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
How Can I Be Sure
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can I be sure where I stand with you?
Whenever I, whenever I am away from you
I wanna die 'cause you know I wanna stay with you.
How do I know? Maybe you're trying to use me.
Flying too high can confuse me. Touch me but don't take me down.
My alibi is telling people I don't care for you.
Maybe I'm just hanging around with my head up upside down.
It's a pity, I can't seem to find someone who's as pretty
and lovely as you.
How can I be sure? I really really really wanna know.
I really really really wanna know. Oh.
How can I be sure in a world that's constantly changing?
How can I be sure? I'll be sure with you.
The lyrics of Gloria Estefan's song "How Can I Be Sure" seem to explore the uncertainties and insecurities that come with love and relationships. The singer is questioning how she can be sure of her partner's feelings in a world that is constantly changing, and how she can be certain of their relationship.
The lyrics suggest that when the singer is away from her partner, she feels an intense yearning to be with them, and she worries that maybe they are just using her or that the intensity of their emotions is confusing her. She asks them to touch her but not to take her down, indicating a fear of being hurt or disappointed.
The singer acknowledges that she sometimes tries to convince herself that she doesn't care for her partner when she's not with them, but deep down, she knows that isn't true. She laments the fact that she can't seem to find anyone else as "pretty and lovely" as her partner, making it clear that her feelings for them are genuine.
Overall, the lyrics of "How Can I Be Sure" seem to tap into the universal experience of the uncertainties and anxieties that come with love and relationships. Despite these challenges, however, the singer is hopeful that she can be sure of her feelings for her partner, and that they can navigate the complexities of their relationship together.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I be sure in a world that's constantly changing?
Amidst a world that is always in flux, uncertain and unpredictable, how can I be certain of anything, especially of your commitment to me?
How can I be sure where I stand with you?
In a relationship that is always evolving, with feelings that fluctuate, how can I be sure of your feelings for me, and where I stand with you?
Whenever I, Whenever I am away from you / I wanna die 'cause you know I wanna stay with you.
Being away from you feels unbearable, as all I want is to be with you. My intense emotions might make me question whether this is healthy or not.
How do I know? Maybe you're trying to use me.
Given my intense feelings for you, I can't help but wonder about your motives and intentions, whether you're truly invested in this relationship, or just using me for your own purposes.
Flying too high can confuse me. Touch me but don't take me down.
Being consumed by my passion and emotions could cloud my judgment, leading me to make impulsive decisions. I might be vulnerable to getting carried away, so please handle my heart with care.
My alibi is telling people I don't care for you. / Maybe I'm just hanging around with my head up upside down. / It's a pity, I can't seem to find someone who's as pretty and lovely as you.
To avoid appearing too invested in our relationship, I tend to hide my feelings from others, even though it puts a strain on me. I wish I could find someone else, but no one seems to compare to your beauty and charm.
How can I be sure? I really really really wanna know. / I really really really wanna know. Oh.
Despite my insecurities and doubts, I crave reassurance and clarity about our relationship. I long to know where we stand, and whether our love is genuine and mutual.
How can I be sure in a world that's constantly changing? / How can I be sure? I'll be sure with you.
Despite the world's unpredictability and instability, with you, my love, I feel certain and secure. Even though my doubts and fears may surface, I know that my love for you remains steadfast.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward J Brigati, Felix Cavaliere
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anthony Escalante
She does this song justice! Beautifully sung ❤
Andrew Flood
I LOVE THIS SONG !!!
D.K. Benson-Smith
Stunning rendition.
I love this whole album. Bliss!
Peter Knispel
OMG. This is an incredible version of this great song sung by such a great singer/performer Gloria Estefan. I love this performance.
saltwatercb
A beautiful, spirited version of this gorgeous, gorgeous song--surely one of the greatest songs of the 1960s.
KNBSD
saltwatercb...03:19...This is the point where I envision myself in a sweeping waltz with a beautiful other!
June Lynn
I really love Gloria's version of this classic .....the whole album is fantastic, thanks for sharing!
Ted Petry
Beautiful song, Beautiful woman. It was our song of the 60's.
dojmike
The Rascals really own this song, but Gloria does a very good job.
Mark
Definitely, she did a much better cover of Hold me, Thrill Me by Mel Carter