Hispanic Star: Celia Cruz

Before she became the reigning Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz was just a girl from Havana who loved to sing. Her soulful voice, compelling charm, and unstoppable determination resulted in a meteoric rise to fame that opened the door for Latinx performers everywhere. Her booming career led to the rising popularity of salsa, a genre born of Cuban and Afro-Latin musical stylings. Six decades and seventy albums later, her influence still has an undeniable hold on today’s music.

Hispanic Star brings a new set of role models and heroes to the limelight, celebrating the Hispanic and Latinx community by showcasing the remarkable contribution of our community not only as an integral part of American culture, but also as an undeniable force in shaping its future, inspiring young readers to feel pride over their heritage.