Loud And Live Studios and Celia Cruz Entertainment announced today the release of a new Commemorative LP in celebration of the centennial of Celia Cruz’s birth. It is a compilation of nine songs recorded at a concert in Miami, FL, by the Queen of Salsa during the years of 1986 and 1987 titled En Vivo: 100 Años de Azúcar (100 Years of Azúcar). These recordings have remained unreleased for almost four decades.
“Looking for material in our archives, we found these recordings that we didn’t even know existed, made by radio personality Albertico Rodríguez in a nightclub in Miami in the mid-eighties. Celia only released one live album during her entire career, which makes these recordings even more valuable,” says Omer Pardillo-Cid, Celia Cruz’s last manager and universal executor of her legacy, in addition to being one of the album producers. “One of the great treasures of my life was accompanying Celia for so many years. After her death, I made it my mission to safeguard the work that she left us so that it would not be forgotten over time. This project is one more example that Celia is immortal. Now she is the one who accompanies me and will do so for eternity.”
The power of the music of the so-called La Guarachera de Cuba is inestimable. More than twenty years after her death, the iconic Cuban artist seems to be more alive than ever. In the two decades that have passed, the fame and affection for the artist continues to grow daily. Celia Cruz has become the most idolized Hispanic singer in history. This cultural icon, who received countless honors and awards during her lifetime, including three GRAMMY Awards and four Latin GRAMMY Awards, was commemorated by the United States Postal Service with a postage stamp featuring her image as part of the Latin Music Legends Forever series. Recently, her image was immortalized by the toy company Mattel as a Barbie doll in their Inspiring Women series, and in August 2024, the United States Mint, a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, will honor the artist as one of four women selected to have their faces depicted on a United States 25-cent coin, as part of the American Women Quarters program.
This album, which features some of her most iconic songs such as Quimbara, Bemba Colorá, La Dicha Mía and Tu Voz, in completely unreleased versions, is produced by Loud And Live Studios and curated by multi-GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY award-winning producers Nelson Albareda and Omer Pardillo-Cid, and radio personality Albertico Rodríguez. The recordings were restored and remastered by engineer Pedro “Waldy D” Domínguez, also a GRAMMY award winner.
This album will be available in several configurations, including a Limited-Edition Collector’s box set. The Limited-Edition set will feature unique packaging, one of its main attractions, adorned with authentic vintage sequined fabric from one of the textiles used in Cruz’s famous costumes. The Limited-Edition Collector’s set and the Deluxe box set edition will also include a hardcover book containing one hundred photographs celebrating each year of the legendary artist’s life, along with exclusive printed photos that are sure to become collector’s items. Additionally, the album will be released as standard vinyl and made available on all digital platforms.
“This album is very special to me for several reasons. First and foremost, Celia Cruz, Cuba’s most iconic artist was one of the first artists I worked with. Second, these are recordings of live concerts in the city I cherish, Miami. Third, I have always liked design, whether graphic or advertising, and I think the packaging of this album is unique and a true representation of Celia’s style,” says Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud And Live and executive producer of the album. “And finally, the music itself, my great passion. As a Cuban-American, this music celebrates my roots, my heritage, and my essence as a human being. An artist like Celia comes along every hundred years, and that is precisely what we are celebrating, 100 Años de Azucar.”
“En Vivo: 100 Años de Azúcar,” distributed by InnerCat, had its exclusive premiere on SiriusXM Caliente channel 158 and is now available on all digital platforms and in physical formats at www.celiacruz.com. The launch of this album marks the beginning of a series of celebrations organized by the Celia Cruz Foundation to honor the centennial of the iconic artist. These festivities will commence in October 2024 and continue through the end of 2025.
