Los Angeles Officially Declares October 17 as Celia Cruz Day in Tribute to the Queen of Salsa

Celia Cruz, the Beloved Afro-Latina Icon, is Going to Appear on the U.S. Quarter belatina
Credit: Ibrahim Arce (Narcy Studios photographer), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“Azúcar.” The word still vibrates through time, carrying the joy and defiance of Celia Cruz wherever her music plays. It was her way of commanding the world to feel alive, a single word that could lift an entire crowd into motion. This year, Los Angeles answered her call with rhythm.

At City Hall, the council declared October 17 as Día de Celia Cruz in celebration of the centennial of the “Reina de la Salsa.” The ceremony unfolded with the pulse of her legacy rather than the tone of formality. Dancers from Stephanie Stevenson Latin Dance Studio filled the marble hall with music and motion, while guests swayed softly, carried by the same rhythm that once defined a generation.

Remembering Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz was born in Havana and built a career that reshaped the idea of Latin music. Her voice moved through continents, powerful and unmistakable, turning salsa into a language of identity and pride. She earned Grammy Awards, sold millions of albums, and became a cultural force long before such recognition was common for Afro-Latina artists. Her name meant rhythm and presence. Her laughter, her gowns, and her signature cry of “¡Azúcar!” became symbols of joy that survived borders and decades.

The tribute in Los Angeles joined global celebrations honoring the hundredth anniversary of her birth. The event brought together musicians, dancers, and admirers who grew up with her records spinning through family kitchens and neighborhood parties. Among them was Mellow Man Ace, a fellow Cuban musician whose presence bridged generations of artists inspired by her fearlessness.

In 2024, her image appeared on a United States quarter, the first time an Afro-Latina artist was immortalized on the nation’s currency. The coin became a small monument to a woman who turned her voice into heritage, proof that rhythm continues to move through time long after the song ends.

A Legacy That Refuses Silence

Celia Cruz passed away in 2003 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, yet her music continues to move through people. The notes that once filled Havana’s night air still travel through streets, homes, and cities that carry her rhythm forward. However, the tribute in Los Angeles did not close her story. It keeps it alive in motion, in sound, in every step that answered her cry of “Azúcar.”

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