The U.S. Mint has announced that Celia Cruz, the “Queen of Salsa”, will be featured on US quarters next year, as part of their American Women Quarters Program.
The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year long program celebrating the accomplishments and achievements of women in the United States.
Celia Cruz (who passed away in 2003) was a Cuban-American Latin singer, and one of the most well known salsa singers of all time with her distinctive and powerful vocals.
Celia initially grew to popularity in Cuba in the 1950s as part of the Cuban band, Sonora Matancera, before moving to the U.S. in the 1970s and joining the Fania All-Stars, the salsa supergroup which coined the term “salsa” for their blend of Latin music.
Celia was the featured singer in many salsa classics which are popular to this day, including “Quimbara”, “Bemba Colorá” and “Cao Cao Mani Picao”.
Celia has been featured in many movies and TV shows honoring her legacy, including most recently the telenovela, “Celia”, starring Aymée Nuviola.
Celia will appear on quarters in 2024, alongside other notable women including Pauli Murray, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and Zitkala-Ša. The women will appear on the reverse side of the quarter, with the standard George Washington appearing on the obverse.
The designs for the quarters are still under development and have not been released yet.
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