Telemundo Premieres New Series 'Celia'
The highly anticipated television series "Celia," about the life of iconic salsa singer Celia Cruz, premieres on Telemundo on Tuesday.
According to Billboard, the series is the first of three music-focused series expected to come from Telemundo. The show stars Aymee Nuviola and Jeimy Osorio, both playing Cruz, and Modesto Lacen and Willy Denton, portraying Pedro Knight, Cruz's husband and manager.
The show, according to the network's president Luis Silberwasser, will bring to Telemundo what "Empire" brought to Fox: a show focused on family drama and making it in the cutthroat world of the music industry.
"Telemundo has taken a big risk with super series in the past 18 months, and it has paid off," Silberwasser said. "We said, 'What can we do that doesn't have narcos or crime?' If you look at 'Empire,' that combination of soap opera and music is working."
For "Celia" the network wanted to bring drama as well as music. But the show was also intended as a celebration of Cruz's music, contributions to Latino culture and victory over hardships, rather than a biopic following the singer to her death.
Fans can expect to see plenty of musical numbers, dance scenes, love scenes and iconic moments from Cruz's life.
According to NBC News, Cruz recorded over 75 records, and won several Grammys and Latin Grammys throughout her career. She left behind a list of hits like "La Vida Es Un Carnaval," "Quimbara" and "La Negra Tiene Tumbao," which acts as the series' theme song.
However, Cruz is not only recognized for her great music, but also for overcoming struggles as a woman in a man's world.
"Her life wasn't scandalous," Nuviola said. "But as an artist she had an unsettling life. She had to leave her country she went through great hardship in her career, she never saw her mother again because she couldn't go back to Cuba."
The iconic entertainer faced sexism and racism before she became the icon she is today, experiences that are very present in her music.
To celebrate the series, Sony will be releasing re-recordings of some of the Cuban legends famous songs as part of their marketing campaign. The tracks feature the singer's original vocals, accompanied by several guest stars.
"Celia" will air nightly Mondays through Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on the Telemundo network. The series will air through February 2016.
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