Gloria Estefan

Biography

Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɡloɾja esˈtefan]; née Fajardo García; born September 1, 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a five-time Grammy Award winner and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of the Top 100 greatest artists of all time by both VH1 and Billboard. Estefan's record sales exceed 100 million worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
A contralto, Estefan started her career as lead singer of Miami Latin Boys, which was later renamed Miami Sound Machine. She and Miami Sound Machine earned worldwide success with their 1985 single "Conga", which became Estefan's signature song. The group followed this with a number of hit singles throughout the decade, including "Anything for You×Anything for You1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAnything for You (English version)4:02BAnything for You (Spanish version)4:02", "1-2-3", "Bad Boy", and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You×Rhythm Is Gonna Get You8 June 1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARhythm Is Gonna Get You3:55BGive It Up3:00". The group was redubbed as Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine with the release of their 1987 album Let It Loose×Let It Loose1 June 1987 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Betcha Say That4:412Let It Loose2:513Can't Stay Away From You3:584Give It Up3:015Surrender4:036Rhythm Is Gonna Get You3:577Love Toy4:348I Want You So Bad4:2291-2-33:3310Anything for You3:45, and in 1989, Estefan rose to solo stardom with her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways×Cuts Both Ways10 July 1989 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Ay, Ay, I3:492Here We Are4:513Say3:424Think About You Now4:215Nothin’ New3:516Oye mi canto (Hear My Voice)4:537Don’t Wanna Lose You4:128Get on Your Feet3:399Your Love Is Bad for Me3:5110Cuts Both Ways3:1711Oye mi canto4:5812Si voy a perderte4:08.
In March 1990, Estefan sustained a life-threatening cervical fracture of her spine when her tour bus was involved in a crash near Scranton, Pennsylvania. She underwent an emergency surgery and made a full recovery. The following year, Estefan launched her comeback with a worldwide tour and album, Into the Light×Into the Light25 January 1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Coming Out of the Dark4:062Seal Our Fate4:253What Goes Around4:014Nayib's Song (I Am Here for You)4:405Remember Me With Love4:366Heart With Your Name on It4:467Sex in the 90's3:438Close My Eyes4:299Language of Love4:1610Light of Love3:5311Can't Forget You4:1512Live for Loving You4:3813Mamma Yo Can't Go3:3414Desde La Oscuridad ['Coming Out of the Dark' Spanish version]4:10Disc 21Anything for You3:452Cuts Both Ways3:163Here We Are4:514Words Get in the Way3:265Can't Stay Away From You3:586Don't Wanna Lose You4:11. Estefan's 1993 Spanish-language album, Mi Tierra×Mi tierra22 June 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Con los años que me quedan4:372Mi tierra4:393Ayer5:184Mi buen amor3:505Tus ojos4:116No hay mal que por bien no venga5:297¡Sí señor!...4:418Volverás3:549Montuno4:5710Hablemos el mismo idioma4:4611Hablas de mí3:4112Tradición5:20, won the first of her three Grammy Awards for Best Tropical Latin Album. The album was also the first Diamond album in Spain. Estefan's catalog of international solo hits includes "Don't Wanna Lose You×Don't Wanna Lose You26 June 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Don't Wanna Lose You4:082Si Voy A Perdete4:063Words Get In The Way4:59", "Get On Your Feet×Get on Your Feet13 November 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get on Your Feet (7" version)3:362Get on Your Feet (Pop vocal)6:1131, 2, 3 (live)3:534Don't Wanna Lose You (Portuguese)4:18", "Coming Out of the Dark×Coming Out of the Dark1990 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Coming Out of the Dark4:062Coming Out of the Dark (Spanish version) 'Desde La Oscuridad'4:08", "Turn the Beat Around×Turn the Beat Around27 September 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Turn the Beat Around (single version)3:542Turn the Beat Around (7" remix)4:073Turn the Beat Around (Def radio mix)3:494Turn the Beat Around (Damien's radio edit)4:225Turn the Beat Around (Def Conga mix)7:446Turn the Beat Around (Turn the Bass Around mix)6:087Turn the Beat Around (Pablo's 12" mix)7:26", "You'll Be Mine (Party Time)", and "Heaven's What I Feel×Heaven's What I Feel5 May 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Heaven's What I Feel (radio edit)4:362Heaven's What I Feel (Love to Infinity Classic radio mix (short version))4:263Heaven's What I Feel (Victor Calderone radio mix)4:134Gloria's Hitmix (long version)10:38".
Estefan has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Las Vegas Walk of Fame and was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2017 for her contributions to American cultural life. Estefan won an MTV Video Music Award, was honored with the American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and has been named BMI Songwriter of the Year. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has received multiple Billboard Music Awards. She is also a recipient of the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was conferred by the then-President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Billboard has listed Estefan as the second-most successful Latina and 23rd-greatest Latin artist of all time in the U.S., based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Hailed as the "Queen of Latin Pop" and "Mother of Latin Pop" by the media, she has amassed 38 number-one hits across Billboard charts, including 15 chart-topping songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Early life

Gloria Estefan was born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García in Havana, Cuba on September 1, 1957 to parents José Manuel Fajardo Montano (1933–1980) and Gloria García Pérez de Fajardo (1930–2017). Estefan's maternal grandparents were Spanish immigrants. Her maternal grandfather, Leonardo García, emigrated to Cuba from Pola de Siero, Asturias, Spain, where he married Gloria's grandmother, Consuelo Pérez, who was originally from Logroño, Spain. Consuelo's father Pantaleón Pérez served as the head chef to two Cuban presidents. Estefan's paternal side had musical sensibilities, as the lineage had famous bandleader and flautist José Fajardo and a classical pianist.
Estefan's mother Gloria Fajardo, nicknamed "Big Gloria", won an international contest during her childhood and received a Hollywood offer to dub Shirley Temple's films in Spanish. However, Leonardo García did not permit his daughter to pursue the offer. Gloria Fajardo earned a Ph.D. in education in Cuba, but her diploma and other papers were destroyed by Cuban officials when she left for the United States.
Estefan's paternal grandparents were José Manuel Fajardo González and Amelia Montano. José Manuel was a Cuban soldier and a motor escort for the wife of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, and Amelia Montano was a poet. As a result of the Cuban Revolution, the Fajardo family fled and settled in Miami, in 1959, and ran one of the first Cuban restaurants in the city. In 1961, Estefan's father José participated in the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. He was captured by his cousin, who was a member of the Cuban army, and imprisoned in Cuba for nearly two years. On his return, he joined the United States military and fought in the Vietnam War.
After returning from the Vietnam War in 1968, Estefan's father became ill with multiple sclerosis, attributed to Agent Orange exposure that he suffered in Vietnam. Estefan helped her mother care for him and her younger sister Rebecca, nicknamed "Becky" (b. 1963), while her mother worked to support them. Gloria Fajardo first had to regain her teaching credentials, then worked as a schoolteacher for the Dade County Public School system. When Estefan was nine, she alleged that a music teacher hired to teach her guitar lessons sexually abused her. She alleged that the man told her that he would kill her mother if she told anyone about the abuse. Estefan told her mother, who alerted the police of the allegation; charges were not pressed because of the additional trauma she felt Estefan would undergo as a result of testifying against the perpetrator. When Estefan was 16, her father's illness led him to be hospitalized at a Veterans Administration medical facility.
Estefan became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1974 under the name Gloria Garcia Fajardo.

Education

Estefan was raised Roman Catholic and attended Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, where she was a member of the National Honor Society.
Estefan attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where she graduated in 1979 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in French. While attending the University of Miami, Estefan also worked as an English, Spanish, and French translator at Miami International Airport's Customs Department and, because of her language abilities, says she was once approached by the CIA as a possible employee. In 1984, she was inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami.

1975–1988: Miami Sound Machine

In 1975, Estefan and her cousin Mercedes "Merci" Navarro (1957–2007) met Emilio Estefan, Jr. while performing at a church ensemble rehearsal. Emilio, who had formed the band the Miami Latin Boys earlier in that year, learned about Estefan through a mutual acquaintance. While the Miami Latin Boys were performing at a Cuban wedding at the Dupont Plaza Hotel, Estefan and Navarro, who were wedding guests, performed two Cuban standards impromptu. They impressed the Miami Latin Boys so much that they were invited to join the band permanently with the band's name changing to Miami Sound Machine. Estefan, who was attending the University of Miami at the time, agreed to perform only on weekends so that her studies would not be interrupted.
In 1977, Miami Sound Machine began recording and releasing various albums and 45s on the Audiofon Records label in Miami. Their first album was titled Live Again/Renacer (1977). After several more releases on the Audiofon, RCA Victor, and MSM Records labels, the band was signed to Discos CBS International and released several albums beginning with the 1978 self-titled album Miami Sound Machine. In 1978, Gloria married Emilio Estefan Jr. after two years of dating. Growing in popularity in both the U.S. and around the world, the group continued recording and issuing various works for Discos CBS International through 1985.
In 1984, Miami Sound Machine released their first Epic/Columbia album, Eyes of Innocence, which included the dance hit "Dr. Beat" and the ballad "I Need Your Love". Their more successful follow-up album Primitive Love was released in 1985, and contained three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Conga" (U.S. No. 10), "Words Get in the Way" (U.S. No. 5), and "Bad Boy" (U.S. No. 8), as well as "Falling in Love (Uh-Oh)" (U.S. No. 25). "Words Get in the Way" reached No. 1 on the US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, establishing that the group could perform pop ballads as successfully as dance tunes. The song "Hot Summer Nights" was also released that year and was part of the film Top Gun.
Their next album, Let It Loose×Let It Loose1 June 1987 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Betcha Say That4:412Let It Loose2:513Can't Stay Away From You3:584Give It Up3:015Surrender4:036Rhythm Is Gonna Get You3:577Love Toy4:348I Want You So Bad4:2291-2-33:3310Anything for You3:45 (1987), went multi-platinum, with three million copies sold in the US alone. It featured the hits "Anything for You×Anything for You1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAnything for You (English version)4:02BAnything for You (Spanish version)4:02" (No. 1 Hot 100), "1-2-3" (No. 3 Hot 100), "Betcha Say That×Betcha Say That1 September 1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksABetcha Say That7:20BBetcha Say That (Dub Version)6:16" (No. 36 Hot 100), "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You×Rhythm Is Gonna Get You8 June 1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARhythm Is Gonna Get You3:55BGive It Up3:00" (No. 5 Hot 100), and "Can't Stay Away from You" (No. 6 Hot 100). "Can't Stay Away From You", "Anything for You", and "1-2-3" were all No. 1 Adult Contemporary hits as well. In that same year, Estefan took top billing and the band's name changed to Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. In 1988, after the worldwide chart success of single "Anything for You", the Let It Loose album was repackaged as Anything for You.

1989–1992: Cuts Both Ways and Into the Light

In 1989, the group's name was dropped, and Estefan has been credited as a solo artist ever since. In late 1989, Estefan released her best-selling album to date, Cuts Both Ways×Cuts Both Ways10 July 1989 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Ay, Ay, I3:492Here We Are4:513Say3:424Think About You Now4:215Nothin’ New3:516Oye mi canto (Hear My Voice)4:537Don’t Wanna Lose You4:128Get on Your Feet3:399Your Love Is Bad for Me3:5110Cuts Both Ways3:1711Oye mi canto4:5812Si voy a perderte4:08. The album included the hit singles "Don't Wanna Lose You×Don't Wanna Lose You26 June 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Don't Wanna Lose You4:082Si Voy A Perdete4:063Words Get In The Way4:59" (Hot 100 No. 1 hit), "Oye Mi Canto", "Here We Are×Here We Are27 November 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Here We Are4:4921, 2, 3 (live)3:53", "Cuts Both Ways" (No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart), and "Get on Your Feet×Get on Your Feet13 November 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get on Your Feet (7" version)3:362Get on Your Feet (Pop vocal)6:1131, 2, 3 (live)3:534Don't Wanna Lose You (Portuguese)4:18".
On March 20, 1990, while touring in support of Cuts Both Ways, Estefan was critically injured, suffering a fractured spine when a semi-truck crashed into her tour bus during a snowstorm near Scranton, Pennsylvania. Estefan was returning from a meeting with President George Bush to discuss participation in an anti-drug campaign. She was taken to Community Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit in Scranton and flown by helicopter the following day to the Hospital for Joint Diseases at NYU Langone Health in New York City, where she underwent surgery that included implanting two titanium rods to stabilize her vertebral column. Her rehabilitation included almost a year of intensive physical therapy, and she said, "there were times when the pain was so bad I prayed I'd pass out." However, she ultimately recovered completely.
In January 1991, Estefan released the concept album Into the Light×Into the Light25 January 1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Coming Out of the Dark4:062Seal Our Fate4:253What Goes Around4:014Nayib's Song (I Am Here for You)4:405Remember Me With Love4:366Heart With Your Name on It4:467Sex in the 90's3:438Close My Eyes4:299Language of Love4:1610Light of Love3:5311Can't Forget You4:1512Live for Loving You4:3813Mamma Yo Can't Go3:3414Desde La Oscuridad ['Coming Out of the Dark' Spanish version]4:10Disc 21Anything for You3:452Cuts Both Ways3:163Here We Are4:514Words Get in the Way3:265Can't Stay Away From You3:586Don't Wanna Lose You4:11. That same month, she performed "Coming Out of the Dark×Coming Out of the Dark1990 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Coming Out of the Dark4:062Coming Out of the Dark (Spanish version) 'Desde La Oscuridad'4:08" for the first time at the American Music Awards to a standing ovation, the performance coming ten months after the crash. "Coming Out of the Dark" reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Other notable singles from Into the Light were "Seal Our Fate×Seal Our Fate1991 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Seal Our Fate4:252Seal Our Fate (extended remix)6:103Seal Our Fate (dub)5:34" and "Live for Loving You×Live For Loving You1991 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Live for Loving You (Underground Club Mix)7:242Live for Loving You (Live for Clubbing You Mix)6:333Live for Loving You (Live for Dubbing You Mix)4:524Live for Loving You (South of the Border Mix)7:065Live for Loving You (South of the Border Per Capella)4:436Miami Sound Machine Megamix7:40". The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard albums chart and at No. 2 on the British albums chart. The album eventually went double platinum in the US and platinum in the UK.
On January 26, 1992, Estefan performed in the Super Bowl XXVI halftime show. Estefan released Greatest Hits in 1992, and the album included the U.S. hit ballads "Always Tomorrow×Always Tomorrow5 October 1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Always Tomorrow4:502Words Get in the Way (live)5:02" and "I See Your Smile×I See Your Smile15 February 1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1I See Your Smile (single version)4:432"Megamix" (Dr. Beat, Conga, Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, 1-2-3, Get on Your Feet)5:21" along with the international hit dance track "Go Away×Go Away1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Go Away (single remix)3:532Go Away (12″ remix)6:163Go Away (Tommy Musto’s Underground vocal mix)6:344Can’t Forget You4:15". That same year, Estefan sang backup vocals on fellow Cuban-American singer-songwriter Jon Secada's breakthrough single "Just Another Day" and received songwriting credit for the Spanish-language version Otro Día Más Sin Verte.

1993–1995: Mi Tierra, Christmas Through Your Eyes, cover album, and Abriendo Puertas

In June 1993, Estefan released her first Spanish-language album, Mi Tierra×Mi tierra22 June 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Con los años que me quedan4:372Mi tierra4:393Ayer5:184Mi buen amor3:505Tus ojos4:116No hay mal que por bien no venga5:297¡Sí señor!...4:418Volverás3:549Montuno4:5710Hablemos el mismo idioma4:4611Hablas de mí3:4112Tradición5:20. Mi Tierra peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard album chart and No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. In the US, the singles "Mi Tierra", the romantic-tropical ballad "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan×Con los años que me quedan1 November 1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Con los años que me quedan4:392If We Were Lovers (Con los años que me quedan)4:393Tradición5:22", and "Mi Buen Amor" all reached No. 1 on the "Hot Latin Tracks" chart. The album sold over eight million copies worldwide, going on to become multi-platinum in Spain (10 times) and in the US (16 times; Platinum – Latin field), and earning the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album.
In September 1993, Estefan released her first Christmas album, Christmas Through Your Eyes×Christmas Through Your Eyes27 September 1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Overture: Silver Bells4:192The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)4:143Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas5:314Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow3:565This Christmas4:116I'll Be Home for Christmas3:317White Christmas4:148Silent Night4:389Christmas Through Your Eyes5:0110Arbolito de Navidad3:5611Christmas Auld Lang Syne2:35. It was also notable as being the first album from Estefan that was not produced by her husband. The album included the singles "This Christmas" and "Silent Night" and went Platinum in the US.
Estefan released Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me in October 1994, a cover album featuring some of her favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s. The album includes the hit singles "Turn the Beat Around×Turn the Beat Around27 September 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Turn the Beat Around (single version)3:542Turn the Beat Around (7" remix)4:073Turn the Beat Around (Def radio mix)3:494Turn the Beat Around (Damien's radio edit)4:225Turn the Beat Around (Def Conga mix)7:446Turn the Beat Around (Turn the Bass Around mix)6:087Turn the Beat Around (Pablo's 12" mix)7:26", which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Everlasting Love×Everlasting Love1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Everlasting Love4:022Everlasting Love (7" remix)3:463Everlasting Love (alternate mix)3:46", which peaked at number 27. Both songs also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Further single releases were "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me×Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me18 October 1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me3:242How Can I Be Sure3:193Everlasting Love4:014Traces3:245Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying4:246You've Made Me So Very Happy4:447Turn the Beat Around3:558Breaking Up Is Hard to Do3:149Love on a Two Way Street4:1310Cherchez la femme4:5811It's Too Late3:5812Goodnight My Love2:52", which peaked at number 11 in the UK, and "It's Too Late". Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 and has sold over 2 million copies in the United States.
In 1995, Estefan released her second Spanish-language album, Abriendo Puertas×Abriendo puertas26 September 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Abriendo puertas (Opening Doors)3:522Tres deseos (Three Wishes)3:323Mas allá (Beyond)5:224Dulce amor (Sweet Love)3:445Farolito (Little Star)4:406Nuevo día (New Day)3:367La parranda (The Big Party)4:208Milagro (Miracle)3:389Lejos de ti (Far From You)3:5010Felicidad (Happiness)5:20. The album earned Estefan her second Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album. It spawned two No. 1 dance hits ("Abriendo Puertas" and "Tres Deseos") and two No. 1 Latin singles ("Abriendo Puertas" and "Más Allá×Más allá2 January 1996 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Más allá5:222Abriendo puertas (Spanish Fly club mix)6:133Abriendo puertas (Teri's Twirlin dub mix)5:30").

1996–2002: Destiny, Gloria!, and Alma Caribeña

In 1996, Estefan released her platinum-selling album Destiny×Destiny30 May 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Destiny5:122I'm Not Giving You Up4:203Steal Your Heart3:484The Heart Never Learns4:325You'll Be Mine (Party Time)4:506Path of the Right Love5:237Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart3:578Along Came You (A Song for Emily)6:199Higher3:5010I Know You Too Well4:5511Reach3:50, which featured "Reach×Reach2 April 1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Reach (album version)3:502Reach (Gold Medal single edit)4:43". The song served as the official theme of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Estefan performed "Reach" and "You'll Be Mine" at the Summer Olympics closing ceremony. On 18 July 1996, she embarked on her first tour in five years—the Evolution World Tour—which covered the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia.
On June 2, 1998, she released her eighth solo album, Gloria!×Gloria!29 May 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Heaven’s What I Feel5:022Don’t Stop4:273Oye4:404Real Woman4:225Feelin’4:106Don’t Release Me4:167Don’t Let This Moment End4:428Touched by an Angel4:119Lucky Girl4:3210I Just Want to Be Happy3:5411Cuba Libre4:4512Feelin’ (Love to Infinity remix)4:4413Don’t Release Me (Wyclef Jean remix)4:0514Heaven’s What I Feel (Corazón Prohibido)5:0815Cuba Libre (Spanish/Pablo Flores remix)4:3816Oye (Spanish/Pablo Flores remix)4:17. The album blended disco with salsa music percussion and Latin flavor. The album peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold. The single "Oye!" peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and the Hot Latin Tracks charts. The other major single releases were "Don't Let This Moment End×Don't Let This Moment EndSingle · RemixSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Don't Let This Moment End (Radio Edit)4:092Don't Let This Moment End (Ballad Versión)4:153Don't Let This Moment End (7' Remix Edit)4:324Don't Let This Moment End (N&S Miami Remix Edit)4:475The 70's 'Moment' Medley5:42" (which peaked at No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Heaven's What I Feel×Heaven's What I Feel5 May 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Heaven's What I Feel (radio edit)4:362Heaven's What I Feel (Love to Infinity Classic radio mix (short version))4:263Heaven's What I Feel (Victor Calderone radio mix)4:134Gloria's Hitmix (long version)10:38" (which peaked at No. 27 on the Hot 100).

In early 1999, Estefan performed in the Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show, her second appearance in a Super Bowl halftime show. In 1999, Estefan performed with 'N Sync on the single "Music of My Heart×Music of My Heart28 September 1999 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Music of My Heart4:332Music of My Heart (Pablo Flores club mix)10:073Music of My Heart (Pablo Flores radio edit)4:42"—a song featured in the film Music of the Heart, in which she also appeared. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard chart and was nominated for an Academy Award. She also released a Latin hit with the Brazilian group So Pra Contrariar called "Santo Santo", which she sang with Luciano Pavarotti in Pavarotti and Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo.
Alma Caribeña (Caribbean Soul) was released in May 2000. It was her third Spanish-language album, with a focus on Caribbean rhythms. The album featured several Latin hits such as "No Me Dejes De Querer×No me dejes de querer6 June 2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1No me dejes de querer (album version)3:302No me dejes de querer (Pablo Flores Miami mix)8:383No me dejes de querer (Flores Del Caribe mix radio edit)4:294No me dejes de querer (unplugged)3:27", "Como Me Duele Perderte×Como Me Duele Perderte2000 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Como Me Duele Perderte (Tropical version)4:322Como Me Duele Perderte (Ospina's radio edit)3:493Como Me Duele Perderte (Ospina's 'Duele' club mix)7:094Como Me Duele Perderte (Pablo Flores club mix)9:455Como Me Duele Perderte (Ospina's 'Duele' dub mix)5:186Como Me Duele Perderte4:287No Me Dejes de Querer ("Flores" Del Caribe mix)4:278Tres Gotas de Agua Bendita (Rosabel's Cubarican radio edit)3:22", and "Por Un Beso". The album earned Estefan her third Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album in February 2001.

2003–2009: Unwrapped and 90 Millas

In 2003, Estefan released Unwrapped. To promote the CD, she toured Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. "Hoy" and "Tu Fotografía" both reached No. 1 on Billboard's Latin chart and "I Wish You" reached the Adult Contemporary Charts top 20. Estefan embarked on the Live & Re-Wrapped Tour in support of the album; the tour was produced by Clear Channel Entertainment and played 26 cities upon launching in Hidalgo, Texas on July 30, 2004.
On April 7. 2005, Estefan participated in Selena ¡VIVE!, a tribute concert for the "Queen of Tejano" Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. She performed Selena's hit song "I Could Fall in Love". Also that year, Estefan sang "Young Hearts Run Free" on the soundtrack for the television series Desperate Housewives. In late 2005, the club mash-up "Dr. Pressure" was released; the song combined Mylo's No. 19 hit "Drop The Pressure" with the Miami Sound Machine's "Dr. Beat". It reached No. 3 on the UK singles chart and No. 1 on the Australian dance chart.
In October 2006, Sony released the compilation The Essential Gloria Estefan×The Essential Gloria Estefan14 September 2006 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 37 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Dr. Beat4:242Rhythm Is Gonna Get You3:573Heaven's What I Feel4:334Everlasting Love4:015You'll Be Mine (Party Time)3:346Get on Your Feet3:347Go Away3:518Don't Let This Moment End4:109No Me Dejes De Querer3:2910Bad Boy3:46111-2-33:3612Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)4:5313Live for Loving You4:2114¡Si señor!...4:4015Oye4:2016Turn the Beat Around3:5317Mi Tierra4:3918Conga4:1319Doctor Pressure3:24Disc 21Can't Stay Away From You3:592Don't Wanna Lose You4:103Anything for You3:444Falling in Love (Uh-Oh)3:585Words Get in the Way3:286Cuts Both Ways3:177Here We Are4:518If We Were Lovers4:389Nayib's Song (I Am Here For You)4:4010Reach3:5111Music of My Heart4:3212I See Your Smile4:3613I'm Not Giving You Up3:5114Wrapped3:2815Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me3:2416Along Came You (A Song For Emily)6:2117Coming Out of the Dark4:0518Always Tomorrow4:54, featuring her hits from 1984 to 2003, Estefan made several radio and television appearances to promote The Essential Gloria Estefan. She released two additional similar compilation albums that year for other markets. The Very Best of Gloria Estefan was released in Europe and Mexico; this compilation was certified Gold in Ireland. Oye Mi Canto!: Los Grandes Exitos featured a collection of her Spanish-language hits and was released in Spain.
Estefan released the Spanish album 90 Millas×90 millas6 August 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Me odio3:162No llores4:103Lo nuestro4:144Píntame de colores3:325Caridad3:216Yo no cambiaría3:427Bésame3:528Refranes2:599A bailar3:4210Esta fiesta no va acabar3:5011Volveré3:4612Esperando (Cuando Cuba sea libre)4:4013Morenita4:131490 millas3:03 on 18 September 2007. The album was produced by Emilio Estefan and Gaitan Bros (Gaitanes), and composed by Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Ricardo Gaitán and Alberto Gaitán. The title alludes to the distance between Miami and Cuba. The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 list, selling 25,000 units in its first week. In Spain, it debuted at No. 3 and was certified gold. The album won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Album and "Pintame de Colores" won the award for Best Tropical Song.

In 2008, Estefan appeared during the seventh season of American Idol for the special charity episode "Idol Gives Back". She performed "Get on Your Feet×Get on Your Feet13 November 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get on Your Feet (7" version)3:362Get on Your Feet (Pop vocal)6:1131, 2, 3 (live)3:534Don't Wanna Lose You (Portuguese)4:18" along with Sheila E. Estefan became the headliner of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino's new venue. She then headed to Canada to perform at the Casino Rama. In August, she started her 90 Millas World Tour. Estefan played concerts in London, Rotterdam, Belfast and Aruba. Estefan performed several concerts in Spain, specifically Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Tenerife. Two of these concerts, in Las Ventas, Spain, and in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, were free to the public. Back in the States, Estefan performed a special concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to raise funds for the Education of South Florida. Estefan was a headliner for Bette Midler's "Annual Hulaween Gala". The event benefited the New York Restoration Project. During the Thanksgiving season, Estefan appeared on Rosie O'Donnell's television special Rosie Live singing a duet with O'Donnell titled "Gonna Eat for Thanksgiving", an alternate version of "Gonna Eat for Christmas" from O'Donnell's album A Rosie Christmas.
In 2009, Estefan announced plans for her "farewell tour" of Latin America and South America. The tour continued with a concert at Guadalajara in Mexico, as part of a program designed to improve tourism in Mexico, and a series of appearances at music festivals throughout Europe, including headlining at the Summer Pops Music Festival in Liverpool on 27 July 2009. The same year, Estefan opened the "In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina 2009" with "No Llores". At the end, Estefan together with Jennifer Lopez, Thalía, Marc Anthony, and José Feliciano performed a rendition of her Spanish-language hit "Mi Tierra×Mi tierra22 June 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Con los años que me quedan4:372Mi tierra4:393Ayer5:184Mi buen amor3:505Tus ojos4:116No hay mal que por bien no venga5:297¡Sí señor!...4:418Volverás3:549Montuno4:5710Hablemos el mismo idioma4:4611Hablas de mí3:4112Tradición5:20".

2010–2019: Miss Little Havana and The Standards

Estefan began 2010 with a charity single: she and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan Jr., invited artists to record "Somos El Mundo", a Spanish-language version of Michael Jackson's song "We Are the World". The song, written by Estefan and approved by Quincy Jones, was recorded and premiered during El Show de Cristina on 1 March 2010. All of the proceeds went to Haitian relief. On 24 March 2010, Estefan led a march down Miami's Calle Ocho in support of Cuba's Las Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White). Later that year, Estefan took part in Broadway's "24 Hour Plays", performing alongside actors Elijah Wood, Diane Neal, and Alicia Witt in the play I Think You'll Love This One, written by Elizabeth Cruz Cortes.
On 7 April 2011, Estefan made an unannounced appearance at the auditions for The X Factor in Miami, and gave encouragement to the 7,500 participants gathered outside the Bank United Center. That year, Estefan was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. She performed at a special concert on 17 June 2011; proceeds from the event went to benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute's education programs.
Estefan's dance-oriented album Miss Little Havana×Miss Little Havana10 September 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Miss Little Havana3:152I Can't Believe3:433Heat3:494Wepa4:025Say Ay2:546So Good3:167Right Away4:078Make Me Say Yes3:579Time Is Ticking3:5410Hotel Nacional3:2911On4:2712Make My Heart Go3:5313Medicine4:0414Wepa (R3hab remix)3:2915Let's Get Loud3:44 was released in the U.S. on 27 September 2011, with the physical CD available exclusively at Target. Estefan described the album as resembling her 1998 hit album Gloria!×Gloria!29 May 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Heaven’s What I Feel5:022Don’t Stop4:273Oye4:404Real Woman4:225Feelin’4:106Don’t Release Me4:167Don’t Let This Moment End4:428Touched by an Angel4:119Lucky Girl4:3210I Just Want to Be Happy3:5411Cuba Libre4:4512Feelin’ (Love to Infinity remix)4:4413Don’t Release Me (Wyclef Jean remix)4:0514Heaven’s What I Feel (Corazón Prohibido)5:0815Cuba Libre (Spanish/Pablo Flores remix)4:3816Oye (Spanish/Pablo Flores remix)4:17; for the album, she collaborated with producers Pharrell Williams, Motiff, Emilio Estefan, and Drop Dead Beats. The first single from the album, "Wepa", premiered on 31 May 2011, at American Airlines Arena in a special music video of the song for the Miami Heat. The Heat video was released on YouTube on 1 June. The song went on sale for digital download on 24 July. Both "Wepa" and the album's second single, "Hotel Nacional×Hotel Nacional2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Hotel Nacional (Edited album version)2:572Hotel Nacional (Ralphi Rosario radio mix)3:423Hotel Nacional (Pablo Flores remix single)4:014Hotel Nacional (Mike Cruz & Dee Martello radio)4:145Hotel Nacional (Funk3d radio mix)3:446Hotel Nacional (Razor + Guido radio)4:057Hotel Nacional (album version)3:29", peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Songs and Dance/Club charts. In the fall of 2011, Estefan expressed her views on gay rights and gay marriage and said that she was a strong supporter of both. She said: "I think everyone should be able to marry who they love, and it should just be." Estefan also recorded a video for the It Gets Better campaign. In November 2011, Estefan began hosting Gloria Estefan's Latin Beat, a seven-part series for BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom that explores the history of Latin music.
In August 2012, Estefan starred in the CW Network reality show The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep opposite Joe Jonas, Nelly and John Rich. The same year, Estefan appeared as a musical guest in Tony Bennett's compilation of duets with Latin-American musicians, Viva Duets, with "Who Can I Turn To". Weeks later, she released the charity single "Por Un Mundo Mejor" with Mexican singer Lucero, Dominican rapper El Cata, and Mexican pop band Reik. The song was marked as the official hymn for the American division of Teletón.
In May 2013, she appeared on Paul Anka's Duets album with the song "Think I'm in Love Again". In September 2013, Estefan released The Standards. The album features collaborations with Laura Pausini, Dave Koz and Joshua Bell, and a selection of songs from the Great American Songbook.
The album reached No. 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart, marking her first top 20 album on the chart since 1994's Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me×Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me18 October 1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me3:242How Can I Be Sure3:193Everlasting Love4:014Traces3:245Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying4:246You've Made Me So Very Happy4:447Turn the Beat Around3:558Breaking Up Is Hard to Do3:149Love on a Two Way Street4:1310Cherchez la femme4:5811It's Too Late3:5812Goodnight My Love2:52. The first single from the album was "How Long Has This Been Going On?".
In April 2014, Estefan and her husband were honored at the 2014 "Power of Love Event for Keep Memory Alive" in Las Vegas, where other musicians, including Ricky Martin and Rita Moreno, offered the couple a tribute to their music. Estefan joined Carlos Santana on his new album Corazon in a song called "Besos de lejos". Estefan released the compilation Soy Mujer×Soy mujer4 September 2015 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1No llores4:092Por un beso5:013Me voy5:004No pretendo3:465Mi tierra4:376Hablas de mí3:407Con los años que me quedan4:358Renacer3:189No será fácil4:3810No me vuelvo a enamorar3:2911Si voy a perderte4:0612Desde la oscuridad4:0913Corazón prohibido (Pablo Flores remix)5:0714El día que me querias4:5215Sonríe (Gloria solo version)3:41 on 23 June 2015, which consists of Estefan's Spanish-language hits.

2020–present: Brazil305 and Raíces

Estefan announced she was working on re-recording her music catalog with Brazilian rhythms and four new songs on an album titled Brazil305×BRAZIL30513 August 2020 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Samba3:412Un Nuevo Mundo (Spanish adaptation of “O Homem Falou”)3:503Cuts Both Ways3:374Cuando Hay Amor4:015Con los Años Que Me Quedan4:146Tú y Yo (Here We Are)4:397Hoy3:348Ayer4:479Rhythm Is Gonna Get You3:4610Mi Tierra4:3711Don’t Wanna Lose You4:1612Hasta Siempre3:5513Más Allá5:0714Abriendo Puertas3:3015Get on Your Feet3:2616Here We Are4:4017Only Together (English adaptation of “O Homem Falou”)3:5018Magalenha3:41. She released the first single for the album, "Cuando Hay Amor", on 12 June 2020.
In April 2020, Estefan released "Put on Your Mask", a parody of her 1989 song "Get on Your Feet×Get on Your Feet13 November 1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get on Your Feet (7" version)3:362Get on Your Feet (Pop vocal)6:1131, 2, 3 (live)3:534Don't Wanna Lose You (Portuguese)4:18", with the lyrics changed to reflect the importance of wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, Estefan wrote and released "We Needed Time×We Needed Time27 May 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1We Needed Time3:46" to reflect her feelings around the COVID-19 global pandemic. The video for the song was shot in Star Island, Miami by socially distanced cinematographers using drone cameras.
In 2022, the Estefans released a Christmas album tilted Estefan Family Christmas×Estefan Family Christmas13 October 2022 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Wonderful Christmastime4:312Thankful4:033Christmas Time Is Here3:284I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus2:495Please, Come Home For Christmas4:136I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus3:177My Favorite Things3:478Run, Little St. Nick3:349The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)2:4110Last Christmas3:5811It's A Marshmallow World2:2312When I Miss You Most3:4613Happy Xmas (War Is Over)4:3414Quisiera Yo Ser Santa Claus3:1715Doy Gracias Por Ti4:0416Cuando Te Extraño Más3:5317I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Sasha's Edit)2:51. The album includes Gloria Estefan, her daughter Emily, and her grandson.
The soundtrack single "Gonna Be You×Gonna Be You20 January 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Gonna Be You2:58" from the film 80 for Brady was released on January 20, 2023. The song was written by Diane Warren, and performed by Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry and Gloria Estefan. The official music video shows Parton, Carlisle, Lauper, and Estefan performing while wearing football jerseys similar to the ones worn by the women in the film, interspersed with clips from the film.
Estefan released her next album, Raíces×Raíces28 May 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Raíces3:362Yo quiero ser3:093La vecina (No sé na’)3:174Cómo pasó3:585Tan iguales y tan diferentes3:386Chirriqui chirri3:037Te juro3:158Cuando el tiempo nos castiga3:519Agua dulce3:3610Mi niño bello (Para Sasha)3:1811Tú y yo3:5412My Beautiful Boy (For Sasha)3:1813How Will You Be Remembered3:46, on May 28, 2025. It debuted at No. 9 in the U.S. Billboard tropical charts. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Stage musical

A jukebox musical, On Your Feet!, about the life of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, premiered on Broadway on November 5, 2015. The musical premiered at the Oriental Theater in Chicago running from June 17 to July 5. Directed by Jerry Mitchell, the choreography is by Sergio Trujillo and the book by Alexander Dinelaris. The Chicago cast featured Ana Villafañe as Gloria and Josh Segarra as Emilio.
The musical ran on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre starting on October 5 for previews and November 5 for opening night.
The production closed on Broadway on August 20, 2017, after 34 previews and 746 regular performances.
In June 2019, the show played at The Curve in Leicester, UK, before moving to the West End's London Coliseum In London from June to August 2019.

Film and television appearances

Estefan has appeared in two live-action films, Music of the Heart (1999) and For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000). Estefan made a cameo appearance with her husband in Marley & Me (2008). Estefan starred in a made-for-TV movie on HBO in the remake of "Father of the Bride" with Andy Garcia. The film had a Latin/Cuban America twist, which premiered on 16 June 2022 on HBO Max.
Estefan was cast to star as Connie Francis, a U.S. pop singer of the 1950s and early 1960s, in the biographical film Who's Sorry Now? According to Parade magazine (23 March 2008), filming supposedly began in late 2008. In an interview with www.allheadlinenews.com, Estefan stated that the film would be released in 2009. However, as of December 2009, the film was dropped as Connie Francis had irreconcilable differences with Estefan over the film's writer. Francis wanted to hire writer Robert L. Freedman, who had written the Emmy Award winning mini-series Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. Estefan, according to Francis, refused to consider him and the project collaboration thus ended.
Estefan appeared in the ABC television special Elmopalooza (which aired on 20 February 1998), in which she sang the song "Mambo, I, I, I". In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company's program American Idol as a guest mentor for the contestants during Latin Week.
After campaigning heavily for the part on her social media accounts, Estefan was invited to guest star on the Fox television series Glee as the mother of cheerleader Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera). She also appeared as a mentor for the CW Network reality series The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep.
Estefan played Mirtha, the baby sister and nemesis of Lydia Margarita del Carmen Inclán Maribona Leyte-Vidal de Riera, in the first episode of season 3 of the Netflix series One Day at a Time.
In 2020, Estefan began co-hosting Red Table Talk: The Estefans, a spin-off of the Facebook Watch talk show Red Table Talk alongside her daughter Emily Estefan and niece Lili Estefan.
Estefan appeared in the film Father of The Bride (2022) alongside Andy Garcia and went on to voice the character of Marta Sandoval, a legendary singer on the verge of retirement, in the animated film Vivo. The film, which features songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, was released in theaters and on Netflix in 2021. She then appeared in Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie (2025).

Other business ventures and appearances

Gloria and Emilio Estefan have owned several business establishments, including several Cuban-themed restaurants (Bongos Cuban Café; Larios on the Beach). The restaurants are located in Miami Beach, downtown Miami (part of the American Airlines Arena), at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Walt Disney World's Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, and in Miami International Airport. They also own two hotels, Costa d'Este in Vero Beach, which opened in 2008, and The Cardozo in Miami Beach.
In August 2019, the Estefans closed their restaurant Bongos Cuban Cafe that had been located at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World for 22 years. The business was re-imagined as Estefan's Kitchen, which opened at the Sunset Walk at Margaritaville Resort Orlando in February 2020.
Estefan was appointed to the board of directors for Univision Communications Inc. in 2007. The Estefans' estimated net worth has been reported variously as between $500 and $700 million.
In June 2009, Estefan and her husband became the first Hispanics to buy a minor ownership stake in an NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.
She spoke at TEDx Via della Conciliazione on 19 April 2013, on the theme "Religious freedom today".
In December 2022, Estefan was a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Epcot, Walt Disney World.

Personal life

Estefan became romantically involved with the Miami Sound Machine's band leader, Emilio Estefan, in 1976. She later revealed, "he was my first and only boyfriend". They married on 2 September 1978, and have a son, Nayib (born 2 September 1980), and a daughter, Emily (born 5 December 1994). Emily was conceived after Gloria's tour bus crash in 1990; doctors had told her she would not be able to have any more children. The family lives on Star Island in the city of Miami Beach.
Estefan's daughter, Emily, is a recording artist and her son, Nayib, is a filmmaker and owner of the Nite Owl Theater in Miami. In June 2012, Nayib's wife gave birth to a son, making Estefan a grandmother.