Lesson 3/8

Celia Cruz Recap

Ms. Ana Romero Flores

Her Story

• Celia Cruz was born in Havana, Cuba in 1925

• She was born into a family with low resources living in Santo Suarez - which is a neighborhood - in Havana.

Multiple Choice

What city was Celia Cruz born in?

• Havana - Cuba

• Santo Suarez

• Memphis - United States

• New York - United States

Why not chase your dreams?

• Celia Cruz's father wanted her to pursue a career in teaching.

• It was seen as improper for women to be singing in bands.

• He wanted what he thought was best for his daughter although that did mean that her talent would be wasted.

Multiple Choice

Why did Celia Cruz's father not want her to sing?

• She was no good

• It was not proper/appropriate

• He was mean

Support systems

• Celia's mom wanted her to sing. She knew her daugher was talented and felt like this was the best for her.

• Celia's teachers all supported her dream and encouraged her to pursue her singing career.

Multiple Choice

What did Celia Cruz's mother want her to do?

• Sing

• Teach

• Be a stay at home mother

Multiple Choice

Who else supported Celia's dream?

• Her father

• Her siblings

• Her teachers

Success

• Celia's dedication to her craft landed her a first place prize on La Hora Del Té which was a radio program in Cuba.

• She won the talent show and dropped out of teaching school in order to follow her dreams and become a musician.

La Sonora Matancera

• Celia joined La Sonora Matancera, her first musical group and saw success touring with them as well.

• They were well received in North and Central America on their tours.

• Unfortunately, with the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro's rule the band was forced to make a choice.

The Choice

Celia Cruz and her bandmates were forced to decide whether they would leave Cuba and never return to their homes, or whether they would stay in North America and pursue success in the music industry here.

Multiple Choice

What choice did Celia Cruz make after the Cuban Revolution?

• Stay in Cuba

• Stay in North America

The Cuban Revolution

• Some of the key players in the Cuban revolution include Batista, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara.

• Batista was the dictator before the revolution struck.

• Fidel Castro took over as the dictator from 1959 until his death in 2008.

Multiple Choice

Who else supported Celia's dream of becoming a performer?

• Her father

• Her siblings

• Her teachers

Multiple Choice

Why did Celia Cruz's father not want her to sing?

• She was no good

• It was not proper/appropriate

• He was mean

Multiple Choice

Who was a key figure in the Cuban Revolution (we talked about him last week).

• Fidel Castro

• Yolanda Saldivar

• Joe Biden

• Celia Cruz

Multiple Choice

What choice did Celia Cruz make after the Cuban Revolution?

• Stay in Cuba

• Stay in North America

Multiple Choice

What did Celia Cruz's mother want her to do?

• Sing

• Teach

• Be a stay at home mother

Multiple Choice

What city was Celia Cruz born in?

• Havana - Cuba

• Santo Suarez

• Memphis - United States

• New York - United States