Celia Cruz’s relevant influence in the Cuban culture is highly recognized in the documentary through several testimonies, music and a few fiction elements, despite her songs have been banned from the island’s media for over 40 years now.
Unpublished statements from some of Celia’s relatives in Cuba make this a very actual documentary, so do the opinions of a few outstanding musicians and artists of all ages in the island, like musicologist María Teresa Linares and the coreographer and stage manager of Tropicana Cabaret, Santiago Alfonso, who knew the unforgettable guarachera (singer of the Latin rhythm called guaracha) in person.
Along with the background music by César “Pupy” Pedroso (writer of Celia’s well-known song Azúcar), the film shows original photos of her that belong to her family in Cuba, a lot of them never seen before, as well as some videos of the salsa singer’s performances in the CMQ TV station, in the 1950’s.
Songs like Siento Nostalgia de Palmeras (Feeling nostalgia for palm trees) and Te busco (Looking for you), sung by Pupy’s band, Pupy y los que Son Son, and a guest singer, Yarianna, support the message of the story from beginning to end. But, there are also three anthological songs by Celia: Yerbero Moderno (Modern Herbalist), Juancito Trucupey (name of a man) and Saoco (name of a Cuban drink made with coconut milk and rum). And then, Homenaje a Celia Cruz (A Tribute to Celia Cruz), written by Pupy, a song specially created for the documentary, which praises the astounding artistic values of one of the greatest representatives of Cuban culture.