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
Higher
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw a girl today
Could tell from what she say
She was a liar
She walks a wire
I tried to make here see
That this was not the way
And then she turned away
So I said hear me now
Just understand, don't get me wrong
You got to live your life, live it right
Or you'll go back to the end of the line
(Higher) step it up
(Higher) just do it right and go
(Higher) keep it up
(Higher) just pick it up and you go
(Higher) move along
(Higher) get off the ground
(Higher) lift it up
(Higher)
There is a man I know
And everyplace he'd go he'd take your money
Think it was funny
He'd like to get his way, he never liked to pay
The law would chase him
But he just run away
So I say hear me now
Just understand, don't get me wrong
You got to live your life, live it right
Or you'll go back to the end of the line
(Higher) step it up
(Higher) just do it right and go
(Higher) keep it up
(Higher) just pick it up and you go
(Higher) move along
(Higher) get of the ground
(Higher) lift it up
(Higher) here we go, here we go now
(Higher, higher, higher)
(You got to live your life)
(And, and, and I say)
(Higher)
(You got to live your life)
(Higher)
I got a friend who lives on all the love he gives
When he retires, he's going, higher
One thing I know is true, that everything you do
Will come back to you, don't let it fool you
And I say hear me now
Just understand, don't get me wrong
You got to live your life, live it right
Or you'll go back to the end of the line
Line
(Higher) step it up
(Higher) just do it right and go
(Higher) keep it up
(Higher) just pick it up and you go
(Higher) move along
(Higher) get of the ground
(Higher) lift it up
(Higher) here we go, here we go now
Siddung pon di riddim and me siddung properly
In case you neva know me is a DJ daddy
Seh me wan' come ah talk wid a love inna mi heart
In case you neva know me is a razor dart
Seh ah look me is a ce-celebrity
Me siddung pon di riddim and me siddung steady
Ride this 'ya riddim inna any styling
In case you neva know mi name Mikey
(Higher) step it up
(Higher) just do it right and go
(Higher) keep it up
(Higher) just pick it up and you go
(Higher) move along
(Higher) get of the ground
(Higher) lift it up
(Higher)
(Higher) step it up
(Higher) just do it right and go
(Higher) keep it up
(Higher) just pick it up and you go
(Higher) (siddung pon di riddim and me siddung properly)
(Higher) (in case you neva know me is a DJ daddy)
(Higher) (seh me wan' come ah talk wid a love inna mi heart)
(Higher) (in case you neva know me is a razor dart) that's what I say
(Higher) (seh ah look me is a ce-celebrity)
(Higher) just do it right and go
The song "Higher" by Gloria Estefan is an ode to living life positively and doing things the right way. The first verse describes a girl who is a liar and tries to find shortcuts to get ahead, but the singer reminds her that this is not the way to reach success in life. The chorus then kicks in with the catchy phrase "Higher step it up, higher just do it right and go," encouraging listeners to take action in their lives and do things correctly. The second verse talks about a man who is dishonest and always looking for a way to cheat others out of their money, but again the singer reminds him that the right way is the only way to succeed. The song culminates with a final verse about a man who lives with kindness and positivity, and how this way of life will eventually lead him to a higher place.
The message of the song is encouraging and motivating, reminding us that living life honestly and positively is the key to success. The repeated phrase "Higher step it up" is a call to action, urging listeners to take control of their lives and do things the right way in order to reach their goals. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody make it easy to sing and dance along to, making it a great anthem for anyone looking to make positive changes in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we go, here we go now
The song is about motivating people to aim for higher things in life.
I saw a girl today
The artist saw a girl who was a liar and was taking the wrong way to achieve success.
Could tell from what she say
The girl's words indicated that she was not on the right path to reach her goals.
She was a liar
The girl was not truthful in her approach to success.
She walks a wire
The girl is taking a risky route to reach her destination.
I tried to make here see
The artist tried to explain to the girl that she needs to make changes to her approach.
That this was not the way
The artist made it clear that the girl was not on the right path.
Of getting higher
The artist wants everyone to aim for higher things in life.
And then she turned away, so I say hear me now
The girl refused to listen, so the artist wants everyone else to pay attention to this message.
Just understand, don't get me wrong
The artist wants to make clear that she has good intentions and is not criticizing people.
You got to live your life, live it right,
People need to live their lives in the right way to achieve success.
Or you'll go back to the end of the line
If people make mistakes, they will have to start over.
Higher step it up, higher just do it right and go
People need to aim higher and do things the right way.
Higher keep it up, higher just pick it up and you go
People need to keep pushing and progressing.
Higher move along, higher get of the ground
People need to keep moving forward and not get stuck in one place.
Higher lift it up, higher
People need to raise their level of performance and expectations.
There is a man I know
The artist knows a man who takes advantage of others.
And everyplace he'd go he'd take your money
The man likes to steal money from people.
Think it was funny
The man finds his actions amusing.
He'd like to get his way, he never likes to pay
The man is selfish and does not like to pay for things.
The law would chase him
The man breaks the law.
But he just run away, so I say hear me now
The man never takes responsibility for his actions, but the artist wants others to learn from his mistakes.
I gotta friend who lives on all the love he gives
The artist has a friend who is kind and selfless.
When he retires, he's going higher
The artist's friend has lived a good life and will be rewarded in the future.
One thing I know is true, that everything you do
The artist believes that our actions will have consequences.
Will come back to you, don't let it fool you
People should not think they can get away with bad actions.
Higher step it up, higher just do it right and go
The message reiterates that people need to aim higher and strive to do things the right way.
Higher keep it up, higher just pick it up and you go
People must keep progressing and do better.
Higher move along, higher get of the ground
People should keep moving forward and not get stuck.
Higher lift it up, higher here we go, here we go now
The artist wants everyone to aim for higher things and live better lives.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Lawrence Dermer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind