Celia: Mi vida. Una autobiografía

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Overview

For most Latinos under seventy, there has never been a time without Celia Cruz. Her career has spanned three generations and each one harbors memories of Celia's music. So deeply is she rooted into the collective Latin consciousness that her songs can be used as benchmarks to recall specific moments in one's's life.

After her recent death, nearly half a million people stood in line for hours, filed past her casket, and paid their respects in Miami and New York. Only a beloved queen has this kind of power to summon the masses on such a grand scale. Yet, this was only a sampling of her loyal public. All over the world there were mourners that could not attend, but anxiously followed the ...

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Overview

For most Latinos under seventy, there has never been a time without Celia Cruz. Her career has spanned three generations and each one harbors memories of Celia's music. So deeply is she rooted into the collective Latin consciousness that her songs can be used as benchmarks to recall specific moments in one's's life.

After her recent death, nearly half a million people stood in line for hours, filed past her casket, and paid their respects in Miami and New York. Only a beloved queen has this kind of power to summon the masses on such a grand scale. Yet, this was only a sampling of her loyal public. All over the world there were mourners that could not attend, but anxiously followed the details on live television. Networks preempted their regular programming to bring the pageantry to the millions of adoring fans that could only be comforted by following the event as it unfolded on their TV screen. There were hours of retrospectives and tributes and even reruns of many previously televised interviews. People wanted to know more about her. They still do.

Celia was a woman of contrasts. She lived comfortably at the intersection of this contradiction. Her flamboyant costumes juxtaposed her simple and straightforward demeanor. She was open and accessible to her fans but staunchly private in her personal life. She was uninhibited without decadence; honest without offense; confident but not arrogant; and generous without fault. Her speech was simple but eloquent. One could easily miss the truth that floated in the spaces between her words. But above all, Celia was authentic and it was this authenticity that resonated so deeply with her public. They trusted her completely, even if they did not know her fully. Celia Cruz represents the pinnacle of what can be achieved with talent, hard work, faith and, most of all, guts.

The soul of Celia Cruz has remained her private domain all these remarkable years. Until now. Her rich, full life produced an extraordinary cache of archival information. Never-before-published personal pictures, notes, mementos, personal videos of Celia and Pedro touring the world and, at home and with family are but a part of what she has left us to tell her story.

This book is her story.

Based on well over 500 hours of taped interviews recorded just months before her death, this authorized, posthumous memoir will included never before told personal anecdotes, and photographs of the Queen of Salsa's extraordinary life.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
"How did a little black girl from Santos Suarez [a poor, working-class Havana neighborhood] come so far?" asks Cruz. One answer: "Only God knows why I've been so fortunate." Another explanation-that Cruz's success derived from her inimitable vocal style, passion for Cuba and its music, and her desire to keep expanding her oeuvre by recording with new artists and embracing all types of Cuban music (rumba, cha-cha, mambo, etc.)-is less a focal point of this book, but emerges nonetheless as the reason for her eventual status as "a cross-cultural, cross-generational phenomenon," according to People magazine. Cruz (1925-2003) recollects performances with many of the world's greatest musicians, including touring with the famous Sonora Matancera Orchestra and bringing salsa music to the U.S., South America, Asia and Europe. Although Cruz prefers to reminisce about her fabulous life rather than explain her connection to the music that came to define her, her autobiography, conversational in tone, neatly tells the story of a woman who bravely left her beloved homeland for a better life-and wound up bettering the lives of many others with her powerful music. Photos. (July) Forecast: This volume will no doubt reach her many, many fans, and the Celia Cruz Foundation has prepared a long list of celebrities who will be promoting the book. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Posthumous but authorized, this memoir is drawn from more than 500 hours of taped video interviews and ties into the official one-year anniversary tribute following Cruz's death. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780060726065
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 7/6/2004
  • Language: Spanish
  • Pages: 260
  • Product dimensions: 6.25 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Table of Contents

Introduccion ix
Prologo 1
1 Mi madre, Cuba 9
2 Mi epoca de oro con la Sonora Matancera 51
3 Mi exilio 85
4 Con salsa y azucar! 123
5 La Reina de la Salsa 161
6 Siempre vivire 195
Epilogo 233
Gracias 247
Discografia 249
Premios y Honores 252

First Chapter

Celia SPA
Mi Vida

Uno

Mi Madre, Cuba

Todo el mundo sabe que siempre he dicho que no quiero hacer un libro sobre mi vida. Yo preferiría hacer una película, pero no un libro. Y, sin embargo, aquí estamos. Lo hago porque cuando yo ya no esté, va a haber quien diga, «Celia era así», y otros que dirán, «No, ella era de esta otra manera». En tal caso, prefiero decirlo yo, para que nadie nunca pueda decir lo que yo pienso de mi propia vida. Nunca.

Este libro reúne mis opiniones, mis recuerdos, mis puntos de vista y mis sentimientos. Donde exista una diferencia entre mi experiencia y la de otros, sencillamente les recuerdo que cada cual ve las cosas a su manera. Este libro y estos recuerdos son los míos. ¿Y quién mejor que yo para contarlos?

Me llamo Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso. Soy hija de Catalina Alfonso, a quien todos le decían «Ollita», y de Simón Cruz. Nací en La Habana, Cuba, en la sección más pobre de un barrio de clase media y trabajadora donde vivían personas de todas las razas y colores. El barrio se llamaba Santos Suárez, y la casita donde nací y me crié estaba situada en la calle Serrano, nro. 47, entre las calles Santos Suárez y Enamorados. Como ha habido tantos cambios horrorosos en Cuba -- y desde que salí, más nunca he vuelto -- , no sé si aquella casita en la que viví todavía existe como la recuerdo.

Mi primera aparición en la escena fue el veintiuno de octubre de mil novecientos algo. Es decir, nunca divulgaré el año en que nací. Nunca me quito la edad, pero tampoco la digo. Quien quiera saber el año en que nací, tendrá que esperar. La funeraria algún día lo dirá, pero lo que soy yo, no les contaré nada. Tendrán que seguir adivinando.

El asunto de mi nacimiento fue algo muy grande entre mi tía Ana y mi mamá Ollita, ya que las dos hermanas se querían mucho. Resulta que cuando Ollita estaba en estado conmigo, a tía Ana se le murió una hijita recién nacida. La muerte de esa niñita la afectó tanto, que más nunca quiso volver a tener hijos.

Ollita estaba en La Habana cuando murió la hija de tía Ana, y puesto que tía Ana vivía a unos doscientos kilómetros, en la ciudad de Pinar del Río, mi mamá -- con un embarazo reciente -- , tuvo que viajar hasta allá para ayudar a consolar a su hermana. Cuando Ollita llegó a la casa de mi tía y de su marido, Panchito, la encontró con la niña muerta en sus brazos, rodeada de otras mujeres que le suplicaban y le rogaban que se desprendiera del cadáver. Ollita se le acercó a su hermana, y con besos y ternuras la calmó hasta que al fin soltó a su hijita, resignándose a su triste suerte.

Aunque tía Ana estaba sin consuelo, mi mamá le decía: «Ana, cuando un niño muere al nacer o cuando nace muerto, es que su alma va a regresar. Tienes tú que marcar a la bebita para que vuelva a nacer en la familia». Pero creo que mi mamá nunca se imaginó que su hermana se tomaría esas palabras tan en serio.

Prepararon a la niña difunta para el velorio y comenzaron los rezos. Pero tía Ana ni siquiera lloraba; simplemente se mantenía en silencio, con la mirada fija en el féretro. Pero de repente se levantó sin decir palabra alguna, se inclinó sobre el ataúd donde reposaba su hija, y le dijo: «Yo sé que algún día tú vas a regresar, y yo te voy a esperar. Para poder reconocerte, te voy a jorobar los deditos». Con eso, le agarró los meñiques y se los dobló hacia los pulgares hasta que se oyó un ¡crac! y todo el salón quedó en silencio.

Ollita, que estaba sentada en una silla cerca del féretro, me contó que sufrió una impresión tan grande cuando vio lo que hizo su hermana, que sintió como si alguien la hubiera golpeado en el pecho y que hasta me sintió saltar en su vientre. Me contó que se le fue el aire y que casi se desmaya, pero que las demás señoras presentes corrieron a sostenerla, darle agua y tranquilizarla con aire fresco que le echaban con abanicos de paja. Al día siguiente le dieron cristiana sepultura a mi primita difunta, y Ollita se quedó por unos días con tía Ana en Pinar del Río, antes de regresar a La Habana.

Unos meses más tarde, durante una tarde fresca, Ollita se encontraba sentada en el portal de la casa de Santos Suárez, cantando como de costumbre. De pronto sopló una fuerte brisa que la hizo taparse los brazos para protegerse del frío, y en el momento que se iba a levantar para ponerse una mantillita, oyó como si le dijeran un nombre en el oído. A partir de ese momento mi mamá supo que yo iba a ser una niña y que me llamaría Celia Caridad.

En mi amada Cuba hay sólo dos temporadas: la seca y la de lluvia, y en las dos hace mucho calor. A fines de octubre, las fuertes lluvias se calman un poco, pero aun así, todo el mundo se prepara, porque se sabe que se aproxima un fuerte calor cargado de humedad. Fue en esos días -- rodeada de cantos y rezos-- que decidí entrar en el mundo.

Como se sentía tan pesada y tan torpe, Ollita pasaba el tiempo mirándose la barriga, y ese día se la vio enorme. Con tantos fríjoles negros y arroz que se comían en esa época en Cuba, los niños nacían grandes. De hecho, mi mamá me contó que el día en que nací, su barriga se sentía tan grande y tan pesada que apenas lograba mantenerse de pie. Comprendió entonces que sólo faltaban pocas horas para que naciera, y así fue.

Celia SPA
Mi Vida. Copyright © by Celia Cruz. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Posted August 22, 2009

    ¡Esta autobiografía es excelente!

    The life, the talent and the humanity of Celia Cruz are well detailed in Mi Vida. Although she was known on every continent as La Reina de la Salsa, she managed to lead a private personal life. In Mi Vida one gets to know her as a person, her personality, her work ethic and to realize how great she really was. The book is well written, and the photos are an enhancement. Mi Vida is an inspiring book and I highly recommend it. It is available in Spanish, and there is an English translation.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 24, 2004

    TWO ANGELS SINGING FROM ABOVE

    SINCE I COULD REMEMBER MY DEARLY DEPARTED MOTHER USED TO PLAY CELIAS RECORDS. I REMEMBER THAT DURING PARTIES WE HAD THE PHONOGRAPHY THAT NEED SOMEONE TO TURN WHEREVER IT SLOW DOWN SO I WAS GIVEN A NICKEL TO KEEP THE MUSIC GOING. I REMEMBER THAT AT TIMES I GOT INTO CELIAS SINGING THAT EVERYONE WOULD YELL AT ME BECAUSE THE MUSIC HAD FINISHED AND I WAS STILL SINGING AND DANCING. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY I QUIT KEEPING THE MUSIC PLAYING FOR JUST ENJOYING READING THE ALBUM COVERS. THE YEAR CELIA DIED MY MOM HAD PASSED AWAY SIX MONTHS BEFORE AND NOW I WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE FACT THAT TWO OF MY GREATEST WOMEN HAD LEFT. BUT I WAS THRILLED THAT EVEN WHILE CELIA WAS SICK SHE WANTED TO LEAVE HER FANS A PIECE OF HER.AND I KNOW THAT MOM AND CELIA AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHERS THAT HAVE PASSED ARE IN HEAVEN DANCING THE DAYS AWAY.THANK YOU FOR KEEPING CELIAS ALIVE. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE CELIA AT THE MOVIES. LIKE CELIA I TO AM A TEACHER AND HAVE USED SOME OF HER MUSIC TO TEACH SPECIAL CHILDREN TO DANCE AND ENJOY THEIR CULTURE.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 13, 2004

    Fantastic Bio!

    CELIA:MI VIDA. UNA AUTOBIOGRAFIA is a wonderfully written BIO. I was so engrossed reading about all the interviews of this woman that I was finished with the book before I knew it. Very interesting book. I know you will enjoy it!

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