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
Hablemos El Mismo Idioma
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qué ironia que al fin nos llevan al mismo lugar
Apesar de las diferencias que solemos buscar
Respiramos el mismo aire, despertamos al mismo sol
Nos alumbra la misma luna, necesitamos sentir amor
Nos alumbra la misma luna, necesitamos sentir amor
Hay tanto tiempo que hemos perdido por discutir
Las costumbres, raíces y herencias que me hacen quien soy
Son colores de un arcoiris, acordes de un mismo son
Las palabras se hacen fronteras, cuando no nacen del corazón
Hablemos el mismo idioma y así las cosas irán mejor
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que hay tantas cosas porque luchar
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que solo unidos se lograrán
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que nunca es tarde para empezar
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) bajo la bandera de libertad
Lo pensamos nosotros tenemos tanto en común
Y no conviene que el mundo nos oiga, con una sola voz
Es importante seguir adelante con fuerza y con fé
hemos nuevos caminos, en la unión hay, un gran poder
Orgullosos de ser latinos no importa de donde
Todo podemos vencer
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que hay tantas cosas porque luchar
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que solo unidos se lograrán
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que nunca es tarde para empezar
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) bajo la bandera de libertad
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
No importa de donde seas si todos somos hermanos tú ves
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
Que no existan las diferencias entre nosotros hispanos
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
En esta vida hay que trabajar para lograr lo que queremos alcanzar
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
Las palabras se hacen fronteras cuando no se
Hablan del corazón, sí tú ves
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
No importa raza ni religion, somos hermanos en el corazón
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
Pero que fuerza tenemos los latinos si nos mantenemos unidos
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
The lyrics to Gloria Estefan’s “Hablemos El Mismo Idioma” are a call for cultural unity and understanding, urging people to focus on what they have in common instead of their differences. The song acknowledges that there are many paths in life, but ultimately we all end up in the same place. Despite our differences, we all breathe the same air, wake up to the same sun, and depend on love. The message is clear: let’s focus on what we share instead of what separates us.
The song continues to touch on the many costly disagreements and disputes caused by cultural differences, and how we need to focus on what unites us. Instead of seeing these cultural differences as barriers, they should be embraced as part of a larger, more colorful whole. The lyrics urge people to speak the same language and come together under the banner of unity and freedom.
Overall, “Hablemos El Mismo Idioma” is both an acknowledgement of the challenges that cultural differences can create, and a call for empathy and unity. The song encourages listeners to put aside their differences and come together in the spirit of brotherhood and collaboration.
Line by Line Meaning
En la vida hay tantos senderos por caminar
Life has many paths to walk.
Qué ironia que al fin nos llevan al mismo lugar
It is ironic that in the end, they lead us to the same place.
Apesar de las diferencias que solemos buscar
Despite the differences we often seek.
Respiramos el mismo aire, despertamos al mismo sol
We breathe the same air, wake up to the same sun.
Nos alumbra la misma luna, necesitamos sentir amor
We are illuminated by the same moon, we need to feel love.
Hay tanto tiempo que hemos perdido por discutir
We have lost so much time arguing.
Por diferencias que entre nosotros no deben existir
For differences that should not exist among us.
Las costumbres, raíces y herencias que me hacen quien soy
The customs, roots, and inheritances that make me who I am.
Son colores de un arcoiris, acordes de un mismo son
They are colors of a rainbow, notes of the same song.
Las palabras se hacen fronteras, cuando no nacen del corazón
Words become borders when they do not come from the heart.
Hablemos el mismo idioma y así las cosas irán mejor
Let's speak the same language and things will go better.
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que hay tantas cosas porque luchar
Let's speak the same language because there are so many things to fight for.
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que solo unidos se lograrán
Let's speak the same language because only together we will achieve it.
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) que nunca es tarde para empezar
Let's speak the same language because it's never too late to start.
(Hablemos el mismo idioma) bajo la bandera de libertad
Let's speak the same language under the banner of freedom.
Lo pensamos nosotros tenemos tanto en común
We think we have so much in common.
Y no conviene que el mundo nos oiga, con una sola voz
And it is not convenient for the world to hear us with one voice.
Es importante seguir adelante con fuerza y con fé
It is important to continue with strength and faith.
Hemos nuevos caminos, en la unión hay, un gran poder
We have new paths, in unity there is great power.
Orgullosos de ser latinos no importa de donde
Proud of being Latinos, no matter where we come from.
Todo podemos vencer
We can all overcome.
(Hablemos el mismo idioma dame la mano, mi hermano)
Let's speak the same language, give me your hand, my brother.
No importa de donde seas si todos somos hermanos tú ves
It doesn't matter where you come from if we are all brothers, you see.
Que no existan las diferencias entre nosotros hispanos
Let the differences not exist among us Hispanics.
En esta vida hay que trabajar para lograr lo que queremos alcanzar
In this life, we have to work to achieve what we want to reach.
Las palabras se hacen fronteras cuando no se
Words become borders when they do not
Hablan del corazón, sí tú ves
Speak from the heart, you see.
No importa raza ni religion, somos hermanos en el corazón
Race and religion don't matter, we are brothers in our hearts.
Pero que fuerza tenemos los latinos si nos mantenemos unidos
But what strength we Latinos have if we stay united.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMILIO JR. ESTEFAN, GLORIA M. ESTEFAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind