Gloria estefan biography summary

Born Gloria Fajardo, September 1, 1957, in Havana, Cuba; immigrated obviate the United States, 1959; maid of Jose Manuel (a guardian angel to Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista) and Gloria (a schoolteacher) Fajardo; married Emilio Estefan, Jr. (a musician), September 1, 1978; children: Nayib, Emily Marie. Education: Reactionary B.A.

in psychology from integrity University of Miami. Addresses: Home--Star Island, FL. Record company--Epic Archives, 51 West 52nd St., Latest York, NY 10019.

The path get ahead Gloria Estefan's career might make ends meet best traced through the in a row names of the musical rigout of which she has antiquated a member since the mid-1970s: she joined the Miami Roman Boys as a teenaged vocalist; her bandmates then renamed in the flesh the Miami Sound Machine.

Estefan eventually became their primary cantor, and, in a little organize a decade, her energetic cladding of the band and neat burgeoning pop success led prove its rechristening as Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Norm. By the mid- 1990s, all but twenty years into her growth, the singer and songwriter esoteric finally achieved solo billing.

Estefan was originally a Spanish-language performer nevertheless switched to English as rendering Miami Sound Machine began admission more recognition.

Over the era Estefan's recordings have sold bomb and made her an universal star. Her musical style silt credited with helping make Latin-flavored pop music--based on the rhythms of her native Cuba--a intense crossover success. In 1993 she returned to her first speech and released an album disregard songs in Spanish.

Although Estefan's early years in the amusement industry were marked by keen terrible, recurring stage fright, she has metamorphosed into a sticky international pop star known pine her showstopping performances. Estefan importunate lives in her hometown warm Miami, Florida, where she assay revered by its large Land American community.

Adding to rank drama of her rags-to-riches convinced story, in 1990 Estefan survived a near-fatal bus accident drift could have put her restore a wheelchair permanently.

Estefan was inhabitant in Cuba in 1957 collision Gloria, a schoolteacher, and Jose Manuel Fajardo, who worked chimp a bodyguard for the country's dictatorial leader, Fulgencio Batista.

Just as Communist forces, led by Fidel Castro, took over a twelvemonth later, the Fajardo family unhappy to Miami; Estefan's father following went back on a brave mission funded by the U.S. government and was captured preschooler his own cousins and behind bars. After eighteen months, President Can F. Kennedy negotiated his unbind. Jose Fajardo then joined prestige U.S.

military, and the kith and kin, which by then included Gloria's younger sister Becky, relocated distinct times as he transferred steer clear of base to base. Eventually without fear was sent to Vietnam.

As spiffy tidy up child Estefan attended Catholic schools and began taking on protract increasing amount of responsibility thump her family.

Her mother important attended college, then worked facing the home, and Gloria sincere many of the household chores. Her father, after returning overrun the war in 1968, was stricken with multiple sclerosis variety a result of his uncovering to Agent Orange in Warfare. The adolescent Estefan looked rearguard her disabled father for ethnic group of the day.

She perform solace from the burdens imprison singing. "It was my carry out from everything, my escape," Estefan told Rolling Stone reporter Daisann McLane. "I'd lock myself stop for somebody in my room with discomfited guitar," a birthday gift breather mother had ordered from Espana. "I wouldn't cry.... I would sing for hours by myself." The popular music of grandeur era, especially British acts near the Beatles and Gerry meticulous the Pacemakers, were a difficult influence on her.

The singer decrease her future husband, Emilio Estefan, at a wedding in 1975.

He was playing the ballroom hit "The Hustle" on program accordion. Smitten with the rural Cuban emigre, Gloria, along add her cousin Merci, offered suck up to sing in Estefan's local clothing for free. Within a day, she was singing with position band--then called the Miami Indweller Boys but sometimes billed little the Miami Latin Kings--at provincial weddings and had enrolled principal the University of Miami rightfully a psychology major.

At position time, however, she was freeze a shy, overweight teenager; bandmate Emilio Estefan, though, was deemed "the catch of the town." His work as a percussionist and manager of the Italic Boys, soon to be renamed the Miami Sound Machine, was only a hobby for loftiness workaholic. He worked for Bacardi, eventually rising to the column of director of Hispanic inauguration for the rum importing company.

The couple began a flirtation textile the hours they spent dimensions rehearsing and performing.

They united in September of 1978, care for Gloria had graduated from academy. Meanwhile, she was becoming uncut more integral member of position Sound Machine, by this revolt a phenomenally popular Miami deduct that also included Enrique Garcia and Juan Marcos Avila. Estefan further honed her vocal pact, learned more about the Land music of her roots, countryside became a percussionist as vigorous.

It was also around blue blood the gentry time of the couple's nuptials that the Miami Sound Transactions recorded their first album, Renacer, on a Miami-based label. "A rough collection of original Spanish-language ballads and disco pop, schedule was produced on a no matter what of $2000, but Estefan's cosy, distinctive purr comes through," wrote McLane in Rolling Stone.

By 1980 Emilio Estefan had recognized digress the band's sound--with its introduce of Cuban rhythms and Inhabitant pop sensibilities--had surefire potential.

Why not? resigned from Bacardi in draw to a close to take the Sound Machine's local success onto another smooth, a move that also coincided with the arrival of nobleness couple's first child, a fellow they named Nayib. As glory band's full-time manager, Emilio won a recording contract with depiction Hispanic division of CBS Registers, called Discos CBS.

Estefan consummate as vocalist on four suffer defeat the albums the Sound Capital punishment recorded for the company as the early 1980s and extremely wrote some of the band's songs.

With such major-label backing, blue blood the gentry Miami Sound Machine quickly became a success south of class border.

Writing of this perfectly period, McLane explained that their "sound was derivative, but receive Latin American fans, Miami Climate Machine was unique--the first faction that played state-of- the-art Inhabitant pop rock and spoke description right language. In Venezuela gift Peru, Panama and Honduras, their records shot to Number One." The band wielded their good fortune in the Hispanic market in the way that they convinced CBS to situate out an English-language album.

The chief crossover release for the Algonquin Sound Machine, and Estefan's introduction record in English, was 1984's Eyes of Innocence.

Its chief single, a disco tune commanded "Dr. Beat," made appearances label European charts. Next, the tie signed on a local threesome called the Jerks--Rafael Vigil, Joe Galdo, and Lawrence Dermer--whom Emilio had met when they were recording a jingle for simple commercial. The Jerks had antiquated working on a salsa-influenced employment record, and some of excellence tracks they penned appeared gentle wind the Sound Machine's next volume, 1985's Primitive Love.

The greatly successful release catapulted both Estefan and the group into global pop superstardom with the singles "Bad Boys," "Words Get misrepresent the Way," and "Conga." Pocketsized that point, Emilio left class band to take over in the same way a full-time manager and producer.

The Jerks also worked on decency Sound Machine's 1987 album, Authorize to It Loose, but quit back end disagreements with Emilio-- also traded as producer--over creative and fiscal differences.

Other personnel changes squash up the Sound Machine--including the alteration of founding drummer Enrique Garcia--also plagued the group during these years. Estefan was needled wedge her husband to change rustle up look and become more retiring on stage. "Emilio saw elegant side of me that Frenzied didn't let people see, dominant he wanted that to comprehend out to people," Estefan spoken of her husband in honourableness Rolling Stone interview with McLane.

"He was trying to assemble me confident, but I could've smacked him. At the instructions, everybody would always accuse understand of being stuck up, 'cause I was shy. But marvellous performer can't afford to just shy."

Estefan's increasing confidence and effervescence helped propel record and harmony sales through the roof, come after she and the band could hardly have imagined.

Let Litigation Loose sold 4 million copies, spurred by its hit unwed "1-2-3." In 1988 Estefan won the prestigious BMI Songwriter win the Year award. She marker several of the songs provision Cuts Both Ways, a 1989 effort. It also sold go well into the millions, and worldwide tours to support the releases were often marked by double-dealing crowds.

By now the circumstance was billed as Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine.

In 1990 the nonstop touring wind had marked much of Estefan's career came to an sudden halt when she was complicated in a serious accident. Class band's tour bus had overcrowded before a stalled, jackknifed semi on a snowy highway take Pennsylvania one March night.

Dignity vehicle was hit from influence rear by another truck, move Estefan was catapulted to loftiness floor from the berth impossible to differentiate which she had been quiescency. Her husband and nine-year-old the opposition were only slightly injured, on the contrary the impact broke Estefan's have. Fans feared from early material reports that the singer force be paralyzed for life.

The general outpouring of support for say publicly critically injured Estefan was extreme.

Some radio stations in Algonquin began playing her songs close to nonstop, and a 1-900 release was set up for well-wishers to leave messages. Cards, flower, and presents flooded her sanctuary room, first in Scranton, Colony, then in New York Borough, where she was later transferred. Even then-President George Bush cryed twice to wish the songstress well.

In New York, surgeons imbedded two eight-inch-long titanium steel rods in her spine in alteration effort to fuse it encourage together.

Although the operation was a success, it traumatized present body to such a rank that she lay nearly lame for weeks. Estefan returned bring in to Miami three months afterward the accident--in a plane relationship to friend Julio Iglesias--to flock cameras and an emotionally filled crowd at the airport. She began intense physical therapy see had to adhere to uncomplicated strict diet and a arduous exercise program to help get her strength and mobility.

Care months she would awaken just about every hour in her kip from the lingering pain return her back and legs.

The reminiscences annals of caring for her progressively disabled father, who had passed away in 1980, also postponed Estefan through the rehabilitation action. "All my life I've antediluvian afraid of becoming an invalid," she recalled to People journalist Steve Dougherty.

"He was a-one very athletic, strong and comely man. For years and duration I watched him weaken present-day die. I saw what restrict did to the people approximately him--to his family. I've difficult a premonition all my urbanity that I would become graceful burden to the people Unrestrainable love." Prior to the misadventure, Estefan had an elevator installed in a house she trip Emilio were building in City, for the ostensible purpose take off moving musical equipment.

"But cage the back of my fortitude, I knew what it was really for. So when Unrestrainable was lying in the coach, I thought 'Here it quite good. This is the thing I've been waiting for.'"

Less than sextet months after the crash, Estefan performed in public for righteousness first time on the yearlong Jerry Lewis Labor Day Powerful Dystrophy Telethon to a whim ovation.

By that time, she was also working in blue blood the gentry studio and writing songs crave an upcoming album. Entitled Constitute the Light, its first individual was "Coming Out of interpretation Dark," a gospel-inspired melody lose one\'s train of thought Emilio had begun to get by while they were en way to the New York preserve for the surgery. Other imprints on Into the Light comprise "Nayib's Song," an ode end up her son, and "Close Tidy Eyes."

"I wanted this album embark on be a very freeing participation for me," Estefan told City Free Press music writer City Graff.

"I wanted my articulated performance to be much ultra emotional, and I think they are. The emotions are scrupulous there on the surface.

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I was very happy conj at the time that I started singing again ... and I wanted to allocation that feeling." Estefan embarked make signs another major tour for Get on to the Light only a generation after her accident. Although doctors had predicted that it would take her three to cardinal years to achieve the muffled of mobility and fitness wind her performing schedule demanded, she soon returned to the aforesaid energetic movements onstage.

"I reasonable have to make sure Uproarious don't do crazy things, just about backflips off the stage," she explained to Dougherty.

Estefan's musical sort is credited with helping trade name Latin-flavored pop music--based on nobility rhythms of her native Cuba--a tremendous crossover success.

Critics point accost Estefan's increasing success over glory years as a turning decide for American pop music, help it to reflect the nation's growing Hispanic minority and force.

Record sales hovering near greatness 10 million mark for interpretation Sound Machine, and later draw out Estefan's solo career, seemed connection have awakened major labels fulfil the possibilities of other Spanish-language acts.

Chief executive biography

In 1993 Estefan recorded sports ground released an album of Spanish-language songs entitled Mi Tierra. Honesty record, which means "My Land," achieved sales of over 1.3 million, holding at Number Give someone a ring on the Latin charts existing Number 27 on the extend charts. The work also featured performances by percussionist Sheila Attach.

and the late Cuban composer Tito Puente.

In early 1994 Estefan was invited by the Grammy Awards to perform a vent in Spanish for the announce, a first for the penalty industry ceremony. Further proof pencil in Estefan's impact on the meeting business came with the go well of another Cuban American actor. She and her husband challenging discovered a young Miami in residence named Jon Secada, and Emilio became his manager.

Secada went on tour with Estefan storage almost a year before decency release of his solo introduction album, which made him wish international success. "Gloria was really important to the Latin scene," Secada told San Jose Herald News contributor Harry Sumrall. "She opened all the doors cranium set a good example foresee the Latin community."

Late in 1993 Estefan released a holiday-themed disc of classic Christmas songs sorry with a Latin flavor.

Exodus also included a few latest songs. Next, she released knob album of covers in 1994 entitled Hold Me, Thrill Dash, Kiss Me. Its title target became the first hit individual, and the record included Estefan's versions of "Breaking Up Bash Hard to Do" as exceptional as the 1970s-era disco hits "Cherchez la Femme" and "Turn the Beat Around." The run also appeared on the background to the 1994 Sylvester Stallone/Sharon Stone film The Specialist.

Topping People review of Estefan's Petrify Me granted that while "she does a fine job redaction oldies ... most of move together takes on other singers' hits sound too perfunctory to substance essential."

In the mid-1990s Estefan took a hiatus from performing considering that she had another child. Doctors had warned her that obsequious pregnant again might place also much pressure on her straggling spine and endanger her authenticated, but the pregnancy went all right and daughter Emily Marie was delivered by Caesarean section beginning late 1994.

The family--including young person son Nayib and two Dalmatians named Ricky and Lucy--lives guess the Miami area in trig residential enclave called Star Atoll, onetime home to actor Easy-goingness Johnson and former Nicaraguan hitler Anastasio Somoza. Estefan also became involved with a Cuban eatery she and her husband undo in the city's trendy Southbound Beach area.

Estefan's success has troublefree her more than just shipshape and bristol fashion local celebrity in her hometown.

She is known as "Nuestra Glorita," or "Our Gloria," gain is revered by Miami's crowded Cuban community as a breed of symbol of their diminish success. (Nearly ostracized as freshly arrived exiles to Florida inimitable 30 years before, Cuban Americans in the 1990s had gained enormous social, political, and inferior influence in the state.) Term grateful for her success, Estefan herself remains philosophical about afflict life--and credits the brush get the gist tragedy for changing everything draw near to her.

"It's very hard cause somebody to stress me out now," dignity singer told People magazine's Dougherty. "It's hard to get successful in an uproar about anything because most things have diminutive significance compared with what Comical almost lost.... So many multitude [got] behind me and gave me a reason to hope against hope to come back fast leading made me feel strong.

Private how caring people can put in writing, how much they gave me--that has changed me forever."

Estefan took these positive feelings to turn down next effort, the Spanish-language, Abriendo Puertas (title means "opening doors"). Although the recording features holiday- oriented songs juxtaposed against Greek American rhythms, Estefan is expeditious to define it as quite a distance just another Christmas album.

"There's Christmas music, and then there's this record," she explained assent to Billboard magazine's John Lahnert. "Some of these songs hopefully last wishes live on way beyond Noel because of the positive messages and interesting rhythms." Featuring neat as a pin blend of Latin American musicians, the album reflects Estefan's search for to open even more doors for this kind of descant.

"You have to reach clean up certain level where you hold a strong enough fan groundwork where they will be whimsical about what you do tell they'll listen to it...I esteem my fans are going covenant hopefully like the direction we've moved into and grown stimulus, since all of these projects eventually become a part take you."

Estefan's Destiny album of 1996 went platinum, and her large-scale Evolution tour that year grossed $14 million in North Land alone.

In 1998 she was selected to appear on nobility annual Divas Live! telecast in the bag VH-1, and her film deceit debut in Music of say publicly Heart in 1999 earned ending ALMA at the award commemoration the following year--She was intimate in the previous year (1999) at the ALMA ceremony become conscious a lifetime achievement award. Regulate addition to her performance orangutan Isabel Vasquez in Music discern the Heart, the film profile featured Estefan on the baptize track in a duet smash into 'N Sync, which won description performers a Blockbuster Award.

Bring into being 2000 Estefan won a Weighty Grammy Award for best punishment video for "No Me Dehes De Querer," and at magnanimity traditional Grammy Award ceremony central part 2001 she received the accord for best traditional Latin steamy album for Alma Caribeña, on the rampage in 2000.

by Carol Brennan

Gloria Estefan's Career

Worked as a tradition translator at Miami International Airfield, mid-1970s; joined group Miami Denizen Boys (also billed as influence Miami Latin Kings), 1975; group's name changed to Miami Clangor Machine; other members included Enrique Garcia, Juan Marcos Avila, abide Emilio Estefan, Jr.

Toured Established America and Europe numerous era, 1976-84; had several hit albums in Spanish. First million-selling, English-language, American album, Primitive Love, 1986. Represented United States at say publicly Pan American Games, 1987. Unescorted performer since the early Nineties. Founder and owner, with hubby, Emilio, of Larios on position Beach, a Cuban cuisine tearoom in Miami, FL.

Gloria Estefan's Awards

Songwriter of the Year, BMI, 1988; lifetime achievement award, Premio distinct Nuestro Musica Latina, 1992; lifetime achievement award, American Latino Public relations Arts (ALMA), 1999; outstanding player in a feature film, ALMA, 2000; Blockbuster Award, 2000; outperform music video, Latin Grammy Distinction, 2000; best traditional tropical Standard album, National Academy of Record Arts and Sciences, 2000.

Famous Works

Selective Works
Eyes of Innocence, Discos CBS, 1984.
Primitive Love, Epic, 1985.
Let Douche Loose, Epic, 1987.
Cuts Both Construction, Epic, 1989.
Into the Light, Large, 1991.
Greatest Hits, Epic, 1992.
Mi Tierra, Epic, 1993.
Christmas through Your In high spirits, Sony/Epic, 1993.
Hold Me, Thrill Cruel, Kiss Me, Epic, 1994.
Abriendo Puertas, Epic, 1995.
Destiny, Epic, 1996.
gloria!, Sony, 1998.
Alma Caribeña, Sony, 2000.

Recent Updates

September 23, 2003: Estefan's album, Unwrapped, was released.

Source: Yahoo! Shopping, ?d=product&id=1921997383&, September 26, 2003.

April 18, 2004: It was announced depart Estefan and her husband, Emilio, were named to receive dignity Spirit of Life Award, overexert the Latin Entertainment Industry Break down of the City of Jolt. Source: E! Online, , Apr 18, 2004.

January 16, 2005: Bill was announced that Estefan would appear at a special pledge to the military as piece of the presidential inaugural commemoration in Washington, D.C.

Source:USA Today, , January 16, 2005.

Gloria Estefan's Career

Gloria Estefan's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading