by Zeno » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:38 pm
I found this reference on the internet about Celia Cruz in relation to Oddulio Morales. It is here excerpted and auto-"translated" for your pleasure, enjoy:
"Stellar figure of afrocubana music, she already has a place assured in the history of the sort. Its race of more than five decades was recognized anywhere in the world. And one is not a done phrase: Celia is admired in all the continents, from Japan to Zaire, Canada to France its work has deserved the popular favor.
One is going away to turn a year of its physical game, because its presence in world-wide musical history stays indelible. Certain she is that before and after the same one, it has been reason for deserved tributes and reviews dedicated to her trajectory, carried out by people with more authority and knowledge than that this writes.
Although at some moment it seems to be it (to review its extensive race seems to make it inevitable) these notes single are, from the perspective of a Peruvian fan who only twice saw it in platform, a count of facts and sensations around its person.
In my country, more than three generations they heard and they danced its songs. Of her my grandfathers spoke to me when first LPs de Salsa saw me buy my and also my mother did, when she found only in the room of my house oyendo his music, as much old the LPs with the Sonant like the new ones of the Sauce of then, without hiding her admiration for that also cheered its childhood.
One does not know with exactitude when history began. He is something that Celia, very careful, always tried to maintain privily. Nevertheless we considered that the year of its birth is between 1924 and 1927.
The date and the place, on the contrary, the same Cross has mentioned them even in some of its songs. It was born 21 of October (the same day of the Panamanian Christ de Portobelo, as she says to Ismael Creek to him in the live version of Cúcala with the Fania All Stars ) in the 47 of the Mountain street, between Enamored and Holy Suárez (as she sings in the Trátame as I am of the Tribute to Benny More' II of Tito Bridge ), in Havana, Cuba.
It was second of four brothers, but she lived together to other thirteen children, between brothers, cousins and nephews, servants by Simón Cruz and Catherine Alfonso, its parents who baptized like Celia Charity. Being one of the greater ones, Celia helped to make sleep the minors singing to them, making the first uses to that voice, that already created commentaries. Nevertheless, nothing made foretell a future musical race, since as she remembers, its aspiration was to be masterful.
But nobody escapes to its destiny and, encouraged by its Serafín cousin, the Hour of You registers and wins the popular aid "'", who the radio transmitter Thousands Ten - Garci'a Serra (administered by the Popular Party Socialist, that with time would become the Communist Party of Cuba) organized looking for new talents for music. Celia sang the tango "Nostalgia"
Oriented by its father, and after finishing to its studies in the state school Republic of Mexico, amateurs registered in the Normal School for Teachers, singing in sporadic shows that allowed him to resolve these studies. When graduating it looks for advice between its professors and one of them, quite rightly urges it to leave its race of teacher, when occurring account of the talent of the young student: "As singing you will win in a day, which as masterful you will be able to gain in everything a month". Celia registers in the Conservatory of Music of Havana and supported by its mother, it overcomes the paternal resistance, and it perfects its vocal conditions.
His ídolo of that one then ones was the Empress of the Danzonete Paulina Alvarez, also black and of impressive vocal timbre like the Celia young person, who begins to appear in different radial transmitters like Cuban Radio Progress, accompanied by pianistas like Candito Ruiz and Isolina Cheek (the Dos remembered author of the Gardenias). In radio CMQ, located in Monte and Prado, it sings with the orchestra directed by David Rendón and in radio Thousands Ten first afros subjects like El vocalize his town hall of the Mercé, Pacongrí, Mi yalé, Tuñaré and Ruego to Changó.
It alternates in the famous space La Supreme Court of the Arte with Elsa Valladares and Aurora Linchetti and in other scenes (like the Martí Theater and the emitting Union Radio) with figures already consecrated like Rita Montaner, Zoraida Marrero, Ester Borja, Ignacio Bola Villa of Nieve and the teachers Gonzalo Roig and Ernesto Lecuona.
Its first professional payment receives in the Theater the Faustus where Integra to the magazine the Mulatas de Fuego, next to the vocalistas Elena Burke and Vilma Valley, in addition to a group of dancers. In Radio alternating Suaritos Chain with Obdulio Moral, Xiomara Alfaro, Mercedita Valdés and with the orchestra directed by Leonardo Timor. One says that of that then first recordings are his.
Its repertoire was based on afros and romantic songs, feeling predilection by the bolero until Blue Chain acts in Radio where it remembers that Isolina Cheek advises to him: Muchacha, you are of color and we do not have much field with the romantic thing. You must sing afros and guarachas. He mounted to me That the rumberos come, of Eliseo Grenet, and other subjects parecidos.
His first international tour happens in 1948 with the Mulatas de Fuego, produced by Roderico Neyra Rodney and includes Mexico and Venezuela where it acts in the Festival of Maracaibo and sings with Leonard Melody and its orchestra the subjects Se approaches comparsa and Comparsa barracón and with the great band of Luis Alfonso Larrai'n melodías La mazucamba and Quédate negra.
From return, always with the Mulatas de Fuego it arrives at the famous Tropicana night club and is accompanied by the Gloria Matancera, returning to the Radio Station Suaritos interpreting subjects like El crab and langosta, Cosas mejicanas and Whispering.
The great jump in its rising professional race happens in 1950 when Rogelio Martinez, director of reputed the Sonorous Matancera, contracts it to replace to borícua Mirta Silva. Celia makes debut with the group 3 of August singing En the time of colonia and No we want chaperona. The change was resisted in the beginning by the producers of the disquera Seeco, that did not understand as Rogelio fill vacancies with the very popular Silva with a novice, but Martinez offers all their confidence it, which Cross does not disappoint with its recordings debut with the group: "Cao Cao Picao Peanut" and "Siguaraya Bush", made in January 1951, that cause pleasing impression between the fanatics of, already at that time, more popular Sonant in all Cuba. "