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 Long Has This Been Going On
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where have I been all these years?
Little wow, tell me now:
How long has this been going on?
There were chills up my spine,
And some thrills I can't define.
Listen, sweet, I repeat:
Oh, I feel that I could melt;
Into Heaven I'm hurled!
I know how Columbus felt,
Finding another world.
Kiss me once, then once more.
What a dunce I was before.
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
Dear, when in your arms I creep,
That divine rendezvous,
Don't wake me, if I'm asleep,
Let me dream that it's true!
Kiss me twice, then once more.
That makes thrice, let's make it four!
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
How long has this... been going... on?
The song "How Long Has This Been Going On" by Gloria Estefan is a love song that expresses the feelings of a person who has just fallen in love. The singer is experiencing strong emotions and is overwhelmed by the newness of it all. She feels as if she has been blind all these years and has just discovered something wonderful. She expresses this with the line, "Where have I been all these years?" She is curious about the length of time that this new flame has been burning, hence the repetition of the question, "How long has this been going on?"
The singer describes the physical sensations she feels as a result of her new love. She feels chills up her spine, and she experiences thrills that she cannot define. She is so happy that she feels as if she could cry salty tears. She is in a state of bliss, and it is as if she has been transported to another world, as she says, "Into heaven I'm hurled."
The chorus of the song is an invitation to the object of her affections to kiss her. She hopes that her new love will not judge her for her past actions and will see her in a new light. The singer is transformed by her new love, and she cannot believe how happy she is. She expresses this with the line, "What a break! For heaven's sake!"
Line by Line Meaning
I could cry salty tears;
I'm overwhelmed and emotional about the situation.
Where have I been all these years?
I'm reflecting on my past experiences with wonder and confusion.
Little wow, tell me now:
I need an honest answer about the duration of this event.
How long has this been going on?
I want to know how long this has been happening.
There were chills up my spine,
I physically reacted to what was happening.
And some thrills I can't define.
I felt an excitement I can't fully explain.
Listen, sweet, I repeat:
I want you to really listen to my question.
Oh, I feel that I could melt;
I'm so overwhelmed with emotion that I feel like I could fall apart.
Into Heaven I'm hurled!
This situation is giving me an incredible feeling of joy and pleasure.
I know how Columbus felt,
I feel like I'm discovering something new and exciting.
Finding another world.
This experience feels like finding a whole new world.
Kiss me once, then once more.
I want more than one kiss.
What a dunce I was before.
I feel foolish for not having experienced this sooner.
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
This is an incredible opportunity or experience.
Dear, when in your arms I creep,
When I'm close to you, I feel safe and secure.
That divine rendezvous,
Being with you is a wonderful and special experience.
Don't wake me, if I'm asleep,
If this is a dream, I don't want to be woken up.
Let me dream that it's true!
I want to believe that this is real.
Kiss me twice, then once more.
I want more kisses and affection.
That makes thrice, let's make it four!
Even more kisses would be wonderful.
How long has this been going on?
I'm still curious about how long this has been happening.
How long has this... been going... on?
I'm still questioning how long this experience has been ongoing.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anasofiaramos8407
As this is one of my favourite genres, and Gloria is my ultimate favourite singer... this album holds a special place in my heart. And I sure hope she does volume 2 of The Standards. I’ve always thought her voice was perfect for these songs, sweet & smooth, all in the ideal package... classy & charming!🎤🎶😍
@nancydrew5
She looks and sounds great!
@BENEHARA
sO good ' Love Glorias voice ¡ amazing
@lutheranchic122
THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE SONG!
@stevencsollak
the sound and look is timeless a true beauty
@rodrigoperez2388
maravillosaaaaa
@17914125
Maravilhosa Gloria Estefan:)
@MairaGonzalezMusic
Hermoooooooooosa! Amo a Dave Koz
@ClaudineiOliveiraOficial
She's the best!!!!
@manuelarredondo8588
FANTASTICA