Classic. Gorgeous. Sexy. Down-to-earth. Fearless. And Latina. That is singer-songwriter, actress, and writer Gloria Estefan, who was born Gloria María Fajardo García on September 1st, 1957 in Havana, Cuba.
Her grandparents were Spaniards from Asturias and Logroño who immigrated to Cuba in search of a better life. Years later, the family would flee Cuba after Fidel Castro attained power. Gloria’s family settled in Miami when she was 5 years old, a city she continues to call home today.
She has ascended to a rarified plateau that affirms her status as one of pop music's true and enduring originals. "As an artist, you dream about accumulating enough successful music to someday do just one Greatest Hits album, but to reach the point where you're releasing your second collection of hits is beyond belief," Estefan says. "I'm so proud and so grateful to have reached this point." Her best-loved English-language hits like “Turn the Beat Around,” "You Can't Walk Away From Love," "Out Of Nowhere," and "I Got No Love" have captivated listeners around the world. "These are songs that allow me to remain true to the sounds and musical concepts that I've developed over the last few years, while also experimenting with a lot of fresh new ideas." However, most of her songs have a true Cuban ballad feel to them, such as “Con Los Años Que Me Quedan” and “Mi Tierra.”
A new-millennium take on “Conga,” the classic song that shot Gloria to stardom as the singer of the Miami Sound Machine Band (where she met her husband, music producer Emilio Estefan), was renamed "Y Tu Conga" and transformed into an underground house anthem in 2001 by none other than Gloria's son, Nayib. Between album releases, she works hard on other aspects of the music business along with her husband, advocates for the Cuban community and looks after her family. Despite being raised in the United States, Gloria remains true to her Cuban roots — an aspect that can clearly be felt in the rhythms of every album she’s made, which are all nostalgic tributes to her native Cuba. She continues to make music today, so you may still have a chance to see this living legend perform live.