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'Celia the Queen' Selected for The TRIBECA Film Festival

APRIL 13, 2008
Poster, printed at 24" x 36". Image was selected for the upcoming Communication Arts Illustration Annual.
I'm very happy to announce that the film project I started working on last year, Celia the Queen, was selected for the Tribeca Film Festival, from over 2,300 entries.  Congratulations to the guys at KIE films.  They've been working on this documentary for many years and it's great to see it get the play it deserves.
I haven't seen the film yet.  My dad and myself were interviewed for it, and I hear that dad's segment gets some good play.  I'm flying him up to New York City from Miami for the big premiere party on April 26th!  He can't believe this is happening.  The premiere is sold out, but you can get tickets for the other dates at the Tribeca Film Festival website here.

SCHEDULE OF SHOWINGS:

Saturday, April 26, 9:30pm,
(premiere, sold out)  AMC 19th Street, 890 Broadway,

Sunday, April 27th, 2:30pm, Tischman Auditorium at the New School, 66 West 12th Street.

Thursday, May 1, 4:30pm, Village East Cinema 7, 181 2nd Ave (12th Street)

Sunday, May 4, 4:00pm, Village East Cinema 5, 181 2nd Ave (12th Street)

From Tribeca Film Festival website:
"This touching documentary pays tribute to the work of a stellar performer who brought the sound of salsa to the whole world. As a teenager in 1940s Havana, Celia Cruz found her audience in the local canteens. But her real start came when, pressed by her family, she entered and won a local radio contest. A few years later she was signed by one of Cuba's most popular orchestras, and her sultry, gravelly voice became Cuba's most adored. Her trademark cry ¡Azúcar! became known across Latin America. And when she fled Castro's Cuba in 1960 and eventually arrived in the United States, she started a second even more successful career fueled by her partnerships with salsa greats Tito Puente, Willie Colon, and Johnny Pacheco. Ironically, while she became known as the voice of Cuba around the world, her once beloved music was banned in her home country.
Up until the time Celia died in 2003, she was still performing. She even made a turn in a video for Wyclef Jean's remake of the song she made famous, "Guantanamera." When she passed, she was mourned everywhere from England to Argentina. Directors Jose Cardona and Mario de Varona use archival footage of both Celia and her loving husband, Pedro Knight, to tell the inspiring story of a little girl from Havana who became an international diva. Fans from David Byrne to Andy Garcia weigh in on this fabulous woman's influence on their lives, and an intriguing segment explores the cult-like status that Celia's music enjoys in Japan. Foremost though is the presentation of Celia as the warm, strong, free spirit who adored her fans and earned without question her title: "the Queen."  --Genna Terranova
Below are some images from the film:

 
Topical: TIME  
© 2024 Edel Rodriguez