Cristina Saralegui, journalist, actress, TV personality. (Havana)
Cristina Maria Saralegui (born January 29, 1948) is a Cuban-American journalist, actress and talk show host of the Spanish-language eponymous show, Cristina.
Saralegui was born in Havana, Cuba, to Francisco Rene Saralegui, Jr. and Cristina Santamarina. In 1960, following the Cuban Revolution, Saralegui and her family fled to Miami and settled on Key Biscayne.
By 1979, Saralegui was editor of the Spanish version of Cosmopolitan magazine. She continued in this role through most of the 1980s. In 1989, Saralegui transferred her journalistic success to television, by launching the Miami-based Spanish-language talk show, El Show de Cristina (The Cristina Show) on Univisión. She concluded each episode with a double thumbs-up salute and the Cuban expression “Pa’lante, pa’lante, pa’tras ni pa’ coger impulso”, (Forward, forward; don’t step back, not even to gain momentum (could also be understood as “to get a running start”.)
Prominent guests included Shakira, Don Francisco, the former members of Menudo, Fernando Colunga, Selena, Lucero, Celia Cruz, Thalía, Julio Iglesias, Alejandro Fernández, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Sussan Taunton, Jorge Ramos, Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio Estefan, Jr., Gloria Trevi, Chayanne, Sebastian Rulli, Xuxa, Ricky Martin, RBD, Niurka, Noelia, Anaís, George Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Adela Noriega, Grecia Colmenares, Alexandra Cheron, Amelia Vega, Angélica Vale, Angélica María, Gloria Trevi, and Susana Gonzalez.
Saragelui’s talk show last aired on November 1, 2010 after 21 years. Hosted by Mexican actor, Fernando Colunga, Cristina was celebrated by her colleagues Daniela Romo, Cesar Evora, Thalia, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan, Angelica Maria, Carmen Salinas, Don Francisco, Jorge Ramos, and others. Some of her Univision colleagues were in the audience from where they interacted with Cristina herself, sharing anecdotes and messages of hope and admiration. Saralegui went on to publish her own magazine, Cristina: La Revista (Cristina: The Magazine) and several books. She is referred to as “the Spanish Oprah”.
Agencies/Various/InternetPhotos/YouTube/TheCubanHistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor