Legendary Cuban singer Celia Cruz, known as the Queen of Salsa (La Reina de la Salsa) was one of the most successful 
exponents of Latin music of the 20th century, earning twenty-three gold albums during the course of a long and illustrious career. She was born in Havana in 1925 and was the second child of Simon Cruz and Catalina Alfonso.
Cruz got her first break way back in 1950 when she was called upon to fill in as lead singer for a popular Cuban orchestra. For fifteen years she toured all over Latin America with the band, who adopted the name ‘Café con Leche’ (Coffee with Milk). However, after the Cuban revolution, she opted not to return home and became a US citizen. She continued recording and performing, also appearing in a number of films, until shortly before her death, from brain cancer, in 2003.
Listening to music is a great way to keep in touch with the language between Private Spanish Lessons. It can help you to pick up new vocabulary as well as reinforce the words you already know by repetition. Think about how we learn our own language growing up: we’re surrounded by stimuli of all different kinds, picking up words from music, television and those around us, not just in the formal setting of the classroom. If you’re not already familiar with her work, why not listen to some of the songs from Celia Cruz’ back catalogue and see how much you can learn from them. Once you get to know the tunes, singing along can help you to improve your pronunciation too!