Beginning her career in 1975 as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine, before crossing over to mainstream pop success with the international hit singles "Dr. Beat" (1984) and "Conga" (1986), Estefan emerged as one of the biggest new stars in the mid-'80s, predating the still nascent Latin pop explosion by a decade, and scoring a series of propulsive dance hits rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba, before shifting her focus to softer, more ballad-oriented fare.
Born in Havana, Cuba, the young Gloria Fajardo was raised primarily in Miami, FL, after her father, a bodyguard of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, was forced to flee the island following the 1959 coup helmed by Fidel Castro. In the fall of 1975, Fajardo and her cousin Merci Murciano auditioned for the Miami Latin Boys, a local wedding band headed by keyboardist Emilio Estefan. With their addition, the group was rechristened Miami Sound Machine and four years later, Fajardo and Estefan were wed. As Miami Sound Machine began composing their own original material, their fusion of pop, disco, and salsa earned a devoted local following, and in 1979 the group issued their first Spanish-language LP on CBS International. Despite a growing Hispanic fan base, they did not cross over to non-Latin audiences until "Dr. Beat" topped European dance charts in 1984.
With 1985's Primitive Love, Miami Sound Machine recorded their first English-language effort, scoring three Top Ten pop hits in the U.S. alone with the infectious "Conga", "Bad Boy", and "Words Get in the Way". Following 1987's triple-platinum Let It Loose, Estefan took top billing and the group changed its name to Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine in 1988, reeling off four Top Ten hits - "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", "Can't Stay Away from You", the chart-topping "Anything for You", and "1-2-3". 1989's Cuts Both Ways was credited to Estefan alone and generated her second #1 hit, "Don't Wanna Lose You". However, on March 20, 1990, while touring in support of the album, her bus was struck by a tractor trailer. Estefan suffered a broken vertebra that required extensive surgery and kept her off the road for over a year. Her husband Emilio and the couple's son were injured in the crash as well, but all three recovered. Estefan resurfaced in 1991 with Into the Light, again topping the charts with "Coming Out of the Dark", a single inspired by her near-fatal accident. Two more cuts from the album, "Can't Forget You" and "Live for Loving You", secured her foothold on the adult contemporary charts.
With 1993's Mi Tierra, Estefan returned to her roots, recording her first Spanish-language record in nearly a decade and earning a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album; on the follow-up 1994 covers collection, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, she also recalled her dance-pop origins with a rendition of the Vicki Sue Robinson disco classic, "Turn the Beat Around". Another all-Spanish effort, Abriendo Puertas (1995), earned her a Grammy as well, while Destiny featured "Reach", named the official theme of the 1996 Summer Olympics. As Latin pop made new commercial headway, thanks to the efforts of acts like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, Estefan reigned as the most successful crossover artist in Latin music history, with international record sales close to the 50 million mark. In 1999, she also made her feature film debut alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart, recording the film's title song as a duet with *NSYNC, and scoring both a massive pop hit and an Oscar nomination in the process. A new Spanish-language album, Alma Caribeña, followed in the spring of 2000. Several months later, Estefan was awarded a Grammy for Best Music Video for "No Me Dehes de Querer" at the inaugural annual Latin Grammy Awards. Her husband, Emilio, won for Producer of the Year. - Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Appearances and tours
In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company’s program, American Idol, but declined an offer to be an official judge, saying she did not like to “judge” others.
On July 28, 2004, in a press conference hosted by Donald Trump at the Trump Tower, Estefan announced that her then-upcoming tour would be her final one. The Live and Re-Wrapped Summer/Fall 2004 Tour, her first tour in eight years was produced by Clear Channel Entertainment. The tour featured Estefan’s greatest hits, along with new material from Unwrapped.
In December 2006, Estefan appeared as a special guest singer on the UK talent show The X Factor.
Gloria's 11th studio album,Miss Little Havana. The Miss Little Havana Songfacts says that the first nine tracks tells the tale of a young girl who hooks up with the wrong guy in Miami after moving there from Cuba. All of these tracks were written or co-written by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes. It is described by Estefan as a project in the vein of her 1998 hit album gloria!.
Songfacts reports that "Hotel Nacional" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Latin countdown - the first time a female artist had achieved that feat since the chart was introduced in 1986. Both "Wepa" and "Hotel Nacional" achieved number one on Billboard Latin Songs and on Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.
Estefan started a reality show called The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep opposite Joe Jonas, Nelly and John Rich on the CW Network, where she, and the other three mentors are searched for the next big star, to record an album with Atlantic Records. Unlike other music reality shows, in this program, the mentors selected the "candidates" for the show, and trained them for a live performance, where they'd be voted for the best act of the day. The first season ended in October 2012, with musician Michael Ray, as the big finalist.
This same year, Estefan appeared as a musical guest in Tony Bennett's compilation of duets with Latin-American musicians, Viva Duets with a rendition of the song, "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)". Weeks later, she helped the American version of Teleton, releasing the charity single "Por Un Mundo Mejor" along with Mexican singer Lucero, Dominican rapper El Cata and Mexican pop band, Reik. A video for the song was shot, with them recording the song, which was marked as the official hymn for the foundation.
In May 2013, she appears doing another duet with the song "Think I'm In Love Again" as part of the albums Duets released by Paul Anka.
Estefan has announced she was working on a new album of covers, The Standards, released in September 2013. The album will feature some collaborations with artists like Laura Pausini, Dave Koz and Joshua Bell, and the selection of songs are mostly songs from the Great American songbook. Estefan released the first single, "How Long Has This Been Going On?", digitally on Amazon and iTunes on July 9, 2013
Official website: http://www.gloriaestefan.com
Cherchez La Femme
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He lost his lady two months ago
Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't,
oh, oh, never, nooo
He sleeps in the back of his grey Cadillac, oh my honey
Blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine
Oh ain't it crazy baby, hey
Guess you could say hey, hey
Now he's alone
He's got no woman and no home
For misery, oh, oh
Cherchez la femme
Miggie, Miggie Bonija's very upset
She's sick and tired of living in debt
Tired of roaches, tired of rats, I know she is oooh
So her noble man says,
"Baby I understand, oh my honey"
Now he's working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars
Oh ain't crazy baby
Now she complains
That her man is never present, no
She goes next door, I know that she's just playing the whore
Hey for misery (my friend)
Cheechez la femme
They tell you a lie with a colgate smile, hey baby
Love you one second and hate the next one
Oh ain't it crazy, yeah
All I can say , ay, hey, og one thing I am certain, oh, oh
They're all the same, all the sluts and the saints For misery (my friend), "Cherchez la femme"
The lyrics of Gloria Estefan's song "Cherchez La Femme" tell the story of two different couples who are going through their own struggles. The first couple consists of Tommy Mottola, who lost his lady two months ago, and currently lives on the road, sleeping in the back of his grey Cadillac, living off of cheap grass and wine. The second couple consists of Miggie Bonija, who is sick and tired of living in debt, and her noble man who is working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars. However, Miggie complains that her man is never present, which drives her to play the whore next door for misery, leaving her man feeling alone and unloved.
The phrase "Cherchez La Femme" means "look for the woman" in French, and it serves as a warning for all the trouble and drama that can arise from relationships. The song's lyrics portray the gritty reality of urban life, from living in debt, being surrounded by rats and roaches, to drug use and infidelity. The song's upbeat, Latin-inspired melody contrasts with the bleakness of the lyrics, creating a dissonant, yet compelling effect.
Overall, the song represents the idea that love can be both beautiful and messy, and that people should be cautious when getting involved with it. The warning to "look for the woman" is a reminder that relationships can often lead to heartache and disappointment if not handled carefully.
Line by Line Meaning
Tommy Mottola lives on the road
Tommy Mottola travels a lot
He lost his lady two months ago
His girlfriend left him two months ago
Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't, oh, oh, never, nooo
He's not sure if he will ever find his girlfriend again
He sleeps in the back of his grey Cadillac, oh my honey
He sleeps in the back of his car
Blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine, Oh ain't it crazy baby, hey
He's getting high on cheap drugs and alcohol
Guess you could say hey, hey
It's something you could say
This man has learned his lesson, oh hey
He's learned from his mistakes
Now he's alone
He's single
He's got no woman and no home
He has no girlfriend or place to live
For misery, oh, oh
He's feeling miserable
Cherchez la femme
Look for the woman
Miggie, Miggie Bonija's very upset
Miggie Bonija is very unhappy
She's sick and tired of living in debt
She's fed up with being in debt
Tired of roaches, tired of rats, I know she is oooh
She's tired of living with bugs and rodents
So her noble man says, "Baby I understand, oh my honey"
Her partner tells her he understands
Now he's working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars
He's now working two jobs at bars on Eighth Avenue
Oh ain't crazy baby
It's crazy, baby
Now she complains
Now she's complaining
That her man is never present, no
She says her partner is never around
She goes next door, I know that she's just playing the whore
She's cheating on her partner with someone from next door
Hey for misery (my friend)
This leads to misery
Cheechez la femme
Look for the woman
They tell you a lie with a colgate smile, hey baby
They'll lie to you with a fake smile
Love you one second and hate the next one
They can love you and then hate you in the next moment
Oh ain't it crazy, yeah
It's crazy, yeah
All I can say , ay, hey, og one thing I am certain, oh, oh
All I can say is that I'm certain of one thing
They're all the same, all the sluts and the saints For misery (my friend), "Cherchez la femme"
They're all alike, the good and the bad, and it leads to misery
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AUGUST DARNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sodi smith
Tommy Mottola lives on the road
He lost his lady two months ago
Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't
Oh, no, never, no
He sleeps in the back of his gray Cadillac, oh my honey
Blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine
Oh, ain't it crazy baby, hey
Guess you could say hey, hey
This man has learned his lesson, oh hey
Now he's alone, he's got no woman and no home
For misery, oh, oh
Cherchez la femme
Miggie, Miggie Bonija's very upset
She's sick and tired of living in debt
Tired of roaches, tired of rats
I know she is, ooh
So her noble man says
"Baby I understand, oh my honey"
Now he's working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars
Oh, ain't crazy, baby
Now she complains
That her man is never present, no
She goes next door
I know that she's just playing the whore
Hey for misery, my friend
Cherchez la femme
They tell you a lie with a Colgate smile, hey baby
Love you one second and hate the next one
Oh, ain't it crazy, yeah
All I can say, ay, hey
One thing I am certain, uh, uh
They're all the same
All the sluts and the saints
For misery, my friend
Cherchez la femme
Hey now
Cherchez la femme
Oh baby
Cherchez la femme
Yeah
Cherchez la femme
Amour, amour
Be mine, be mine
Be mine
Cherchez la femme
.
Mikey8247
Mariah is not listed in song, anywhere!
"Tommy Mottola lives on the road
He lost his lady two months ago
Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't,
oh, oh, never, nooo
He sleeps in the back of his grey Cadillac, oh my honey
Blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine
Oh ain't it crazy baby, hey
Guess you could say hey, hey
This man has learned his lesson, oh hey
Now he's alone
He's got no woman and no home
For misery, oh, oh
Cherchez la femme
Miggie, Miggie Bonija's very upset
She's sick and tired of living in debt
Tired of roaches, tired of rats, I know she is oooh
So her noble man says,
"Baby I understand, oh my honey"
Now he's working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars
Oh ain't crazy baby
Now she complains
That her man is never present, no
She goes next door, I know that she's just playing the whore
Hey for misery (my friend)
Cheechez la femme
They tell you a lie with a colgate smile, hey baby
Love you one second and hate the next one
Oh ain't it crazy, yeah
All I can say , ay, hey, og one thing I am certain, oh, oh
They're all the same, all the sluts and the saints For misery (my friend), "Cherchez la femme"
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: August Darnell
Cherchez La Femme lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Airton Zacharias ZACHARIAS
Inesquecível arranjo musical, digno de uma orquestra , eterna canção.
Jeff Sullivan
What an AWESOME album ( I still play it a fair amount!). Her version is, by far, the best imho. This DIVA can do no wrong! Love every song she's come out with. We are sooooo LUCKY she survived her tour bus crash years ago! ( I shudder to think ). Her voice brings strong emotions. You can't get any better!
LeeAnn Cotrone
God bless her my artist
Life of Brian
Come now. I 💓 Gloria too but Dr. Buzzard’s version eclipses hers. I do prefer Gloria’s Turn the Beat Around to the original tho
sodi smith
como adoro esta version me trae tantos recuerdos de mi adolescencia
Len Amaral
Impressive arrangement 😮
Carleslie Monleon
Esta canción merece mas amor...
Charles Howlett
Its ok I'll sit here and be the only who comments on a great version of a great song. First done by Dr. Buzzards band Gloria does a super job. Those instrumentals make this one just a little better than the original but both are great.
Steve Drozdiak
yeah this is a bit paint-by-numbers, carbon copy arrangement, but Gloria clearly loves this track, and its also a bit amusing to hear the French lyrics with a Cuban accent.
Steve Drozdiak
and I would say that cover photo is the best she has ever looked, shes not an easy photograph. Very sleek and sexy.