Listen to 100 Años de Celia Cruz for free on Apple Música Uno on October 16 at 11am PT HERE
Apple Music subscribers can listen anytime on demand HERE
See below for key quotes from the special — if you chose to cover please credit Apple Música Uno
Sergio George recalls to Apple Music about working with her on the album 'La Negra Tiene Tumbao'
Sony brought me in to make a record with Celia. She only had one album left to do, and they wanted it to be salsa. They asked for a Fania-style album, so I made one, and it sounded fine, but I’m a restless guy, and it felt kind of boring. I kept telling Celia, “Celia, I’m one song short.” They’d hired me for ten tracks, I’d done nine, and I still needed one more. I was like, “Why don’t we try something new, not salsa, something called reggaeton? Let’s give it a shot and see how it turns out.” Celia, who was always open to anything, said, “Go ahead. Let’s go. Let’s give it a shot,” and that’s how it went. I could feel reggaeton was on the rise; in Puerto Rico, it wasn’t on the radio yet, but every car I passed was playing it. I was like, “This is going to blow up, and I want to get ahead of the trend—to be first, to do it my way,” and that’s how it went. I pitched it to Celia knowing it would be huge. She said yes, we recorded the song, and that’s how it went. I felt truly satisfied and happy for her. During the recording sessions, Celia kept saying she wanted to retire, as this was going to be her final album with Sony. Celia was over the moon. La Negra Tiene Tumbao was selling well, getting radio play, and reaching a new, younger audience, but a few months after that, she was diagnosed with two cancers, one of them in the brain, and she lost much of her short-term memory.
Sergio George tells Apple Music about recording what would become Celia Cruz's final album, Regalo del Alma.
I had to record that album while she had lost much of her memory. I would sing each line for her: “Celia, the first line goes like this.” I did it myself so no one would find out she had cancer. I was the only one in the studio with her, serving as engineer and singer. I’m not a singer, but we didn’t want another vocalist there who could learn the truth and tell someone. It was a total secret. We recorded nine songs like that, line by line, knowing she could die at any moment. Think about that. To me, it’s still the most significant memory of my career—that whole experience. I co-wrote the song with Fernando Osorio, the same person I collaborated with on La Negra Tiene Tumbao. We wrote it months before Celia was diagnosed. Ríe y Llora just came to me—I’m not sure why that title—but I had the song set aside until the right time. A few months later, after I found out about her cancer, I told Celia, “I have a song for you. Let’s see how you feel about it.” I played the demo for her, and she said, “Wow, I love this. It’s exactly what I’m going through right now.” The song had been written months before, completely unaware of her diagnosis. That’s life; there are no coincidences. I was deeply shaken. I attended the funeral, the wake, and the cemetery service. People gathered at the site where Celia rested, and Ríe y Llora was playing. I was overwhelmed as I stood there listening to everyone sing. The song had just been released that day, the day of her funeral, and everyone already knew it. It was incredible.
Gloria Estefan tells Apple Music about the impact Celia Cruz has had on her life
Celia Cruz was my very first musical inspiration. My mom was a total diva—she sang, danced, and was the star of her school—so music at home was just part of life. I wouldn’t even let them change my diaper unless she sang, and then I’d instantly settle down. When we moved to Miami, I was only two, and we couldn’t bring anything with us. My grandmother would send things little by little in Mango Baby Fruit boxes, since mango was the only thing I’d eat. She’d go to the airport, hand the packages to a pilot, and send my mom’s records bit by bit. The first one she sent was Celia Cruz. Mom played it nonstop around the house, dancing with the broom, filling our home with joy. By the time I was barely three, I already knew Celia’s songs by heart. So, Celia was my introduction to music, and especially to tropical music. She was among the first artists to openly criticize the Cuban government, and it cost her dearly. They denied her the chance to go to her mother’s funeral. Her entire life, she stayed true to her anti-communist beliefs, always firm in what she believed. She was an extraordinary woman. She was Celia, our diva. To me, she and Cuba are inseparable, and she continues to be my greatest professional inspiration. Today’s artists can learn a lot from Celia: first, perseverance; second, that you can keep making music your whole life while staying true to your roots, your sound, and yourself. Celia never shied away from new ideas. When they pitched La Negra Tiene Tumbao to her, she was all in, willing to do whatever was necessary. That’s Celia. She was my idol and still is. Onstage, she was ageless, unmatched, inspiring, and humble. She’s one of the people I respect most in the entire world.
Emilio Estefan Jr., tells Apple Music about writing and producing the song Por Si Acaso No Regreso
She was always so full of joy, but when she sang that song— about not being able to go back home—she just broke down crying. It was the first time she ever had to stop recording. She was a woman without age or nationality—Cuba was of course her home—but she was also a fighter who had to launch a whole new career later in life, in a totally different country, introducing salsa to the US, where hardly anyone knew it yet.
J Balvin tells Apple Music how he feels connected to Celia Cruz
Whenever I think of Celia Cruz, it’s all joy and happiness. When I close my eyes, I picture her smiling, and the word that pops up is “Azúcar.” That’s it, that’s my Latino gang, my “Let’s go.” “Azúcar.” Amazing. The wigs, always a new color. Something we had in common: hair in different colors. I feel so much love for her. Sadly, I never got to meet her—I was too young before music brought me close—but her music lives on. [starts singing] “Como Celia Cruz tengo el azúcar.”
Daniela Darcourt tells Apple Music about carving out her own path as a woman in salsa, very much following in Celia’s footsteps
I’m a massive Celia fan. After all, I play salsa and she’s the queen, but if I had to pick a single song, I think it would be Ríe y Llora, [starts singing] “Ríe, llora, que a cada cual le llega su hora.” Celia Cruz’s legacy, both for salsa and for art overall, is defined by her originality and her humanity. Her big heart made every note shine brighter than the last. When you talk about Celia, you’re talking about originality. When you talk about Celia, you’re talking about salsa.
La India tells Apple Music what she always remember about Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz means life, love. What I remember most about her is that she was tireless. She never got tired; the stage was her life. That’s why I feel like she’ll live on forever. Her legacy lives in her music, her kindness, and everything she stood for as a woman, being the only woman in tropical salsa with the Fania All-Stars. Her legacy will live on forever. Celia Cruz means life, love, support, and a truly beautiful bond that will stay in my heart forever, both musically and spiritually. She’ll always stand for greatness, discipline, hard work, and success.
Goyo tells Apple music that Celia Cruz taught her about success
It reminds us that success isn’t always about being different—it’s about being yourself. I think the most significant part of Celia Cruz’s legacy goes beyond sharing Cuban culture through salsa, son, and boleros. Cuba’s wealth of musical styles has inspired Latin America to find its own voice—not only in music, but culturally too. Celia, as a woman, stood as a role model of female empowerment, of achieving your dreams, of being brave enough to go out into the world as herself and show who she truly was. My best story about Celia Cruz: I had the chance to sing for her the first song I ever learned as a child for a comparsa—Ritmo, Tambo y Flores. If I had to pick just one song by the legendary Celia, it would be Ritmo, Tambo y Flores.
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