Jazz at Lincoln Center honors the immortal Cuban “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz (1925-2003) with a centennial celebration and an educational Family Concert in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on Oct. 17-18, 2025.
Virtuoso bassist Carlos Henriquez, who performed and recorded with Cruz early in his career, will lead each of these concert events, demonstrating his remarkable ability to engage adult audiences in evening performances while also delivering lively, educational concerts for school-age children.
The centennial salutes begin with Celia Cruz: A Centennial Celebration! (Oct. 17–18, 2025), a vibrant dance party in Rose Theater. For this special tribute, Henriquez is joined by an illustrious ensemble of New York and Miami-based Latin all-stars: Bobby Allende, Marcos Lopez, Carlos Padron (percussion), Xito Lovell (trombone), Jesus Ricardo (trumpet), Ben Romanow (trombone), Manuel Ruiz (trumpet) and Osmany Paredes (piano), alongside guest vocalists Aymée Nuviola, Alain Pérez, and Ariacne Trujillo Duran. Together, they will bring Cruz’s legacy to life with performances of her most iconic hits, including “Usted Abusó,” “Cúcala,” “Cao Cao,” “Maní Picao,” and “Soy Antillana.”
The Family Concert: Who is Celia Cruz? (Oct. 18, 2025) in Rose Theater, hosted by Henriquez and featuring vocalist Ariacne Trujillo Duran, is designed for school age children and their families to learn more about the legendary Cuban singer in honor of her 100th birthday year. This is a Relaxed Performance, open to all and designed for people with autism, sensory and communication disorders or learning disabilities. The artistic integrity of the piece remains unchanged, however modifications to social and sensory environment may be made.
“Celia Cruz’s musical legacy is priceless. She shaped generations of Afro-Cuban music, leaving an influence that continues to inspire,” said Henriquez. “To me, she was not only a mentor but also a mother figure who guided me on stage. The queen of guaracha, son, and guajira left us a wealth of knowledge—and these concerts and family shows mark the beginning of our journey to honor and learn from the true queen of Afro-Latin music.”
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2025–26 season, Mother Africa, celebrates the centennials of towering jazz figures while highlighting the global influence of Afro-American and African diaspora music. These concerts honoring Celia Cruz are the first in the season that spotlight the far-reaching legacy of the African diaspora and its enduring impact on music worldwide.
Throughout Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2025-26 season, today’s practitioners celebrate the centennials of masters and their worldwide contributions to the art and communities of jazz. The season includes celebratory concerts to honor the centennials of three towering figures in jazz – Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, and Celia Cruz , offering the retrospective these musicians and their artistry deserve.
Born Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso on October 21, 1925, in Havana, Cuba, Celia Cruz became one of the most iconic and influential voices in Latin music and culture. Her powerhouse voice, electrifying stage presence and charisma helped bring Afro-Cuban music to audiences across the globe. Over the course of her five-decade career, Cruz recorded more than 70 albums, earning three Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards, and leaving behind an unparalleled discography of timeless classics.
Cruz’s artistry transcended borders, fusing traditional Cuban rhythms with salsa, jazz, and beyond, while inspiring generations of musicians. In 2003, the U.S. Congress posthumously awarded her the Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing her contributions not only as a musical pioneer but also as a cultural ambassador. Honored by the Recording Academy with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, her artistry and influence continue to resonate across generations and around the world.
For more information and to purchase tickets to Celia Cruz: A Centennial Celebration! (Oct. 17-18, 2025) and Family Concert: Who is Celia Cruz? (Oct. 18, 2025), visit: jazz.org/celiacruz.
Rose Theater is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, at Broadway at 60th St. in New York, New York.
A pre-concert discussion led by Seton Hawkins, JALC’s Director of Public Programs, will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio at Frederick P. Rose Hall before each Celia Cruz: A Centennial Celebration! performance.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 38th season, Mother Africa, delves into the creative spirit that unites African and American musical traditions, and runs through June 20, 2026. The organization’s 2025-26 season includes 19 unique weekends of Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts in the 1233-seat Rose Theater, nine concerts in the 467-seat Appel Room, and more than 350 nights of music at Dizzy’s Club, in addition to webcast performances and in-person and virtual education programs. The 2025-26 season also features tour dates worldwide by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, an ensemble of 15 virtuoso instrumentalists, unique soloists, composers, arrangers, and educators whose mandate is to coalesce and animate an unprecedented variety of styles and genres, in collaboration with noted guest artists and appearances by major figures in jazz and its related genres.