Sometimes I think Google knows me better than myself. Whether it’s from finding the address of my eye doctor (I always forget, don’t judge!) or looking up something delicious to eat, Google always has my back. #sorryBING
I even take part in the interactive Google Doodle every now and then, but today’s Doodle really made me smile. Today, Celia Cruz, aka the “Queen of Salsa,” is featured on Google for what would have been her 88th birthday. The Doodle features gold Google lettering, and a smiling Cruz, donning peacock feathers with blue and grey hair.
Peep Celia’s hair at the Latin Grammy’s! Possible influence for Google Doodle??
Celia was born Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Cruz Alfonso on October 21st, 1925 in Havana, Cuba. Cruz started singing during her teen years, and soon found herself on top of the Cuban salsa world. She was best known for the song, “Guantanamera,” and shouting her trademark word, “¡Azúcar!” (Spanish for “Sugar!”) in many of her songs. She performed with the Tito Puente Orchestra, the Cuban orchestra, Sonora Matancera, and Ray Barretto as well. Cruz won a Grammy for “Best Tropical Latin Performance” in 1990, starred in the film The Mambo Kings, and received the National Medal of Arts.
A young Cruz singing her infamous song, “Guantanamera.”
Sadly, Cruz passed in 2003 of a brain tumor in her New Jersey home. As PolicyMic reports, Union City, New Jersey dedicated a park in Cruz’s name in 2004.
Celia was a prominent female figure in my household, and my father would play her music all the time. I remember the day, and the exact moment, that I heard the news of Celia’s death. I was in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in my aunt’s car with my sister and her then boyfriend, driving home from a mall. When I heard the news on the radio, I was immediately saddened.
Knowing that Google picked Cruz for today’s doodle will make me cherish her even more than I did before. Lets all shout one big “¡Azúcar!” for the Latina with an enormous voice and a beautiful soul.
Thanks to PolicyMic and The Christian Science Monitor
Images via Google and Latina
Video via YouTube
