodríguez that she wore at her last public appearance.
The exhibition title
¡Azúcar! —meaning sugar—is taken from Celia Cruz's famous rallying cry, her way of injecting the music with that extra serving of
sabor, or flavor.
