Review: Celia Cruz Celebration Shakes the Walls at Jazz At Lincoln Center

The roof was shaking last evening, October 17, 2025, at Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater with its Centennial Celebration of the late, great Celia Cruz. Celia Cruz, who passed away in 2003, was one of the most beloved Cuban singers to come out of pre-Castro Cuba, where she created several types of Afro-Cuban and later Latin music.

In 1960 after the Cuban Revolution, Cruz joined many other artists who fled the country in turmoil and became a spokesperson for Cubans in exile.  She first fled to Mexico and then to the United States, where she eventually resided. Dubbed the “Queen of Salsa,” the Havana-born native took the Americas by storm with her powerful vocals and exciting rhythmic music.

Last evening's festivities truly felt more like a dance party than a concert!  The amazing band led by Musical Director Carlos Henriquez (Bass) led the audience on a joyous ride through the music of Celia Cruz.  The majority of all the stories and anecdotes were told to patrons by the artists in Spanish, as many in the theater that night were Spanish-speaking. Unfortunately, as this reviewer does not speak Spanish I missed some of the fun, but despite that it was the universal power of music that kept the night rolling.  And what a night it was!!

Guest soloists performing Celia Cruz hits joined the band throughout the night.  Powerhouse performer Aymee Nuviola began the evening with a bang. Cuba-born Nuviola is a singer, actress and composer.  Known as “La Sonera del Mundo”, she portrayed Celia Cruz in a Colombian TV production about her life.   Oozing old world charm in a silver and bronze sequined evening dress with matching accessories in her hair and her shoes, Nuviola charged the air in the theater with her solo renditions of “Yerbero Moderna”, “Osmany Paredes” (on piano), and “Toro Mata.”  Nuviola encouraged and engaged theatergoers to join in the fun; thus, people began to stand and dance in the aisles - such was the pull of the songs!  

Next up on the guest list was Cuban-born singer and bassist, Alain Perez.  Clad in a black tuxedo and white shirt accompanied by a black and white scarf and sequined shoes, Perez jumped with a charged energy onto the stage.  A duet with Nuviola of “Bemba Colora”  accompanied by a trumpet solo  by Xito Lovell had patrons applauding wildly.  He then went on to solo performances of “Lagrimas Negras”, “Quimbara” as well as a “Nadie Se Salva de la Rumba” along with Ariadne Trujillo Duran, who joined the show as its final guest.  Trujillo Duran, a virtuoso pianist, singer and composer in her own right is also a Cuban exile.  

The fair-haired vocal powerhouse was dressed to impress in a slinky black evening gown adorned with striking lace-like sequins front and back and matching sequined accessories in her hair and shoes. Solos included: “Cao Cao Mani Picao” and “Burundanga.”  

Aymee Nuviola, now in a truly fabulous gold sequined gown with matching accessories, rejoined both Perez and Trujillo Duran onstage for an unbelievable finale.  These three remarkable singers had every single patron of the four-story theater on their feet dancing and swaying to the music, even if they didn’t know the words - this reviewer included!  Songs belted out were the famous Celia Cruz hits “La Vida es un Carnaval” and of course, “Guantanamera”.  

This night was truly more a dance party than a concert!  Never has this reviewer seen such a performance where the audience truly was part of the show along with its phenomenal talent!  Each and every audience member left the theater that night singing and dancing along to the hits of the great Celia Cruz.

Celia Cruz A Centennial Celebration! featured the phenomenal musicians Carlos Henriquez (Musical Director and bass), Jesus Ricardo (trumpet), Manuel Ruiz (trumpet), Xito Lovell (trombone), Ben Romanow (trombone), Osmany Paredes (piano), Bobby Allende (percussion), Marcos Lopez (percussion), and Carlitos Padron (percussion). Fabulous guest vocalists included Aymee Nuviola, Alan Perez and Ariacne Trujillo Duran.