Beyoncé and Maluma have released an unexpected collaboration that has everyone dancing: "CUERPO (TUMBAO)," a Spanish version with a salsa rhythm of "Get Me Bodied" that pays an emotional tribute to Celia Cruz, the Queen of Cuban Salsa, sampling her iconic "La negra tiene tumbao."
The song is part of B'Day (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition), the special reissue with which Beyoncé celebrates this Friday her 45th birthday and the 20th anniversary of one of her most beloved albums, originally released on September 4, 2006.
From the very first notes, the unmistakable voice of Celia Cruz and her chorus "La negra tiene tumbao / Nunca camina de lado" fill the dance floor, turning the song into a celebration of the Havana singer's legacy.
The tribute comes at a particularly significant moment: in April of this year, Celia Cruz was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the first Cuban artist and the first whose work is primarily in Spanish to enter the Hall of Fame, with an induction ceremony scheduled for November 14 in Los Angeles.
The song blends verses by Maluma in Spanish with passages from Beyoncé in both English and Spanish, including the line that has become a favorite wink for fans: "My Spanish is not very good looking."
"La negra tiene tumbao" was released by Cruz in 2001 and became one of the biggest hits of the final stage of her career, being innovative in blending salsa with rap and hip hop.
The album that contained it won the Grammy for Best Salsa/Merengue Album in 2003, the same year Cruz passed away, leaving a legacy that, more than two decades later, continues to inspire the greatest artists in the world.
The fact that two of the most influential figures in world music chose precisely that theme to celebrate a historic anniversary speaks volumes about the enduring legacy of the Queen of Salsa: the music of Celia Cruz is immortal.
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