Celia Cruz
with
Nestor Louis
Three years ago I interviewed Eddie Palmieri, and I remember saying prior to that interview something along the lines of not wanting to interview the stars of yesterday because they have been asked everything about themselves and their careers already. I just wouldn't have anything new to ask. Well, once again my words have come back to haunt me. Signed to a new record deal for Sony Discos, I found myself interviewing The Queen Of Salsa, La Guarachera Del Mundo, Celia Cruz.
Since her beginnings with La Sonora Matancera, all thorough the 50's, the 60's, the 70's, the 80's, and the 90's; Celia Cruz' extensive track record is so stellar that her success cannot be questioned. Her huge fan base has always been there to prove that point, regardless of record label legalities. "People were always asking for La Sonora Matancera, but at that time I was signed to Morris Levy's Tico Records. Because La Sonora was under contract with Seeco I couldn't sing with them or their songs." Under Tico Records, she recorded approximately 6 records with Tito Puente, "It was great music, but truthfully we didn't sell that many records back then. I wanted to leave Tico because we were not selling records, back then no money was invested in promotions. There was no such a thing." So how does Celia Cruz becomes a Fania All Star? Many seeking some type of acknowledgment have taken credit for this. "The first thing I did for Fania was the Latin salsa opera "Hommy", which was directed by Larry Harlow. He can tell you about the fact that I recorded my parts in twenty minutes. Jerry Massucci puts "Hommy" in Carnegie Hall and later takes it to Puerto Rico. While taking the plane ride to Puerto Rico, Massucci is talking to my husband, Pedro Knight. At that time I was still under contract with Tico. Massucci and Levy were very good friends and I did that record under contract with Tico as a courtesy to Fania. I didn't know Pacheco, so he wasn't responsible for my signing to Fania. Neither was Harlow, he might have recommended me to Massucci to do "Hommy". What happened was that while I was living in Mexico, Massucci was calling me every day insisting and pursuing me to sign with his company, and in 1973 I signed with Fania."
Once Celia Cruz officially joined Fania Records, she achieved instant success with Johnny Pacheco. In 1974 "Celia Y Johnny", in 1975 "Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco - Tremendo Cache", in 1978 "Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco - Eternos", 1985 "Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco - Denuevo Otra Vez". Their musical partnership included other productions that were done in collaboration with Papo Lucca & Justo Betancourt in 1976 "Recordando El Ayer", and the late Pete Conde Rodriguez in 1980 "Celia, Johnny & Pete".
In the late 80's, Fania Records without its huge roster of salsa superstars, was a far cry from the "Latin Motown" it was once called. Yet Celia Cruz, records her second record with Ray Barretto in 1988 titled "Ritmo En El Corazón", and in 1992 a tribute to Ismael Rivera. However, 1991 she forms part of the crew of artists that are featured in the late Tito Puente's 100th album, and later in 1993 she records Combinacion Perfecta. All on RMM Records. "I never had a contract with Ralph. With him it was always a verbal agreement, because we are great friends. I recorded three records for him "Azucar Negra", "Irrepetible", and "Mi Vida Es Cantar". He also put out a compilation of hits titled "Celia's Duets", which consisted of records I did with other artists. I've always done what I think are good records, but never in my career have I done much in terms of promotions. That's difference today. Today is all about the promotion." It is with that understanding that Celia Cruz has launched her newest production titled "Siempre Vivire" for Sony Discos.
"Siempre Vivire", produced by an interesting ensemble of talent housed by Emilio Estefan's production company, Crescent Moon Inc., and Oscar Gomez' Crab Productions,
Her popularity worldwide has found Celia Cruz recording with some of the most successful artists outside our musical genre. Artists like Angela Carrasco, Caetano Veloso, Los Fabulos Cadillacs, and recently Wyle Cleff, have contacted her and asked her to appear in their records. "I don't like to turn singers down. It's very difficult to do so. If someone calls me, and asks me to appear in their record, I would gladly comply. I recorded in what has to be the most frightening experience for me, David Byrne. I remember Jerry Massucci telling me about recording with David. I agreed without knowing that I had to sing in English. I didn't understand David, David didn't understand me, we didn't understand each other. But I got to the studio and there I find Johnny Pacheco, Adalberto Santiago, Cali Aleman, and Massucci. From there on I felt at home and recorded the song. David got a lot of heat from the American press, but all in all the album was well received. Sure, there have been projects and singers I've turned down, mainly from singers that don't have a track record, or are trying to make a name for themselves without really earning it. But for the most part, I don't turn singers down." My impression is not that she doesn't want to record with them or whatever. My guess is that she stands to loose more than to gain in those situations. Lets think about the possibilities, and their consequences. If an unknown artist puts out a good record in their own merits, it would seem as if Celia was just there hoarding space, after all is not her record. And if on the other hand the record turns out not too favorable, she would be in a situation that can be spun into a ‘not even Celia Cruz could've saved this record'. Both hypothetical situations are ones that are more likely to materialize, and therefore valid. No mainstream artists will allow that to happen either.
Celia Cruz has been the source of inspiration for many female vocalist in our genre. La India, being one of the most noticeable, has commented in past interviews that Celia Cruz is the undisputed Queen Of Salsa, and is a shame and an embarrassment to hear other lesser known female vocalists label themselves as the newest queens of salsa. To add to Celia's kind character, the average fan on the street, industry insiders, and musical comrades credit her with being the nicest lady in the music. All but Andy Montañez perhaps? Story has it that Celia Cruz was highly incensed with the legendary Puerto Rican singer, over an alleged photograph that depicts him embracing pro Castro Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodriguez.
In lieu of the Cuban-mania that has taken Europe and The United States by storm for the past 5 years, much of an issue has been made about the origins of what today is known throughout the entire world as salsa. Conspiracy theorist constantly call the issue a covert plot by Cuban entities designed to discredit all and any contributions made by Puerto Rico and its descendants to the music. The issue is one of great passion and furor that a prominent Latin artist, producer, arranger, vocalist, and politician, has gone public in accusing one of the main producers of Celia Cruz's "Siempre Vivire" as being part of a "Miami based mafia, that's in place to black list him and others from performing". "Today we call it salsa, but before we used to call the music what it was, rumba, guaracha, guaguanco, mambo, cha-cha-cha, guajiras, and bolero. These are the folkloric rhythms of my country. These are the different rhythms that exist in Cuba. These are the styles that I used to sing with La Sonora Matancera. Styles that are the roots of what we call today salsa, and no one can deny the fact that these rhythms were made popular by Puerto Rican bands. Neither can we deny that many of these bands were rummaging through many songs that, I myself didn't know were Cuban in origin. In New York many earned a living doing this. After a few decades the term salsa was coined. And eventhough no one can really claim they invented the term salsa, the first time I heard it was in Venezuela. It was local broadcaster by the name Danilo, in 1967 he invited me to his radio show titled "La Hora De La Salsa". The music he played was done by La Sonora Matancera, Celio Gonzalez, and other Cuban groups. However, no one can deny that the music was heavily supported by Puerto Rican musicians. In fact, today the term salsa was adopted by the bands in Cuba because, to play "Cuban music" was deemed old. I'm certain that this bickering will continue, but those who know, including those who are creating the argument, know what the music is and where it comes from. I don't argue about that, because we are all earning a living from performing the music. Remember that El Rey Tito Puente would get upset whenever anybody referred to Cuban music as salsa. He would tell you "salsa is something you eat...This is Afro-Cuban music", and he was Puerto Rican."
I recently saw El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico perform after 15 years. Watching them was an awesome sight. It was so because I was watching them through the appreciative eyes of a man in his thirties versus the thoughtless eyes of a late teenager. That night El Gran Combo helped me realize that indeed there is a Puerto Rican son. A son that has a certain similarity to the one executed in Cuba, but that is a tad different. With the guidance of George Rivera, I noticed that Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos under Javier Vazquez (a Cuban), and Milton Cardona played a different style of son. A son that's rooted in a Puerto Rican style of playing. I mention this for a reason. If I realized all that from watching El Gran Combo after 15 years, imagine how much more I could've learned and appreciated from a the inimitable Celia Cruz? A friend of mines, upon learning that I was scheduled to interview Celia, asked me to do him the favor of asking her, how does it feel to have performed in so many different parts of the world, with all that she has accomplished at her age (which til this date is a mystery)? How does it feel to be Celia Cruz?" What seemed like a dumb question at the time, as I'm writing the closing lines of this article, suddenly doesn't sound so dumb. What is dumb is the probability that I almost didn't ask her. Or maybe I did? Perhaps the answer I got was so predictable and blasé that I didn't bother remembering it. Then again I just did. You know what Celia's answer was? "It feels great."
© 2000 Nestor A. Louis
For decades, it was speculated by the common folk that Celia Cruz was always paired up with artists that needed some kind of career "boost". On the contrary, upon further analysis we can clearly tell that Celia Cruz recorded with artists that were at the height of their popularity. Celia's 1978 recording with La Sonora Ponceña came at a time when, Yolandita Rivera, Miguelito Ortiz, Tito Gomez, and Luigi Texidor built the Puerto Rican musical institution to international fame. The same is true with her recordings with Willie Colón. Their recordings, 1977's "Only They Could've Made This Album", 1981's "Celia Y Willie", and 1984's "The Winners", came at a period when Fania's "most creative producer" was enjoying success in abnormal proportions thanks to his productions of Hector Lavoe & Ruben Blades. Not mention his own as a solo artist. Celia Cruz lived the glory days of Fania. An era that built our current musical icons. An era that she, surprisingly doesn't miss. "I don't miss that era simply because, every now and then I met up with Pacheco, and Conde*. The other day I was in a recording studio and I ran into Adalberto! it was great! Because I live in New Jersey, which is not far from New York, I get to see many of my friends from that era all the time. Do I miss anyone in particular? Which one group, artist, or orchestra I miss the most? Definitely it will have to be La Sonora Matancera. It is because of them that I'm well known today. Besides, this way I don't offend anyone in particular (chuckles)".
it's a tropical recording that compiles all sorts of tropical Latin American rhythms, that are mainly derived from the Cuban son. "I've recorded almost every possible Caribbean rhythm, and as long as it fits to my style of singing, I'm ok with it. I'll tell you, in this record Vicente Fernandez and I did a song that I recorded many years ago with La Sonora Matancera titled, "Tu Voz". I remember I was preparing to sing it as a rachera. Vicente tells me ‘Celia I don't sing salsa', and I told him well I don't sing rancheras. So we did it as bolero. It came out very well. This time around I can't complain. With as much promoting as Sony has done for me, if this record doesn't do well, it's because the public doesn't approve and not because it wasn't promoted."
"That was gossip which was started by Andy Montañez. Gossip that I would not like to discuss. I would love for this rumor to be resolved in an honest and truthful way. To speak of a man that claims I spoke ill of him and his country, and can't exactly repeat what he claims I said, does not deserve a statement from me. If he tells me "Celia, you said this about Puerto Rico", or manufactures the tape where I've said whatever negative about him or his country, then he would've earned an apology. But until that happens, I have nothing to say about him, or that issue. I love Puerto Rico and its people. Ok granted there was that incident in Puerto Rico with the Fania All Stars, but the people in Puerto Rico were just reacting to gossiped words, and were not aware of the truth. I can't blame them for what happened that day. This is the only blemish in my long career, and it shouldn't have happened with a gossip that someone created. I am not about gossip or controversy. I've lived my life and carried my career cleanly, it doesn't make any sense for me to further address that situation. As El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico says, No hay cama pa' tanta gente." 
* - Pete El Conde Rodriguez died on Friday December 1st 2000. May he rest in peace.
nestor@palosalsero.com