Celia
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Celia
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Celia is a Spanish-language telenovela (with optional subtitles) inspired by the life of Latin music superstar Celia Cruz. It features some coarse language, strong sexual innuendo, and drinking and drunken behavior. Race and sexist attitudes are themes. Occasionally people are slapped, punched, or shot at. Death and dying are themes, and a dead baby is shown in a coffin, but this appears within the context of traditional beliefs and practices. Latin music performed by Cruz and other famous Latin performers is featured.
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What's the Story?
CELIA is a dramatic series inspired by the life and career of Cuban salsa singer Celia Cruz. It's the 1950s, and Ursula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso, aka Celia Cruz (played by Jeirmarie Osorio), is a young Black-Cuban woman living in Havana with dreams of becoming a singer. Her father, Simón (Moises Angulo), is vehemently opposed to the idea, but with the support of her mother, Ollita Alonso (Margoth Velásquez), she enters and wins a singing contest that helps launch her career. From singing guaracha music with the Afro-Cuban orchestra Sonora Matancera to becoming known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa," Cruz became a global Latin music superstar during her 50+-year career.
Is It Any Good?
The Spanish-language, 80-episode telenovela mixes drama, a bit of humor, and great musical performances to create a colorful story based on Celia Cruz's life. The narrative is told with the help of flashbacks that recreate Cruz's journey from her early years in Cuba as a young guaracha singer, but brings audiences back to her later years as an international performer (played Aymeé Nuviola) with husband and manager Pedro Knight (Modesto Lacén/Willie Denton). Throughout it all, Celia highlights how Cruz broke racial barriers in pre-Castro Cuba by playing at high-end clubs like The Tropicana, and honored Cuba's Black heritage by yelling ¡azucar! (sugar) during her performances. But Celia is ultimately a work of fiction, and includes characters like jealous half-sister Noris Alfonso (Aída Bossa), who "passes" as White, and lots of soap opera-like plot lines that range from interesting to over-the-top. Meanwhile, those unfamiliar with Cuban culture may be confused by some of what is featured here. Nonetheless, if you're a Celia Cruz fan, it's easy to get caught up in the story world. If you like salsa music, it'll be easy to dance to it too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the history of guaracha and salsa music. How did these genres of music evolve from its Cuban-indigenous origins to becoming internationally popular? How has it been adapted and combined with other music genres today?
Celia illustrates a history of diversity in Cuba, but also highlights a tradition of racism in pre-Castro Cuba. How do these conversations differ from the way we discuss race in the United States today? Are there any similarities?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 13, 2015
- Cast: Jeirmarie Osorio, Aymeé Nuviola, Modesto Lacén
- Network: Peacock
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Character Strengths: Perseverance, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: March 15, 2023
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