Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz in Paris, France, April 1980
Background information
Birth name	Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso
Also known as	La Reina de la Salsa, La Guarachera de Cuba
Born	(1925-10-21)October 21, 1925 Havana, Cuba
Died	July 16, 2003(2003-07-16) (aged 77) Fort Lee, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Salsa, bolero
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1948–2003
Labels	Fania Records, RMM Records & Video, Sony Discos
Website	Official website

Celia Cruz (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a Cuban-American salsa performer. She earned twenty-three gold albums. She was called the "Queen of Salsa" as well as "La Guarachera de Cuba."^[1]

She spent most of her career living in New Jersey. She worked in the United States and several Latin American countries. Leila Cobo of Billboard Magazine once said "Cruz is indisputably the best known and most influential female figure in the history of Cuban music."