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
Keep on Trying
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody wants to do anything
Everyone's crazy
At times I think I've had enough of it
Living together
It's not a easy thing to begin
Making life a little better
Takes the power of your second please
I've been around to love
I'm trying hard, I know
I haven't reach my ball
I'll do what I have to do
Someday we'll see it through
As long as I have you
We've got to keep on pushing
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
(we've got to keep on trying)
We've got to keep on pushing
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
(we've got to keep on trying)
We've got to keep on pushing
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
(we've got to keep on trying)
We've got to keep on pushing
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
(we've got to keep on trying)
In the song "Keep On Trying," Gloria Estefan addresses the challenges of living together and how it's not always an easy thing to do. She acknowledges that at times, everybody is lazy and that nobody wants to do anything. Furthermore, she expresses that everyone is crazy in their own way, which can make it difficult to get along. However, she believes that making life a little better takes the power of your second please, indicating that sometimes all it takes is a small request to make a difference.
Gloria Estefan then reflects on her experiences of trying hard and not always getting it right. She acknowledges that while she hasn't reached her ball, she'll do what she has to do, and someday, she'll see it through. The chorus of the song emphasizes the need to keep pushing and trying, indicating that perseverance is essential to achieving success, be it in relationships or life, in general. She emphasizes that as long as she has someone by her side, she can push through and persevere.
Overall, "Keep On Trying" is an uplifting song about the power of perseverance and trying hard, even when the result is uncertain. Gloria Estefan acknowledges the difficulties of living together and the laziness and craziness that can come with it. However, she emphasizes that making life better is always possible with the power of a little effort and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody is lazy
People often lack motivation to take action
Nobody wants to do anything
People can be resistant to putting forth effort
Everyone's crazy
People can be irrational and unpredictable
At times I think I've had enough of it
Occasionally, I become overwhelmed with frustration
Living together
Existing in a shared space, whether literal or figurative
It's not a easy thing to begin
Starting is often difficult
Making life a little better
Improving one's circumstances, even in small ways
Takes the power of your second please
Requires making an effort, asking twice if necessary
I've been around to love
I have experienced and given love
I'm trying hard, I know
I am putting forth effort, even when it's difficult
I haven't reach my ball
I have not accomplished all that I want to
I'll do what I have to do
I am willing to take action to achieve my goals
Someday we'll see it through
One day we will achieve our desired outcome
As long as I have you
I am grateful for your support and companionship
We've got to keep on pushing
We must continue to make an effort despite difficulties
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
We must persist in our endeavors
(we've got to keep on trying)
We've got to keep on pushing
We must remain steadfast in our efforts
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
We must not give up, even in the face of obstacles
(we've got to keep on trying)
We've got to keep on pushing
We must maintain our persistence
(we've got to keep on pushing)
We've got to keep on trying
We must work diligently to achieve our goals
(we've got to keep on trying)
Contributed by Emma L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mstammy2u800
Whose here in 2024? 🙋🏽♀️ The first concert I ever went to was Gloria. Will never forget! Loved growing up in the 80’s. We had the best music.
@MJJ628
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️MEEEEEEEEE😍❤❤❤
@johnnoonan5802
god we had wounderful times , we never realised it would never come back , but alas its just great to have U tube to help us along the way with this beautiful song
@gwendagoddard2926
Me
@johnnoonan5802
She is so attractive isint she with a beautiful voice , its such a greal romantic love song that can really pull the heart strings, My late wife Maria loved Gloria Estefan and indeed the Miami Sound Machine
@johnnoonan5802
@@gwendagoddard2926 You have great taste in beautiful music well done Gwen
@hollydatsopoulos7998
When my boyfriend went back to Greece in 1989 and told me that he wasn’t coming back, I listened to this song over and over again. Turns out he couldn’t stay away from me either. He came back, and we were married 2 years later. Just celebrated our 28th anniversary a couple of weeks ago. :)
@gregochiengturner3737
Congratulations. Music like this always brings back the memories. Love is true.
@lordmalvada8212
Congratulations, It was also mine and my wife's 28th this year. Time flies too quickly, I remember this song as if it came out yesterday.
@niveamartinez4264
😭😭😭😭❤💚💚