In my high school years I’ve always tried my best academically. I originally wanted to study to be a teacher, but then never really found that I wanted to have that as my career. I tried to find what I loved and would actually like doing. After I graduated high school I decided I wanted to study music. In 1947 I went to study music theory, voice, and piano at the National Conservatory of Music in Havana.

For three years there I never really wondered what I would do, then I had got the greatest opportunity in my life. A Cuban band named “La Sonora Matancera” hired me as their own lead vocalist in 1950. I had a tough time at first because female singers were a rarity in Cuban music and I had replaced a singer with a popular following. I was angry at the fans who wrote me hate mail. Even American labels were unsure about me in the music industry. So Rogelio Martínez paid me out of his pocket.

I later moved to the U.S. in 1961 but I always had a few problems because I wasn’t a U.S. citizen yet. Later in 1961 I became a U.S citizen, and a little while after I chose to pursue my career in the U.S as a Salsa singer. I signed my first U.S. recording contract in 1965 with Seeco Records. I was really disappointed and left when my contract was up in January 1966. That same month, I signed with Tico Records and remained with the company until 1973. During this time I recorded eight albums with Tito Puente. Tito and I began working but never produced big sales. The lack of promotion killed many great songs we’ve created. By the 1970s, I was becoming more popular and the salsa caught on with a new generation of Latin Americans.

For many years, I was signed to the Fania label, a salsa source powerhouse, then recorded in 1974. I performed regularly with the Fania All-Stars, including a 1976 concert at Yankee Stadium. I also appeared at a New York City salsa fest held at Madison Square Garden. In 1990, I won a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Performance. Later, I recorded an anniversary album with La Sonora Matancera.

In 1992, I starred with Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas in the film The Mambo Kings. Unexpectedly, President Bill Clinton awarded me with the National Medal of Arts. This was another big accomplishment in my life as I was growing more into fame.

In the 1992 film The Mambo Kings, I was cast as a nightclub owner, and also appeared in 1995's The Perez Family. My awards included a Grammy for best tropical Latin album of 1989 for Ritmo En El Corazón, a collaboration with conga player Ray Barretto, and it took me three consecutive Latin Grammy awards when the honors were established in 2000. This was including best salsa album of 2002 for La Negra Tiene Tumbao, which later got me a hit single of the same name.

¨Celia... Celia... Celia... Celia...¨. That’s all I heard as I was walking out on stage. The vibration from the audience flowed all through the stage and up my body like a little tingly feeling. Before going on that stage, I stop and take a deep breath and just listen to my people. I can feel the positive energy coming from the audience, it was spilling onto my stage. The stage had an extra glow tonight , the lights shining on the stage brighter than ever. My lovely husband, Pedro, was cheering me on from the side; he's my biggest supporter. Stepping on to the stage I felt like I was on top of the world like I was untouchable and unstoppable.

Something most people don't know about me is that my husband Pedro and I actually met in a band called “Sonora Matancera orchestra”. My Pedro, also known as my “cabecita de algodón,” was the trumpet player for the orchestra. After defecting with the orchestra in 1960 in Mexico, Pedrol and I made our way to the United States! Soon after we moved to New York City, On July 14 1962to be exact, Pedro and I decided to get married . Now we had a lot of problems trying to get married since Pedrol and I were both from Havana, Cuba, we were not citizens of the United States just yet. One of the biggest challenges was learning English is harder than it looks. As a matter of fact I never learned English even though I lived in the states for about 40 years.

Pedro has 5 kids of his own from this past marriage, now this has had an effect on my life because I was not able to have kids. See this hurts me so much because I want to have the experience that other women get to experience. When the doctor told me I would never be able to have kids it hurt my heart. I felt depressed and upset, Pedro and I wanted to have kids together and start our familia. Even though I was not able to have my own kids. I love Pedro's kids with all my heart, I would do anything for them. My favorite moment with my babies is when Pedro and I found out we were going to be grandparents. This warms my heart and makes Pedro and I feel like we did a good job raising the baby's.

I recently had a Doctors appointment because my head has been pounding and pounding so Pedro took me to the hospital. We waited for hours and my head started getting worse. Pedro started getting very upset and yelled “Oye ¿Alguien puede ayudar a mi esposa? Ella tiene tanto dolor?!” Now I have never seen Pedro this angry and even yell at anyone before. Soon I see doctors after doctors coming to help me, Ma’am are you okay? Ma’am can you hear me? Can you hear me Ma’am. I couldn't respond. I felt like I couldn't move, not even my fingers or toes. I see Pedro standing there while the doctors and nurses put me on a bed. Pedro and I locked eyes. All I saw was Pedro and all the tears running down his face. I started praying asking God “please Lord Please Lord I'm not ready to go yet”. I remember closing my eyes and leaving the room. When I woke up all I saw was Pedro talking to 3 doctors “ no no no no no please help “ I was trying to move but felt stiff, Pedro started walking my way with tears all down his face, he walked up to me grabbing my hand and telling me “ Mi amor I love you dearly and you are my worlds without you I have no clue where I would be as much as u drive me crazy I will always be your Soulmate and Best friend I'm sorry to say Mi Amor but the doctors are saying you have brain Cancer this would explain all the headaches and pain you are going through” I felt like my world was crashing down.