5 comments about Celia: My Life.

1. In this book we can read the story of Celia Cruz in her own words. She shares important anecdotes with the reader, many of them so emotional that they absolutely will move your heart and you will be able to know the wonderful woman she was.
   An excellent example of courage, perseverance, self-esteem and faith to all the inmigrants and all the people of this country!



2. The explosion of Latin music in America did not start with the likes of Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez or even Gloria Estefan. No, the introduction of the pulsating, hypnotic, rhythmic beats of Latin America was started over forty years ago and owes its unveiling in part to the powerful and soulful voice of Celia Cruz. Written by the diva herself, CELIA: MY LIFE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY is a sentimental celebration of a musical journey that spanned more than half a century.
   
   Born of African descent in Havana, Cuba to a loving family of humble means, music was always a part of Celia's life from the first time her mother sung her a Spanish lullaby. Growing up, Celia was enthralled with the beautiful fusion of the Afro-Cuban music that was drenched within the island's culture. Cuba's musical landscape was quite eclectic and she was captivated by the varied musical styles that swept her homeland. She was influenced by everything, from salsa to samba. Acknowledged by family, friends and neighbors as having a glorious voice, Celia was encouraged to share her gifts with the world. Persuaded by a cousin to enter talent shows, as a teen she began wowing local audiences with her talent. It was just a short time before she became the toast of Cuba.
   
   With the blessing of her friends and family except her father, who wanted her to pursue a more "respectable" profession, Celia began pursuing music. She began perfecting her skills by working the various nightclubs and musical revues in Cuba. It is through Celia's eyes that we are given a front row view of the beautiful and sultry nightclubs that were once part of Cuba's night life. The reader is given a rare look on and behind stage from Celia as she allows us to experience the exhilarating thrill of her performances. Through Celia's narration we are also given a bird's eye view of the changing politics of Cuba and the rise of Fidel Castro. She frankly discusses how she witnessed the political turmoil that nearly tore her homeland apart and ushered in a dictator. Disenchanted with the political changes in Cuba, with a heavy heart Celia decided to escape from the communist nation; sadly she left all she knew and loved behind. Upset and humiliated that one of the nation's most celebrated entertainers had defected from his country Fidel Castro forbade Celia from ever stepping foot on Cuba's soil again.
   
   Despite being banished from her homeland and a few personal and professional setbacks, CELIA: MY LIFE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY is a joyful testimony of a legendary singer's triumphs in life and within the music industry. Celia Cruz recently passed on leaving behind a catalog of wonderful music that will continue to be enjoyed by her legions of fans for years to come. Her voice will forever inspire and invite future generations to celebrate and treasure the pulsating beats of Latin music.
   
   Reviewed by L. Raven James
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



3. Anticipate an autobiography which is filled with depth, from the ups and downs of Cruz's life to her musical successes and few failures: CELIA: MY LIFE is an essential library addition considering how many myths and rumors abound about Cruz's life.



4. This is an enjoyable memoir from the great Cuban singer Celia Cruz, reminiscing on her long life of musical creativity and success. She came of age in the rich Afro/Latin/Caribbean musical scene of pre-Castro Cuba, but then had to flee her homeland, never to return, after the dictator took control and ruthlessly suppressed his people's vibrant and colorful homegrown culture. For some reason Celia never hit it big with mainstream American audiences, but she was huge in the Latin community, and hundreds of thousands of fans mourned her passing in 2003. This book is written mostly in the form of positive reminiscences on friends, faith, and successes. There is nothing wrong with that in the slightest, but I can't quite give this book a perfect rating because of some missed opportunities. Celia's life offers many rich lessons on having to flee one's home into exile, and continuing to work for one's people through success in the outside world. Celia has many very wise and compelling things to say about Castro, the suffering of her people, life in exile, and the issues faced by black and Latin women in music. Unfortunately, Celia's experienced and heartfelt remarks on these matters usually appear for only a paragraph or two, and then it's back to the joyful reminiscing. But even though some golden opportunities for real insight are lost, this is still a great story about the life of an outstanding talent and personality. [~doomsdayer520~]



5. Give's a new insight of the love she had for Cuba, her family, and the music she was so proud to perform.

No comments about Cesar Chavez and La Causa (Library of American Biography Series) (Library of American Biography).

No comments about Conversations with Ilan Stavans (La Plaza).

3 comments about Selena Perez: Queen of Tejano Music (Great Hispanics of Our Time).

1. This is a wonderful book for hispanic students or students learning about different cultures. It includes great pictures and factual information in a non-threatening way. Great addition to personal library.



2. Coming up on the 5th anniversary with Selena's death, we have time to reflect on her life and the story of her struggle. It is appropriate that her memory is still everywhere. Selena's trajectory and her impact in the Tex-Mex world is demonstrated in the interesting "Billboard Guide to Tejano and regional Mexican Music," on Billboard Books. Selena was only one of several rising stars which helped change the market



3. the reason i read the book because her life was a really bad and they event teake care ver well they even have security like all kind of artist right know i thikn if she you even die her concert will be continu thats my opinio so i miss her so much that was my fan.

4 comments about MUDDY CUP: A Dominican Family Comes of Age in a New America.

1. This is the story of everyman, the struggle of stepping off into uncharted universe to make a better life. As the US continues to attract record numbers of immigrants, this book provides a seamless look at just who these people are, the conditions they left behind and their expectations for the future. It also reminds us that the experiences of today's immigrants are not unique, that they are a mirror for all of us.



2. Barbara Fischkin tells a universal story in her chronicle of the Almonte family's coming to America, the painful choices and formidable obstacles they face, their setbacks and successes as they leave behind their beloved Dominican Republic. Muddy Cup is full of rich detail, compassion, and a narrative focus that makes it read like a novel. Treating a little-covered topic with depth and insight, this is the way journalism should be done. There are more than one million Dominicans living in the United States, and Fischkin does a wonderful job of giving faces and names to a group of people who are increasingly visible and vocal in this country. Most important, she shows how similar their hopes and dreams are to those of the many immigrant groups who made America.



3. I just finished reading "Muddy Cup" and feel like I know the Almonte family personally. That could be because I'm familiar with the Dominican experience, my wife emigrated from Santo Domingo at age 16, and I also grew up in the predominantly Dominican Washington Heights neighborhhod. But even if I didn't, the book is so detailed and intimate that someone who has never met a Dominican will feel like they truly have. Barbara Fischkin set out to do a piece for New York Newsday on the Almonte family. The Almontes are from a very small village, known as el campo, called Camu outside of Puerto Plata. She met the mother, Roselia, and her three children( Cristian, Elizabeth and Mauricio ) at the US consulate in Santo Domingo. That newspaper piece ended up as the book "Muddy Cup." Mrs. Fischkin became close with the family, including many relatives, and followed their journey from the small village to Santo Domingo and eventually to Queens, NY. The Almonte story is like many other Dominican families who came before and after them. The youngest child, Mauricio, who is know studying to be Spanish professor in Tennessee of all places, is the child who I could relate to the most. He didn't speak a word of English when he arrived in Queens at age 11, and now is a very educated, English professor in the making. That is amazing to me because the Dominicans, like many other immigrant groups get sterotyped all the time. They are all uneducated drug dealers, or the ones who "made it" are all baseball players. Like the Irish in the last century were all called potato eating, job stealing parasites. Dominicans happen to be the largest( if they are not they are almost there ) Hispanic group in NYC. They have made their presence felt all over the Northeast and beyond, and althougn this book was written in the early/mid nineties, it reflects Dominican experience of today. More have arrived and are arriving every day. Guillermo Linares was elected the first Dominican City ouncilman back in 1991 and many others are entering politics as well. Mrs. Fischkin did a fantastic job of telling their story and it just so happens that her family, Ukranian Jewish immigrants almost a century before, took the same journey as the Almontes. The only difference is that they traveled across the ocean on a boat, while the Almontes traveled on an airplane. I have read quite a few stories about Dominican immigrants and this is by far the best and most heartfelt. I look foward to reading more of Barbara Fischkins work as it is apparent that she is a gifted and entertaining writer.



4. I'm an Anglo American whose daughter has taught in the Dominican Republic for 5 years. I have visited 3 times and I'm an avid reader of Dominican history, culture, and I especially love a good novel. Muddy Cup is by far the best novel I have read. It paints a descriptive and sensitive portrait of the different generations of one family, showing those who chose to remain in their homeland, and others who sacrificed to come to the U.S. I enjoyed how the author shared her feelings about her new friendships and relationships with the different generations of the Dominican family. Anyone who wants to know more of the Dominican culture should read this novel. I was sad to finish the last page, wanting to read more.

3 comments about Beloved Land: An Oral History of Mexican Americans in Southern Arizona.

1. You must check it out and then you'll know what I'm talking about.



2. Patricia Martin spent many hours interviewing Mexican Americans in Southern Arizona and their stories are unique to the area. Hard working, wonderful people survived in Southern Arizona. These types of individuals are gradually dying off and their stories needed to be told for future generations. The individual stories/chapters are delightful to read.



3. To ascertain the essence of a historical event or culture, oral histories are priceless and this collection preserves the depth and uniqueness of Mexican American culture along the border. The reader, whether lay or professional. will find in these pages how families on the border live and have lived lives with the reality and ramifications of a shared history separated by a political border.

No comments about Rita Moreno (Hispanics of Achievement).

1 comments about Ellen Ochoa: The First Hispanic Woman Astronaut (Great Hispanics of Our Time).

1. Ellen Ochoa is my husband's cousin. We have seen her blast into space three times. A friend recently gave me this book for my birthday. It is factual and inspiring.

No comments about Latina Legislator: Leticia Van De Putte and the Road to Leadership (Rio Grande/Rio Bravo).

No comments about Pancho Villa: Rebel of the Mexican Revolution (Fact Finders Biographies: Great Hispanics).