Célia – born Célia Cruz on September 8, 1947, in São Paulo, Brazil – was a soul, funk, post-bossa nova, and samba vocalist and TV personality. Célia worked frequently with master arranger-composer Arthur Verocai and many other heavyweights over the course of her career. She first came to prominence in 1970 when she appeared on the television show Um Instante Maestro! Her self-titled debut album was released in 1971 and was arranged by Arthur Verocai. Her self-titled sophomore album was released in 1972 and featured musical assistance from Antonio Carlos Jobim and others. The album featured “Na Boca Do Sol”, one of her best-known songs. Her third self-titled album was released in 1975 and featured “Onde Estão Os Tamborins?”, another one of her signature songs. After one more self-titled album in 1977, she took a five-year break before returning with the Amor album in 1982. She released the album Meu Caro in 1983 but it took another 10 years before she returned with Louca De Saudade (1993). She continued to release several more albums until 2015’s Aquilo Que A Gente Diz, which proved to be her final album issued during her lifetime. Célia died from lung cancer on November 29, 2017. Since her death, her early catalog has been reissued, which has brought a resurgence of interest in her career.
