Celia Cruz
A Cuban-American singer known as the "Queen of Salsa."
Celia Cruz (1925–2003) was a singer born in Cuba who blossomed fully in the United States. With her lively rhythms and powerful voice she brought Latin music to the world stage, and people called her the “Queen of Salsa.”
The reverse of the coin vividly depicts Cruz singing on stage, holding a microphone. Also inscribed is her distinctive exclamation, “¡AZÚCAR!,” which she cried out at every performance. Meaning “Sugar!” in Spanish, this single word was a shout of joy and excitement symbolic of her stage.
Cruz’s songs went beyond mere music, becoming a comfort and a source of pride for countless immigrants who had left their homelands and settled in the United States. Her songs, sung in Spanish, conveyed the strength to live proudly in a new land without forgetting one’s roots, and spread the charm of Latin music widely across the whole world.
Beginning a new life in an unfamiliar country was by no means easy. Cruz sang without losing her own colors on stages where both the language and the culture were different, and with that heartfelt voice she was loved across borders and generations. Within the bright cry of “Sugar!” lies her attitude toward life, which turned even hardship into joy.
This quarter, depicting her holding a microphone on stage, joyfully tells of how music connects person to person, and nation to nation.