MIAMI, FL – November 23, 2020 – (LATINX NEWSWIRE) – AARP is bringing the Latino community some uplifting cheer with a special re-release during the holidays of the Ivy Queen-Celia Cruz virtual duet “La Vida Es Un Carnaval”. The epic duet, which can be viewed here through the holidays, was recently the centerpiece of the Calle Ocho Live festival.
The highly produced video for “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” not only made history uniting the Queen of Reggaeton (Ivy Queen) with the Queen of Salsa (Celia) but also became the first and only music video for Celia’s lifetime No. 1 hit.
“We are proud to be part of this amazing initiative to support and bring joy to Latino families during this holiday season, while paying tribute to two of the most iconic Hispanic artists of all time,” said Yvette Peña, vice president of multicultural leadership at AARP. “Both Celia Cruz and Ivy Queen have broken glass ceilings throughout their careers and are an inspiration to people of all ages. As a committed ally of Latinos aged 50+ and their families, AARP proudly supports initiatives that positively impact and empower our community.”
A co-production of the Kiwanis of Little Havana, RetroPop Media, and Atlantino, the music video was produced in association with the Celia Cruz Foundation and features unreleased footage contributed by director Ernesto Fundora, who himself directed Celia Cruz’s other video hit “La Negra Tiene Tumbao.” All of the footage for ‘La Vida Es Un Carnaval’ was from a 2002 commercial shoot Fundora shot with Celia in Veracruz, Mexico for Azúcar de Veracruz. Ivy Queen’s portion of the duet was shot in Miami and directed by CSP Media Group.
“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” was written by Victor Daniel, produced by Isidro Infante, arranged by Isidro Infante and released as the lead single from Cruz’s studio album Mi Vida Es Cantar (1998). The song won the award for Tropical Song of the Year at the 2003 Lo Nuestro Awards.
Click HERE to watch a video