UC Irvine’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies recently hosted a program celebrating Celia Cruz’s induction into the American Women Quarters™ Program. With the 2024 Women’s Quarter selections, Cruz becomes one of the latest American women to receive her quarter.
While her life and career is quite remarkable, many are unaware of the icon that is Celia Cruz. Let’s take a dive into the life and legacy of Cruz, and why exactly her likeness will now have its own coin.
Who is Celia Cruz?
Born in Havana, Cuba, Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American singer who was known for her contributions to Salsa music, often noted as one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Not only was she hailed as an incredible performer, but she became a prominent figure in the Latinx community, referred to as a “true pioneer of AfroLatinidad.”
Cruz rose to fame after competing in a radio show contest called “The Tea Hour” and becoming the lead female singer for Cuba’s most popular orchestra at the time, La Sonora Matancera. After moving to the United States in the 1960s as a result of the Cuban Revolution, Cruz found roots in a new wave of music that blended Cuban and Afro-Latin music, which is now known as salsa. Her career spanned 60 years.
While Cruz passed away in July 2003, her music lives on. Her songs continue to reach the masses, with newer generations adopting her music as a pillar of Latinx heritage.
For instance, if you’ve ever heard the familiar beat of “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” or “Azúcar Negra,” you have come across Cruz’s discography. While those are some of her most popular tracks, throughout her career, Cruz released more than 80 albums and songs, which earned her the title of the “Queen of Salsa.” She is a four-time Grammy award winner, a three-time Latin Grammy winner, and has been inducted into both the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. She is also a recipient of the American National Medal of the Arts and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2016, she was posthumously awarded the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to Salsa music.
The American Women Quarters Program
So how does Cruz’s life and legacy translate to a coin?
The American Women Quarters Program exclusively commemorates the achievements of women in the United States who are considered pioneers for their contributions to various fields such as civil rights, the arts, humanities, science, etc. To honor such accomplishments, the U.S. Mint selects five women each year, to produce and circulate their unique coins. Beginning in 2022, the program will run until 2025, meaning only 20 coins will be created during this time.
In 2023, Celia Cruz was selected as one of the latest trailblazing women to receive her own quarter design, joining the likes of Maya Angelou, Anna May Wong, and Bessie Coleman, among others. While entering a small club of one of the few women to have her own quarter design, Cruz continues to make history, as the first Afro-Latina to appear on United States currency.
Next time you come across a quarter, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find Cruz’s smile beaming back at you, with her famous “Azúcar!” across the top.