I thought ‘What are those people doing there?… I’m trying to get these kids to sleep.’ Later, I found out that a cousin of mine was bringing the people in.” “I would sing my brothers and sisters to sleep and I noticed that, when I did, there were always neighbors at my door. “I was the oldest sibling at home so I used to put the little ones to sleep,” Cruz explained. Turns out, her cousin knew she’d be a big star someday and would gather people to go by her house and hear her. She had fans lining up to hear her sing before her career even got startedĬruz earned support for her singing career before it even took off, with people from her “barrio” lining up to hear her sing her young siblings to sleep. She is known as the heart of the Cuban Revolution.Celia Cruz circa 1965 Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images She archived many documents, letters, and notes of the revolution, leading to the creation in 1964 of Oficina de Asuntos Históricos del Consejo de Estado, an institution for the preservation of historical documents.Ĭelia Sánchez died of lung cancer on 11 January 1980 and but her legacy is embedded in the Cuban national identity. Among the many responsibilities she fulfilled was Secretary of the Council of State, Member of Parliament, and member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and of the National Directorate of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC). She made the necessary arrangements throughout the southwest coast region of Cuba for the Granma landing and was responsible for organizing reinforcements once the revolutionaries landed.Ĭelia Sánchez is now known throughout the globe and even has a school named after her in Zimbabwe. She organized and planned the landing of the Granma as well as supplying the army with reinforcements. As a member of the general staff of the Rebel Army, she supplied Che Guevara and other rebels with weapons, occasionally food and medical supplies. Norma, Lilian, Carmen, Caridad, and Aly were the pseudonyms used by Celia in the underground and guerrilla. She joined the revolution against the Batista government after the military coup in March 1952. I was always afraid that he would be killed, and that besides losing a great asset, that people would abandon us in the Revolution these fears are now history, and now the people have a real sense of their own feelings and the revolution is above all else.”Įveryone knows Fidel Castro and Che Guevara but few people know Celia Sánchez. You know this country has always been enamored of caudillos and this is how Fidel was made. We conceived of revolutionary consciousness and we have attained it. In her letter, she wrote, “Every day I see how much Cuba needed this revolution. She also became the first woman to join the guerilla and eventually become a part of the rebel army's general staff.Ĭelia Sánchez wrote a letter to her father after joining the revolution. She was considered to be the 'first female guerilla of the Sierra Maestra' since she was the first woman in the revolution to ever fire a weapon. At first, she started as an arms runner but later began working as a combatant in the Cuban Revolution. Celia Sánchez joined the struggle against the Batista government and became the founder of the 26th of July Movement in Manzanillo. “First female guerilla of the Sierra Maestra”įulgencio Batista became president for the second time in March 1952 after seizing power in a military coup, the revolution began in 1953 against the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Working with her father provided her with a cover and connections to become a discreet member of the 26th of July Movement. After high school, she continuously helped with her father until she began to focus on the Cuban Revolution alongside Fidel Castro. She lost her mother Acacia Manduley Alsina early in her childhood. Celia Sánchez Manduley was born on May 9, 1920, in Media Luna, Cuba. Women revolutionaries such as Agustina Castro, Haydée Santamaría Cuadrado, Mariela Castro, Mariana Grajales Cuello, Juanita Castro, Vilma Espín, Lina Ruz González and Celia Sánchez played important role in the Cuban Revolution.
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