“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.

U.S. Postal Service