The rhythms of salsa and guaguanco echoed through the Lehman College Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, September 27 at the release party for a new quarter honoring the life and legacy of Celia Cruz.

The United States Mint and the National Women's History Museum, in partnership with Lehman College, the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music, Telemundo, and the estate of Celia Cruz, produced an exciting afternoon of music and conversation about Cruz's impact and role in propelling Latin music to new heights.

The event was a homecoming of sorts for the Cruz family—Cruz performed at the College during the height of her popularity. “We are honored to be able to celebrate all she represents, a cultural trailblazer whose impact reached well beyond music and who shines as a role model for our students and our whole community," said Lehman College President Fernando Delgado.

Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at Lehman, the event drew a lively crowd, some, dancing in the aisles to music performed by students at the nearby Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music.

The 2024 Celia Cruz Quarter is the 14th coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program, which celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States. The reverse (tails side) features a dynamic depiction of Celia Cruz flashing her dazzling smile while performing in a rumba-style dress. Her signature catchphrase "¡Azucar!" is inscribed on the right.

"Celia Cruz was a cultural icon who inspired an entire generation. It is exciting to celebrate her wide-ranging musical legacy and to have the first Afro Latina on a coin," said the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the United States Mint.

Lifelong fan Whoopi Goldberg made a surprise appearance and spoke from the heart about Cruz’s impact on her own life, as both a musician and a female role model.

Each attendee received one of the new quarters as a keepsake. Watch the event here and check out some of our press coverage:  WNBC | Acceso Total/WNJU