Latin Music Legends: U.S. Postage Commemorative Forever Stamps Honor Entertainment Giants

AUSTIN, Texas, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five legendary musicians and performers of the Latin sound whose contributions have had a lasting impact on American music — Selena, Carlos Gardel, Carmen Miranda, Tito Puente, and Celia Cruz — today were honored on U.S. commemorative Forever stamps. The stamps go on sale nationwide at Post Offices and online at usps.com/shop today.

"From this day forward, these colorful, vibrant images of our Latin music legends will travel on letters and packages to every single household in America," said Marie Therese Dominguez, vice president, Government Relations and Public Policy.

"In this small way, we have created a lasting tribute to five extraordinary performers, and we are proud and honored to share their legacy with Americans everywhere through these beautiful stamps," Dominguez said.

Among the distinctive musical genres and styles represented by the music legends featured on the Forever stamps are Tejano, tango, samba, Latin jazz and salsa. The honorees are:

Texas-born Selena Quintanilla-Perez (1971-1995) — known to fans simply as Selena — helped transform and popularize Tejano music by integrating techno-hip-hop beats and disco-influenced dance movements with a captivating stage presence. A Grammy recipient, the "Queen of Tejano" broke gender barriers with record sales and awards. Even after her tragic death, Selena remains an important representative of Latin culture.

A superb and evocative singer, Carlos Gardel (1890?-1935) was one of the most celebrated tango artists of all time. Raised in Argentina, Gardel helped popularize the tango in the United States, Europe and throughout Latin America through his performances and recordings. Known as "the man with the tear in his voice," also achieved fame as one of the stars of Spanish-language cinema.

Born in Portugal and raised in Brazil, Carmen Miranda (1909-1955) achieved fame as a samba singer before moving to New York City, where she gained celebrity in theater, film and radio. The "Brazilian Bombshell" appeared in 14 Hollywood musicals and recorded more than 300 songs. Her exotic colorful outfits and persona also became her signature.

Born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Tito Puente (1923-2000) was a musical virtuoso known as El Rey, "The King." With dynamic solos on the timbales and orchestral arrangements that have become classics in Latin music, Puente helped bring Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds to mainstream audiences. He performed for more than 60 years, and his legacy includes more than 140 albums.

A dazzling performer of many genres of Afro-Caribbean music, Celia Cruz (1925-2003) had a powerful contralto voice and a joyful, charismatic personality that endeared her to fans from different nationalities and across generations. Settling in the United States following the Cuban revolution, the "Queen of Salsa" performed for more than five decades and recorded more than 50 albums.

Joining Dominguez to dedicate the Latin Music Legends commemorative Forever stamps were Jim Rosenberg, president, Epiphone; Roland Swenson, managing director, South By Southwest; Cristina Balli, program director, Texas Folklife; Manuel "Manny" Arguello, district manager, Rio Grande District, U.S. Postal Service; Grupo Fantasma, 2011 Grammy Award winning band; and IIyssa Saenz, recording artist.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by May 16, 2011.

How to Order First-Day Covers

The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Philatelic Products

There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• 467163, First-Day Cover, Set of 5, $4.10
• 467168, Digital Color Postmark, Set of 5, $7.50
• 467174, Latin Music Legends Commemorative Print Set, $15.95
• 467191, Ceremony Program, $6.95
• 467199, Keepsake 5 Digital Color Postmarks with pane, $16.95

To learn more about the Postal Service's Stamp Program, visit http://beyondtheperf.com.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service