Celia Cruz's Voice Returns to Vinyl with Éxitos Eternos, a Century After Her Birth

MIAMI — Twenty-two years after her death, the unmistakable cry of "¡Azúcar!" is spinning again, this time from a gold vinyl that crackles like memory. Éxitos Eternos, a new remasterized version of the LP available this fall, gathers some of Celia Cruz's most iconic recordings in a single, limited-edition release that coincides with the centennial of the woman who changed Latin music forever.

The compilation, published by Amazon Music, brings together seventeen songs that trace Cruz's artistic journey, from her Afro-Cuban roots to the heights of global fame. Among them are "Químbara," "Usted Abusó," "La Vida Es Un Carnaval," and "Sazón," all newly remastered for vinyl. The album's title, Éxitos Eternos ("Eternal Hits"), feels almost modest for a voice that has refused to fade.

It also includes some collaborations: "El Son de Celia y Oscar" con Oscar de León, "Cuestión de Época" con Luis Alberto El Canario, "Guantanamera" con La India, "Soy Loco Por Ti" con Caetano Veloso, y la icónica "Vasos Vacíos" con Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.

Born in Havana in 1925, Celia Cruz became the face of a movement. Exiled from Cuba in the early 1960s, she transformed pain into rhythm, blending rumba, son, and salsa with lyrics that spoke of resistance and celebration. Her music crossed borders long before Latin crossover became an industry term. From New York's Palladium Ballroom to the streets of Miami's Little Havana, her voice became the heartbeat of the Latin diaspora.

Now, in a year when tributes, exhibitions, and reissues mark her 100th birthday, the return of her sound to vinyl feels both nostalgic and defiant. In a world of disposable playlists, this physical format restores a sense of permanence to a woman who made impermanence her enemy.

The LP forms part of a broader cultural moment that has brought renewed attention to Cruz's life and work. In recent years, she became the first Afro-Latina woman to appear on a U.S. quarter, inspired fashion retrospectives at the Smithsonian, and fueled documentaries and TikTok edits alike. For younger audiences, her voice is discovery; for older ones, it is home.

Across social media, fans have shared videos unboxing the record, placing it gently on turntables, and dancing barefoot to "La Vida Es Un Carnaval." One listener wrote simply: "My abuela used to sing this when she was cleaning. Now my daughter does too."

Cruz's centennial year has revived not only her catalog but also the urgency of her message. She sang about exile, race, and joy in a way that felt political without preaching.

The return of Éxitos Eternos is a reminder of what Latin music once sounded like when it was carved by hand and carried by heart. Each track feels like a telegram from another era, yet her words still cut through modern noise with startling relevance.