As the title asks, have you watched Telemundo’s new TV show Celia yet? I am a huge Celia Cruz fan, so much so that even though I’m still not good at Spanish (I must practice), I know all the meanings behind Cruz’s songs. Cruz is one of the greatest Latin singers ever, and for me, she’s one of the best not just because of her talent, but because she was always unapologetically herself and unapologetically Afro-Cuban. Songs like “Yemaya” and “Rie y Llora,” among many, show this off.
Celia, which tells the life story of Cruz, has already premiered on Telemundo, but in case you are behind, here’s the official press release.
MIAMI, July 16, 2015 – TELEMUNDO presents “Celia,” a drama series inspired by the life of Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso, better known as Celia Cruz, one of the most iconic musical figures of our times. The legendary Cuban singer brought audiences to their feet with the irresistible beat of her music and obtained international stardom due to her unique style, voice, passion and unforgettable charm.
Scheduled to premiere this fall, “Celia” narrates the life and musical legacy of a woman who launched her career in the middle of the Cuban revolution, in an era when female singers didn’t have a place on a stage. The stellar cast of “Celia” features actors Jeimy Osorio and Modesto Lacén who give life to Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight during their younger years. The series continues with the introduction of Aymeé Nuviola and Willy Denton playing the couple in their later years.
The international cast also includes: Abel Rodriguez, Carolina Gaitan, Aida Bossa, Margot Velasquez, Jonathan Islas, Luciano D´Alessandro, Michel Guillo Casals, Alberto Pujol, Jorge Cardenas, Indira Serrano, Brenda Hanst, Carlos Manuel Vesga, José Narváez, Moisés Angulo, Luis Gerardo, Mijail Mulkai, Mauricio Cujar, Orlando Diago, Laura Peñuela, Luis Eduardo Arango, Diana Wiswell, Constanza Gutiérrez, Bárbaro Marín, Jean Phillipe Laurent, Marcela Gallego, Félix Antequera, Pedro Calvo, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Juan Alfonso Baptista, Carolina Sabino, Andy Caicedo, Ariel Díaz, Ivette Zamora, Tirza Pacheco, Julián Díaz, Sharing Martínez, Mauro Mauad, Adrián Makalá, Leopolda Rojas, Amalfi De Armas, Claudia De Hoyos, Lady Noriega, Patricia Padilla, Arnold Cantillo, José Rojas, Thadeuss Phillips, Andrés Echavarria, Victoria Mosquera, Luly Bossa, Daniela Tapia, Luis Caballero, Maria Cecilia Sánchez, Luis Enrique Roldán, Camila Ramos, Bakty Arroyo, Nancy Murillo, Juan Pablo Franco and Victor Gómez.
“Celia” is a Fox Telecolombia and RCN production licensed to TELEMUNDO, bringing an innovative programming style to its viewers. The drama seires Directed by Victor Mallarino alongside Liliana Bocanegra, with Nelson Martinez as Executive Producer. The script is based on a screenplay by Andrés Salgado and Paul Rodríguez.
Viewers can find exclusive content on “Celia” by visiting facebook.com/CeliaTLMD. For more information, please visit nbcumv.com and follow @TLMDPR on Twitter.
Also, take a look at this smorgasbord of pictures! Jeimy Osorio, Aymeé Nuviola, Modesto Lacen and Willie Denton and really do give the spirit of Cruz (Osorio, Nuviola) and Pedro Knight (Lacen, Denton).
If you’ve seen the show, what do you think about it? Give your opinions in the comments section below!