Blogamole › Celia Cruz

By Michael Lopez

Who knew Pitbull was a secret Celia Cruz fan? Though the Cuban "Queen of Salsa" and Mr. 305 have very different musical backgrounds, Pit opened up about his admiration for the legendary singer and his plans to record a "duet" with her.

We know what you're thinking, how could that even be possible seeing how Celia passed away in 2003? Leave that up to the magic of technology. At a recent press conference, Pitbull explained how he's already working up ideas on how to use her vocals in the studio.

"Voy a grabar un dúo con Celia Cruz," Pit said. "Sé que este sueño será difícil porque mi Reina de Cuba ya no está entre nosotros, que en paz descanse, pero existe la tecnología y sé que algo vamos a poder hacer ahí. Voy a cantar a dúo con Celia Cruz."

Pitbull also went on to explain how proud he was of his Cuban heritage and the impact that Cruz' music has had on the culture. Coincidentally, he had another high-profile Cuban-American by his side when he made the announcement. Jencarlos Canela seemed to fully support the Celia collaboration and may even be a part of it himself.

Are you a fan of Celia Cruz’ music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celia Cruz, Hot Stuff, Jencarlos Canela, Música, Pitbull

By Michael Lopez

Take a closer look the next time you get a letter in the mail, it may have the face of a famous estrella stuck in the top right corner. Yup, the U.S. Postal Service recently announced that five Latin music icons will be getting the stamp treatment in the coming year.

And why not? Snoopy, Hello Kitty, and the Liberty Bell have been gracing envelopes for more than enough time now. Wouldn’t you rather have Selena or Celia Cruz plastered on that Hawaii postcard? And there are plenty more where that came from. Tito Puente, Carmen Miranda, and Carlos Gardel will also be part of the collection.

We know what you’re thinking. Why aren’t there any current Latin artists included in the set? According to the U.S. Postal Service, only people who have been deceased ten years or longer are eligible for the honor. With that rule in mind, each of the five choices makes perfect sense.

Carlos Gardel passed away back in 1935 and is often-times forgotten for his contributions to modern Latin music. Born in Argentina in 1887, his distinctive voice shaped dozens of classic tango songs, including the legendary “Mi Buenos Aires Querido.”

Carmen Miranda died in the 1950’s, but any fan of classic movies (or vintage cartoons) will never forget her memorable “fruit hat” and sexy dance moves. Tito Puente also rose to fame in the same era, but continued his success all the way into the 1990’s. His bossa nova bandleading skills can still be felt in virtually every modern salsa club.

Celia Cruz passed away in the early 2000’s, but her musical influence spanned over six decades. Billboard named her “the most influential female figure in the history of Cuban music” and we most certainly agree! Plus her winning smile looks great on that stamp.

Sadly, the most recent deceased star on the list is Selena Quintanilla. Though she should be well into her Tejano music career at this point, her 1995 murder cut everything short. We think it’s great that the Postal Service is honoring her brief moment in the spotlight and you can bet she will be a permanent part of the Blogamole stamp collection.

We highly recommend picking up some Latino stamps on your next trip to the post office. Each one features a gorgeous illustration of their respective star and will be a great treat for any music fan’s mailbox.

Which Latino star would you most like to see on a stamp? Sound off in the comments or
@MTV3!

Tags Carlos Gardel, Carmen Miranda, Celia Cruz, Cultura, Música, Postal Service, Selena, Stamps, Tito Puente

By Elis T. Ortiz

CNN is set to launch a new arts and culture show called “icon” airing this August 25th, which will
showcase everything art-related from architecture, to fashion, to music. Para este último tema,
they’ve joined forces with music magazine Songlines to shortlist the top 20 globally recognized icons of the past 50 years.

The best part? La música Latina is being represented by the late great reina de la salsa Celia Cruz, and Colombian pop superstar Juanes!

Other greats who’ve made the shortlist are Bob Marley, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles. Fans will have the opportunity to narrow the list even more by choosing their top 5 icons from the pre-selected top 20.

You can visit CNN’s website to vote for your favorite icons and possibly get Juanes and Celia to the top! Los más populares seran revelados on the CNN site the night of the “icon” premiere on the 25th.

The series will be a monthly show, exploring the iconic people and places that stand out in pop culture all around the globe. Esperemos que nuestros países latinoamericanos sean bien representados.

Will you be tuning in to catch “icon”? Weigh in below or @MTV3!

Tags Celia Cruz, CNN, Cultura, icon, Juanes, latin, poll, show, Tr3s

Belinda has been working on a new track, as she recently told her fans in a live chat.  Joining her on vocal duty is none other than current duet king, Pitbull.

First Jennifer Lopez, then Paulina Rubio... ahora Belinda?  Looks like Pitbull's piling up those duets with bellas Latinas, and we can't blame him.  Rumor has it he's also planning on recording a duet with the late great Celia Cruz using some new mixing technology. Is there anyone with who he wouldn't collaborate?

Either way, we can't wait to hear it!  [LatinGossip; Latina]

Photos via Google Images

Tags Belinda, Celia Cruz, duet, Jennifer Lopez, Música, Paulina Rubio, Pitbull

This may look like a rock-infused mob shot from "Usual Suspects"...

But Los Fabulosos Cadillacs are unraveling their mysterious glare by giving us an exclusive introduction to their upcoming album, "La Luz Del Ritmo." The legendary Argentine roqueros offer a no-nonsense, sharp-edged fusion or hip-hop, ska, and traditional South American sonidos that radiate with intense originality. Their raw talento surpassed the 80s and 90s, but now they are ready to seal their third decade of success with a worldwide tour and their U.S. album release on March 10th.

Check out what la banda's sax player Sergio Rotman had to say about their musical reunion and recovering from band member Gerardo "Toto" Rotblat's sudden death right below.

Read more...

Tags Celia Cruz, Chisme, Free Music, La Luz Del Ritmo, Latin Music, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, MTV, Musica Latina, Ruben Blades, Tr3s, Tres