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Riot Fest is one year shy of legal drinking age and celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer with a stacked lineup of classic indie and alternative bands led by East Bay punk legends Green Day, pop punkers Blink-182, alt-rock darlings Weezer and rock icon Jack White. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest […]
Singer-songwriter Phil Wickham scores his first top 10 debut on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart as “What an Awesome God” flies in at No. 5 on the list dated April 26.
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The song marks the 14th top 10 for Wickham overall. He topped the chart with “House of the Lord” for two weeks in 2022.
“What an Awesome God,” which has become a popular worship anthem, was originally written and recorded by Rich Mullins. It’s from his album Winds of Heaven, Stuff on Earth, which peaked at No. 8 on Top Christian Albums in April 1989, becoming his first of seven top 10s. For Wickham’s update, released April 11, he and Jonathan Smith wrote new verses, combined with Mullins’ original chorus.
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Wickham’s single drew 2.1 million official U.S. streams in its opening week (April 11-17), according to Luminate. It also sold 4,000 downloads and opens atop Christian Digital Song Sales, giving Wickham his third No. 1 among 16 top 10s.
The track is set to be on Wickham’s upcoming LP.
‘Give’ Gets Pugh His Fifth No. 1
Earnest Pugh’s “Don’t Give Up,” which the Memphis, Tenn., native solely authored, crowns Gospel Airplay (4-1). It increased by 10% in plays during the tracking week.
Pugh adds his fifth leader. In March 2022, “Thank You So Much” reigned for two frames, preceded by “God Wants to Heal You,” which led for a week in July 2020; “I Need Your Glory” (13 weeks, starting in September 2011); and “Rain on Us” (two weeks, March 2010). He boasts one additional top 10, as “Survive” hit No. 9 in May 2018.
After years of health issues, Ozzy Osbourne, 76, is making sure that he’s in top shape when he suits up for what is being billed as Black Sabbath’s final-ever performance on July 5 in Villa Park in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England.
In an interview this week with Billy Morrison on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard channel, Osbourne said he’s been in “heavy training” for the show that will see rock’s Prince of Darkness reunite with his bandmates for one last time on a bill that will also include Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains and many others.
“I haven’t done anything for, this will be seven years, and so I’ve been through all this surgery. It really is like starting from scratch,” said Osbourne, who has been dealing with a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis as well as a 2019 fall that aggravated a previous spinal injury and required multiple surgeries.
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Osbourne said his workouts include endurance training due to his long lay-off from performance. “The first thing to go when you’re laid up is your stamina, so believe it or so, I’m doing two sets of three-minute walks and weight training. I’m going and going you know,” he said. ” I’m waking up in my body, you know. I mean, three minutes to you, for instance, is nothing, but I’ve been laying on my back recovering from umpteen surgeries.”
Ozzy’s longtime collaborator guitarist Zakk Wylde recently teased that the metal legend could take flight during the Back to the Beginning all-day show on the throne that the will sit on during the show. “With Oz and his throne that just flies over the stadium or whatever, [where he] shoots out buckets of water and does everything like that,” Wylde said a recent interview. “So if Oz has a great time and it’s just, like, ‘I wanna go out on the road again,’ it’s just, like, ‘Good. Let’s do it again.’”
Wylde added that, “Ozzy was just sitting at the chair and he was singing ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home,’ and it sounded great. So hopefully we’ll just do this, and then Oz will go, ‘Let’s just fire up the machine again and we’ll do another tour.’”
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will be the musical director for the show that will mark Osbourne’s first time on stage since a brief 2022 set at the NFL Kickoff in Los Angeles; his last full show was in December 2018 at the Forum in L.A. as part of his No More Tours 2 outing. Other acts slated to perform at the final Sabbath blowout include: Halestorm, Gojira, as well as appearances by Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan and Slash, Wolfgang Van Halen, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Lzzy Hale, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Sammy Hagar and many more.
Listen to Ozzy talking about his training regimen below.
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Meek Mill caught heat online after a Dubai pic surfaced of him cozied up with two “snow bunnies.”
The picture, snapped by an onlooker, shows Meek in swim trunks, arms wrapped around the waists of the two women, flashing a wide, carefree grin. What might’ve seemed like a harmless fan moment quickly turned into a digital roast session.
Fans were quick to call Meek Milly out for his choice of company, accusing the Philly rapper of turning his back on Black women. With memes and commentary flying, many referenced Dr. Umar Johnson’s infamous slogan: “Black queens forever, snow bunnies never.” Critics argued that, as a prominent figure in the Black community, Meek should be more mindful of the messages his actions send, especially in an era where representation and solidarity still matter deeply.
Adding fuel to the fire, fans brought up the recent controversies surrounding Shannon Sharpe, warning Meek to tread carefully in public spaces, particularly when it comes to interactions with women. While there’s no indication Meek did anything beyond pose for a quick picture, the internet’s judgment came fast and loud.
As usual, Meek has yet to respond publicly, but the message from many online seems clear. Check out some of the reactions below
Who said girl groups are dead?
Though it’s been several years since an R&B girl group has made a significant splash in the States, British trio FLO cemented itself as the progeny of iconic girl groups past across an excellent hour-and-a-half set at the Brooklyn Paramount on Monday night (April 21). Marking the first of two New York stops on their Access All Areas Tour, the FLO girls also spent the night outlining their own origin story — with Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning multihyphenate Cynthia Erivo narrating the setlist like a whimsical fairy godmother.
Before Stella, Jorja and Renée took the stage, rising R&B singer Chxrry put on a fiery one-woman show for her opening set. Owning the stage with just a mic stand, a few standard lighting cues and backing track, Chxrry delivered incredibly strong vocals as she played songs across her catalog. From “Just Like Me” to “Favorite Girl,” Chxrry’s set familiarized the crowd with her work while showing off her performance chops across a range of tempos. “Never Had This” proved the highlight of her set: By matching sultry floor choreography and Beyoncé-esque hairography to the seductive, brooding production, Chxrry captivated the venue all by herself. Before ceding the stage to FLO, Chxrry delivered her a winning rendition of her biggest hit yet, “Poppin Out (Mistakes).” (R&B singer Josh Levi opened Tuesday night’s show on April 22.)
After the house DJ spun a few R&B classics (SWV’s “Weak,” Fantasia’s “When I See U”), Erivo’s voice rang out across the venue prompting several concertgoers to gasp some variation of, “It’s Elphaba!” “Ladies and gentlemen/ And those who do not subscribe to either/ Generously granting us access to all areas/ Miss Jorja, Miss Renée, Miss Stella/ This is FLO,” Erivo announced, slightly remixing the “Intro” she voiced on the group’s Access All Areas LP, which arrived late last year (Nov. 15, 2024). From there the girls launched into the first act of their set, tearing through “AAA,” Access All Areas singles “Walk Like This” and “Check,” and their Missy Elliott-assisted bop “Fly Girl.”
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With a relatively bare stage that consisted mostly of a staired platform leading to three separate doorways for each member (and mic stands that disappeared and reappeard throughout the show), FLO delivered a notably physical stage show. In addition to their otherworldly live vocals — their arrangements frequently added modulations and they often improvised slinkier riffs and more ambitious belts than the ones already on the album — the girls rarely stood still, always covering ground on stage through a mixture of dance breaks and light choreography that rejected stasis while ensuring the stability they needed to hit some of those jaw-dropping notes. Amari Marshall, a renowned choreographer who served as dance co-captain on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, worked closely with the trio for the Access All Areas Tour. Between the girls’ crisp synchronization and smart individualization of certain parts, Marshall was clearly a very effective coach. For “Bending My Rules” — an early vocal highlight among many — the girls brought out some prop wine glasses to set the mood, before launching into a spunky run of tracks (“IWH2BMX,” “Nocturnal,” and “How Does It Feel?”) that flaunted their sassier side.
Before the trio launched into some sexy choreography for “Soft” (still unclear if Brooklyn passed the mute challenge!) and “On & On,” ascendant R&B crooner Destin Conrad surprised the Brooklyn Paramount with a strong performance of “In the Air.” Shortly after, Erivo once again returned as narrator, explicitly placing FLO in the lineage of Destiny’s Child, Sugababes, SWV and “countless other iconic baddies of the past” by once again lifting bits of the Access All Areas intro.
For their final act, FLO momentarily departed from Access All Areas — ultimately playing all sixteen tracks from the album’s standard edition — and performed a couple of hits from earlier in their catalog. While the “In My Bag” hook and music video choreographer drew a hearty crowd response, the spruced-up arrangement of breakout debut single “Cardboard Box” made most of the venue lose their minds. Nonetheless, the indisputable highlight of the night came in the form of “Losing You,” a soulful ballad the trio released as a standalone single in 2022. With an arrangement that seemed to reach a new vocal peak with each new line, “Losing You” allowed each member one final moment to show off the most impressive parts of their respective voices — from Renée’s gorgeous lower reigster to Stella’s limitless upper range and Jorja’s incredibly powerful chest voice. Always keeping the focus on Access All Areas, the girls properly closed the show with an encore of “I’m Just A Girl” that found them putting on their best rockstar performances — head-banging, guitar-miming and all.
If FLO has anything to say about it, girl groups are certainly alive and well — and R&B is too.
Jay-Z’s rape accuser wants a federal judge to dismiss his defamation lawsuit against her, arguing she cannot be sued over allegations she made in court – and that a headline-grabbing NBC News interview is protected under the same legal logic.
In a court motion filed Tuesday, attorneys for the Jane Doe accuser and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, argued that her shocking accusations against the rapper were covered by the “fair report privilege” – a legal doctrine that largely bars defamation cases over allegations made during legal proceedings.
Jay-Z’s lawsuit – filed in March after Doe dropped her case against him – claims that she also defamed him by making similar allegations during an interview with NBC News. But in her new motion, she says those statements are also covered by the “fair report” protections.
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“The average person watching the report, and indeed anyone watching the report, would certainly understand that the statements refer to allegations in the lawsuit,” her lawyers write.
The case against Jay-Z, filed in December, claimed that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs had drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at an after-party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z forcefully denied the allegations, calling them a “blackmail attempt.” After just two months of heated litigation, Doe dropped her case without a settlement payment.
Weeks after the case was dropped, Jay-Z sued both Doe and Buzbee for defamation, malicious prosecution and other wrongdoing, claiming they had carried out an “evil conspiracy” to extort a settlement from him by making the “false and malicious” rape allegations.
“Mr. Carter does not commence this action lightly,” his lawyers wrote in the lawsuit, filed in Alabama federal court. “But the extortion and abuse of Mr. Carter by Doe and her lawyers must stop.”
In Tuesday’s motion to dismiss that case, attorneys for Doe and Buzbee argued that they cannot be sued because they had made such statements in court. And they said the “fair report” privilege also clearly applies to the NBC interview, even if Doe gave statements that weren’t exactly the same as the claims she had raised in court.
“It is immaterial that the NBC News piece does not preface every statement with a reference to Doe’s amended complaint,” her lawyers write. “Doe’s statements in the NBC News piece are substantially the same as the allegations of her underlying amended complaint, even if they are not identical.”
Attorneys for Doe and Buzbee also argued that the other claims in Jay-Z’s case are similarly faulty, saying he has not “come close” to showing that he can sue for malicious prosecution. A representative for Jay-Z did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Alabama lawsuit is part of a sprawling legal battle between Jay-Z and Buzbee in the wake of the rape allegation. A separate case in California, in which Jay-Z is suing the lawyer for extortion and defamation, is awaiting an early-stage ruling by a judge. Buzbee has also filed his own cases against both Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and his longtime law firm, Quinn Emanuel, alleging they have harassed his clients and committed other wrongdoing.
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Marvel Studios’ take on Blade starring Mahershala Ali has become a running joke in Hollywood, and Delroy Lindo is providing some insight on why the film can’t seem to get out of limbo.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Lindo, who is currently promoting Ryan Coogler’s epic vampire flick, Sinners, opened up about the troubled Marvel Studios project, touching on issues like creative differences that have hampered production for the film, which was announced in 2019.
Lindo was announced to be joining the Blade reboot in 2021, subsequently exiting the project, revealing to the publication that it “went off the rails.”
“When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input,” the Da 5 Bloods actor said. “And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails.”
Lindo revealed that his character in the Blade reboot was supposed to have a “Marcus Garvey-esque” persona.
“I’m not saying that it would’ve been an out-and-out Garvey-ite. Not that, but just in terms of how this man’s philosophy, his ethos, and what was driving him. He was a character who had, very similar to Sinners, created a community, a Black community. He was a character who was the head of this community,” Lindo added.
It sounds like we missed out on something epic.
Welp.
Ali’s Blade Movie Is Currently A Joke
Since Ali’s Blade has failed to enter the MCU, the Academy Award-winning actor has appeared in other films, as well as the forthcoming entry in the Jurassic Park film franchise, and in other movies that were announced around the same time as the reboot, which has become a constant gag.
Wesley Snipes, who successfully brought the Daywalker to the big screen in three feature-length films, and recently reprised the role in Deadpool & Wolverine, has even taken shots at Ali’s Blade movie.
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige insists that Ali is still very much involved with the Blade project and that it’s coming. We will continue to put faith in the man that is finally giving us the X-Men we have wanted to see for years, and delivered some of the greatest comic book movies of all-time.
He deserves that much grace.
Save this storySaveSave this storySaveThis Is Lorelei’s Nate Amos has worked with Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan to reimagine another song from Box for Buddy, Box for Star. “Two Legs (Snail Mail Version)” will appear alongside MJ Lenderman’s rendition of “Dancing in the Club” on a forthcoming expanded edition of Amos’ 2024 album. Listen to the new song below.“When the idea of a deluxe edition with covers/collabs first came up the literal first thought I had was ‘I gotta get Lindsey to sing Two Legs,’” Amos said in a press statement. “I’ve loved Snail Mail ever since Water From Your Eyes had a chance to tour with them so it was a joy to hear Lindsey bless the song like this.”Jordan added, “Within the last few years, following Nate’s projects, I have come to the conclusion he is the best songwriter of our generation as well as a great guy. Getting to do vocals on this was such a treat because I got to listen to it over and over again.”Box for Buddy, Box for Star (Deluxe) is out this Friday, April 25. Along with Jordan and Lenderman’s contributions, the record also features a new version of “Angel’s Eye,” courtesy of Amos’ father and sister.Revisit Pitchfork’s review of Lindsey Jordan’s latest Snail Mail album, 2021’s Valentine.
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Wiz Khalifa would never get confused with being seen as an authority on scientific matters, and we don’t intend that to come off as a diss but just a fact. Wiz Khalifa probably didn’t do himself any favors regarding that assessment after appearing on a Patreon episode of The Joe Budden Podcast discussing and seemingly defending Earth being flat.
On episode 817 of The Joe Budden Podcast, the cast discussed the validity of Earth being flat with co-hosts Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Antwan “Ish” Marby engaging in a light debate. While Ish never fully stated he believed in the Earth being flat, he maintained some skepticism based on things he’s viewed over the years. Hill pushed back slightly, but the crew breezed by the topic on the main podcast.
Taking to Patreon, the gang invited Wiz Khalifa to the set for its “Full Journey” episode with the Pittsburgh rapper. A viewer on X, formerly Twitter, clipped up Wiz speaking on the Earth being flat and with the caption reading, “This might literally be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Podcasts were a mistake.”
“I just believe we live on a flat plane,” Wiz began, while receiving an approving dap from Ish. He continued, “It’s only because I travel so much.”
Hill tried to challenge Wiz on the theory, but the conversation never righted itself after the “Black and Yellow” star broke down how he arrived at his conclusion despite scientists debunking the theory long ago.
We’ve got the video in question by way of X, along with reactions from others who’ve seen the clips. As expected, the responses are all over the place.
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Photo: Scott Legato / Getty
10. The Full Segment Can Be Viewed Here
Born one hundred years ago in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, 1925, Celia Cruz sang almost before she could talk. The second oldest of 14 children, she could carry a tune at 10 months old, according to her mother, and as a toddler, sang her youngest siblings to sleep. Those bedside moments were the first stage for the woman who would become the single best-known and most influential female figure in the history of Afro Cuban music.
By the time she died in 2003 at age 77, Cruz had over 70 albums to her name and had transfixed generations of fans with her mesmerizing stage presence and a signature, rich, expressive contralto that could turn a single word into a masterpiece of a song.
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Cruz was recognized worldwide as much for her extravagant flamboyant outfits, tireless work ethic and colorful wigs as for her trademark cry of “Azúcar!.” But Cruz possessed, above everything, an extraordinary voice.
“Forget about getting her behind a mic,” Marc Anthony once told Billboard. “She’ll turn anybody out.”
Indeed, Cruz adamantly refused to lip-sync, even on live TV shows. “I can’t go out there and pretend,” she told Billboard in 2000. “In Cuba, I worked with a man named Rodrigo Neira, who was the choreographer of the Tropicana. He wanted a singer to sing and a dancer to dance.”
Although Cruz’s dancing abilities weren’t negligible, her voice was incomparable.
Cruz’s recorded legacy is a veritable history of Latin music, from her days with Cuba’s legendary La Sonora Matancera to her highly experimental and avant garde later fare, which even mixed urban music with her salsa beats.
Cruz charted until the day she died, and beyond. More than 20 years after her death, she generated 64 million on-demand official streams in the United States in 2024, according to Luminate. Last year, the U.S. Mint released a commemorative Cruz quarter, the only coin that bears the stamp of a Latin artist. The item joins a list of Cruz memorabilia that includes a stamp, a doll, multiple exhibits, merchandise lines and both a TV series and film in the works, among other projects.
As a child, Cruz began singing in amateur contests. Her big break came in 1950, when she was called in to replace the lead singer of the legendary La Sonora Matancera, arguably the best salsa band of all time. Cruz gained international acclaim with La Sonora, with whom she remained for 15 years, eventually marrying lead trumpet player Pedro Knight.
Following the Cuban revolution, she settled in New York in 1962 and was never allowed to return to her home country. Cruz’s career also flourished stateside, first through her association with Tito Puente’s Ticco Records and later with Fania Records.
Although Cruz remained a popular and venerated figure — she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987 — she gained a new legion of followers in 2000 after signing with Sony Music Latin, a label that gave her a star treatment until the day she died. With Sony Latin, Cruz won three consecutive Latin Grammy Awards in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
The secret to her perennial success, she told Billboard, was very basic: “First of all, I take good care of myself. I rest. Second, I plan my shows well. I always try to shape my repertoire around a particular audience. And finally, I’m always changing my outfits, my look onstage.” But at the core of it was her tireless work ethic, and that voice.
After being diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Cruz made a final trip to the recording studio in February 2003. She recorded for two months and died in July.
This year, Billboard’s Latin Women in Music honors Cruz and her extraordinary life not on the anniversary of her death but in the centennial year of her birth. Cruz will posthumously receive the Legend Award at the gala, which will air April 24 at 9 p.m. ET on Telemundo, and be honored with a musical tribute with performances by Ivy Queen, La India and Olga Tañon.
Billboard spoke to four people who had personal ties to Cruz. Here are their recollections, in their own words.
Emilio Estefan
Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan pose as Gloria receives her Walk of Fame Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 3, 1993 in Los Angeles.
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
Celia was someone who was able to bring our music to this country at a time when women weren’t really welcomed in the music industry.
When she joined forces with Fania and Johnny Pacheco, she showed the world what true talent was. And she never changed her musical essence or who she was. She was such an example of humility, perseverance, talent — my God. She became family to us. I was just starting out as a producer, and my dream was always to work with her. But I didn’t offer because we were just getting started. We had met, but we hadn’t really talked much yet.
One night, we were playing at the Dupont Plaza, and she asked us to sit at her table. It was like talking to a queen. I remember one time we were performing at the Ovni, and we always played “Quimbara.” She was in the audience, and she came onstage to sing. Our hearts almost burst out of our chests.
I had the honor of producing several albums for her. One day she called me and said, “I don’t have a record label anymore.” And I told her, “I’m going to send you to Sony.” Thank God I called Tommy [Mottola, who] said, “Don’t even worry about it. We’ve got to sign her.” She went into Sony with so much respect. They were going to give her the boost she needed. She passed away with six No. 1 hits. At the time, there was resistance because most of the artists selling records were men. She was one of the women who proved to the world that women could make everyone dance. She was such an inspiration for Gloria [Estefan]. I think we can all learn something from her.
She and Pedro [Knight] were such humble, kind people who taught us so much. When we were recording, she was so professional. She could almost sing live; she practiced her parts, showed up with humility and was always so proud of her Cuban roots. And the love between her and Pedro… It’s rare to work with a couple and see them love each other so much for so many years, being such simple, good people with so much talent.
She was my great teacher. She always remembered to send birthday cards to everyone. Those little thoughtful gestures. She was like a sister to Gloria. She’d come over to eat at our house and was so funny. She’d wash Pedro’s shirts and iron them when they were on tour. I’ll never forget when I produced the Latin Grammys [for CBS on 2000] — she had terrible knee pain but got up to sing “Quimbara” with Ricky [Martin] anyway. No one could tell what she was going through.
One day she came to us and said, “I got the big C.” I had no idea what she meant. She called me to help arrange her burial. She told me, “I want every fan I have to be able to say goodbye to me.” She wasn’t just loved by Cubans — she was loved by the whole world. She left me one of her dresses, shoes and wig as a thank you, along with a beautiful note for me and Gloria. In a way, I feel at peace knowing I was able to help a woman like her, that I could get her signed to Sony. In these times we’re living in, when one person shines, we all shine. And she made all of us shine.
La India
La India & Celia Cruz
Courtesy La India
I met Celia in 1988 through important people in her life. Her nephew was a big fan of mine and he would go see me at the Palladium. He told me he was Celia Cruz’s nephew and we didn’t believe him. Celia was already a legend. We listened to her music and all the Afro Yoruba-ness around her was really interesting. And of course we all loved La Sonora Matancera.
One day, she sent a message through him, saying, “Muchas benidiciones en tu show.” (“Many blessings on your show.”) Then in 1990, a year before I decided to cross over from dance to salsa tropical, I was already collaborating with Tito Puente and Tito arranged for us to meet.
We all went to dinner. When I met her, it felt as if we were already family. We spoke about her music, about her. She said she always felt she had a natural ability to sing music with a lot of rhythm. She said, “One thing I notice about you is you study a lot of jazz, but you have a lot of soul. I’d like you to cross over from dance music and do a salsa album.” We sang with prerecorded TV tracks then, and she said, “You need to be up there singing with a live band.”
She set up a meeting with Ralph Mercado [founder and president of RMM Records, to which Cruz was signed at the time] and said, “Hey, I want you to sign her.”
We were very close. We talked a lot about music, about the hard labor of a woman. We talked about believing in ourselves, being professional and giving 100% to the music. I found it to be very empowering.
She used to say, “Yo soy tu madrina musical [“I’m your music godmother],” and she wanted to officially be my godmother. I hadn’t had my first communion, and I needed to be baptized.
She baptized me on Feb. 14, which is the day of friendship and love, and it brought a lot of light into my life, which I needed. I came from a very dysfunctional family, but a very praying family. God was always in our lives. I think that’s why it meant so much to me to be baptized with Celia and [husband] Pedro Knight [by my side], and because it meant she would always be in my life. And she was. She was really cute and she wrote telegrams. She had an AT&T calling card and boy, did she use it to the fullest. She called from the airport, when she landed, when she was in her room. Because she was so spiritual, she felt she needed to pray with her goddaughter; that was me. She always prayed before her show. We would hold hands and then we’d go up onstage with her.
We toured together. Everywhere she traveled she was the goddess of the goddesses. She would walk in first, everybody was waiting for her, and we were like little ducks. All of us, me, Marc [Anthony], Cheo [Feliciano], Oscar [D’León], we were all behind her going to all these beautiful places in Europe. She really believed in us. She thought we were coming with talent to bring light to salsa tropical.
Celia was always an icon, a living legend. She had a lot of vocal control and a beautiful vibrato. Pedro helped her a lot. He quit the trumpet to make sure she was ready to get on that stage and sing her heart out. He was a great partner. She was very lucky to have him.
In the studio she was a master of great ideas. I gave her a lot of energy, and it was great to have her there with me.
She always told me that one of the things she liked about me was that she saw my talent and that I didn’t have to wear little outfits. We’re here as women, as talented women. She would say, “Sabes porqué he tenido exito? Porque yo vendo talento, no vendo sexo.” (“You know why I’ve been successful? Because I sell talent, not sex.”)
Now, I see what she meant. It’s a male-dominated world, and she wanted respect. She liked being on the road. She liked to take her music to different markets, and she loved shopping. Shopping and music, forget about it. Y su cafecito con su azucar.
She always tried to encourage the new generation by being positive and working hard. She spoke about the perseverance of hard work, professionalism. Always record, arrive early and have a great orchestra behind you. And all that you get, you give back.
Randy Malcom
The Gente De Zona member on the group recording “Celia,” which blends two Cruz hits using her original vocals.
Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom Martínez of Gente de Zona.
Courtesy Gente de Zona
I knew Celia’s work because I studied music in Cuba, but I never got the chance to meet her in person. Since Celia was banned in Cuba, you couldn’t hear her on the radio or see her on TV.
Celia, Willy Chirino, all those artists were prohibited. She was always a defender of freedom.
After recording “La Gonzadera,” we were trying to figure out how we could use her vocals from “La Negra Tiene Tumbao” in a song. Her digital session recordings from her last recordings were nowhere to be found, but after 10 years of searching with Omer [Perdillo, her manager], we finally found them.
What we did was mix two songs together, closing it out with “La Negra Tiene Tumbao.”
But for us, using her voice — can you imagine? As a kid, I’d hear some of her stuff with my dad through videos that had been leaked. Cuba only had two TV channels, and there was a concert she did, I think in Africa, that somehow got through. People had recorded it and we’d watch it. For us, it was such a point of pride. A Cuban woman who was outside of Cuba, yet so huge in the music world — it seemed impossible to reach that level. When I was little, people told me she was a singer who wasn’t allowed in Cuba.
When my dad heard the song, he was blown away. He was like, “How did you pull this off?” And I told him, “Dad, they gave me permission.” This whole story is so nostalgic for every Cuban, given the political situation. Everything feels so deep. In our country, there’s so much music, so much art, but it dies there. It’s heartbreaking to see so many artists who don’t get the chance to share their work. I’m left with this sense of longing because I wasn’t able to fully experience her work. And she has incredible songs. Celia was always ahead of the game when it came to music. She was someone who never let herself fall behind.
Goyo
Goyo
Johana Garcia
I met Celia because my dad and an uncle promoted shows in Colombia and they brought José Alberto “El Canario” and Celia together to Buenaventura, Quibdó, and a show in Tuluá that didn’t end up happening. But I traveled with her on the same bus from Buenaventura to Tuluá, and I got the chance to talk with her. She said something to my mom about me, and my mom made me sing. I was about 13 or 14 years old.
I’d seen her on TV, but my dad collected albums and my mom was a huge fan of Celia. I’ve always been really close to my mom, and in many moments of her life, Celia’s music was her soundtrack. “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores” was my first real connection to Celia. One of my aunts made me learn the song, and I sang it the first time I performed in a parade in Condoto. I was about 9 years old, and at my fifth-grade graduation, “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores” was already part of my repertoire. That’s the song I sang to her on the bus.
I went to see her in Buenaventura first. She was wearing white leggings, a shiny top and a short, white wig and she looked amazing. Like, wow — it wasn’t often you saw women who could pull off a look like that. I saw music as something totally normal because my mom sang, my uncle brought artists and I’d go to the studios of Grupo Niche. I felt like I was part of the scene.
So when they said, “Now we’re heading to Tuluá on the bus with Celia and “El Canario,” it felt normal. She was traveling with her husband and it was a big, comfy bus. And she said, “What a beautiful little girl. She has something special.”
My mom told me to sing “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores.” She started singing the chorus, and I sang the second part because I was feeling a little shy. She said, “Keep going, keep going.” And we all started singing together. Imagine that — my skin still tingles thinking about it. It feels like such a normal story, but honestly, it’s not that normal. Especially because kids are usually pretty sheltered at that age. Later, when I was 15, I saw her again, and by then, she looked older, and I was so impressed by the respect people had for her and how she kept thriving as an artist, even as someone who was already so established. She was always in the big leagues. What’s happening now isn’t possible without talking about her. Her story needs to be told.
Illustration by Selman Hoşgör
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Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.