When the term music royalty is thrown around, most people think of the King of Rock and Roll (Elvis Presley), the King of Pop (Michael Jackson) or Queen Bey (Beyoncé). Still, there's a seat at the royal table labeled "Queen of Salsa", and it's reserved for the one and only Celia Cruz.

With a career spanning over half a century, Cruz was known for her electrifying personality and unrivaled work ethic, releasing 23 certified Gold albums overall. That special blend of personality and production only multiplied when placed inside a genre as appropriate as salsa.

Watch the latest episode of Black Sounds Beautiful below to learn how the Queen of Salsa claimed her throne.

Her hard work didn't go unnoticed, as she earned 14 GRAMMY nominations, three GRAMMY wins and four Latin GRAMMY wins.

Check down below to learn about even more incredible stories of Black artistry from GRAMMY.com's Black Sounds Beautiful series.

Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Willie Colon & More Salsa Legends Get Special Vinyl Reissues