Son Montuno presents Celia Cruz Tribute the Queen of Salsa with Grammy nominated musicians
About This Event
At Groupmuse NYC, Son Montuno presents a tribute to Celia Cruz with several Grammy‑nominated musicians on the bill. Cruz rose to fame in 1950s Cuba as La Guarachera de Cuba and later became known as the "Queen of Salsa"; Son Montuno's grounding in son montuno—tight interlocking rhythms, arranged horn lines and cyclical vamps—situates that repertoire.
About Celia Cruz Tribute the Queen of Salsa
Now playing at Groupmuse NYC, Son Montuno leads a tribute to Celia Cruz, joined by Grammy-nominated musicians. Cruz first made her name in 1950s Cuba before becoming a central figure in New York’s salsa era, when the city’s bandstands helped carry Afro-Caribbean music into U.S. popular culture. The program draws on son montuno’s interlocked rhythms and arranged horn lines, reframing them in a rock/pop-leaning concert setting. One clear point emerges: Cruz’s repertoire still functions as a public archive of diaspora, voice, and dance-floor history.
About the Artists
Son Montuno
Son Montuno is a New York City–based group working in the Rock/Pop space with a strong grounding in Cuban son traditions. Their Groupmuse NYC appearances have included “Latin Music: Son Montuno presents Buena Vista Social Club Tribute,” drawing on the lineage of son montuno associated with Arsenio Rodríguez and the later conjunto sound.
Grammy nominated musicians
Grammy nominated musicians are artists or ensembles that have been nominated for a Grammy Award, recognizing their contributions to the music industry.
Celia Cruz
Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso, known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname La Guarachera de Cuba.