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
La Parranda
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They are arriving
La fiesta va a comenzar
The party is about to begin
Esta noche la parranda
Tonight is the big party
No tiene como acabar
It has no end
Ya se escuchan
Now they are listening to
Las notas
The notes
Del acordeon
Of the accordian
De gaitas que enamoran al repique de la tambor
Of flutes that love the beating of the drum
Que suenen los cueros
How the skins sound
Todo es alegría
All is happy
Se pendio el jaleo
Its lost in the din
Que toque la chirimia
How plays the oboe
-------------------
Coro:
Se formo el jologorio
The merryment is building
Y la algarabía
And so is the din
Que esto no es ningún velorio
This no wake
Todo es alegría (x 2)
All is happy
------------------
Sigue el baile
The dance continues
Hoy vamos a amanecer
Today we going till dawn
La noche va muriendo y hay fiesta por nacer
The night is dying and the party is born
Que alegría
What happyness
Tenerte junto a mí
to have you by my side
La vida es más bonita
Life is more beautiful
Cuando se quiere asi
When it is so
Un beso a mis viejos
A kiss to my old pals
Un trago pa'don facunfo
A toast for father time
Esto si esta bueno
This is so good
Lechona pa todo el mundo
Food for everyone
-------------------
Coro:
Se formo el jologorio
The merryment is buliding
Y la algarabía
And the din
Que esto no es ningún velorio
This is no wake
Todo es alegría (x 2)
All is happy
------------------
A la noche respira ilusión
The night breaths magic
De augurios que le lanzan
Of best wishes that are cast
Al viento soñador
On the singing winds
Mil historias
Thousand tales
Se tejen mas alla
They weave beyond
De vidas que abrazan
They embrace life
De amores que vendran
Of loves to come
Que suenen los cueros
How the drumskins sound
Todo es alegría
All is merry
Se prendio el jaleo
Its lost in the din
Que toque la chirmia
How plays the oboe
-------------------
Coro:
Se formo el jologorio
The merryment is buliding
Y la algarabía
And the din
Que esto no es ningún velorio
This is no wake
Todo es alegría x 2
All is happy
------------------
Se armo el jolgorio
The merryment gets stronger
La algarabía
The din
Eso es ningún velorio
No wake
Todo es alegría
All is merry
Se armo el jolgorio
The merryment gets stronger
La parranda se prendio
The party really going
La algarabía
The din
Prendio vamos todos a bailar
Lets all dance
Ningún velorio
No wake
Todo es alegría
All is happy
Por el ano que se va
For the passing year
Se armo el jolgorio
The merryment is building
Que siga la fiesta
Let the party continue
La algarabía
The din
Hasta que amanezea
Until dawn
Ningún velorio
No wake
Todo es alegría
All is happy
Esta fiesta si está buena
This party is truly good
-------------------
Coro:
Se formo el jologorio
The merryment is building
Y la algarabía
And the din
Ningún velorio
No wake
Todo es alegría (x 2)
All is happy
------------------
La parranda no se acaba
The parties does not end
Hasta el sol de la manana
Until the rising sun of the morning
Vamos a seguir bailando
Lets carry on dancing
Que el año se está acabando
As if the year is ending
-------------------
Coro:
Se formo el jologorio
The merryment forms
Y la algarabía
And the din
Que esto no es ningún velorio
This is no wake
Todo es alegría (x 2)
All is happy
The lyrics to Gloria Estefan's "La Parranda" depict the joyous celebration of a party that has no end. The first verse establishes the start of the party, with the arrival of the guests and the anticipation of what's to come. The second verse describes the music that will be played at the party, including a combination of instruments such as the accordion, flutes, and drums. The chorus reiterates that the party is full of joy and that it is not a wake, but rather a celebration of life. The third verse speaks to the magic of the night and the hope for a better future, with wishes of love and prosperity for all. The final chorus confirms that the party continues until the break of dawn and that there is no end to the happiness and celebration.
Overall, the song celebrates the joy and happiness that comes with celebrating life with friends and loved ones. It is a reminder to live in the moment, to embrace the magic of the night, and to cherish the memories of those special moments with those who matter most.
Line by Line Meaning
Van llegando
People are arriving
La fiesta va a comenzar
The party is about to start
Esta noche la parranda
Tonight is the big party
No tiene como acabar
It has no end
Ya se escuchan
Now they are listening to
Las notas
The notes
Del acordeon
Of the accordion
De gaitas que enamoran al repique de la tambor
Of flutes that love the beating of the drum
Que suenen los cueros
How the drumskins sound
Todo es alegría
All is merry
Se prendio el jaleo
Its lost in the din
Que toque la chirimia
How plays the oboe
Coro:
Chorus:
Se formo el jologorio
The merrymaking is building
Y la algarabía
And so is the din
Que esto no es ningún velorio
This is no wake
Todo es alegría (x 2)
All is merry (x2)
Sigue el baile
The dance continues
Hoy vamos a amanecer
Tonight we going till dawn
La noche va muriendo y hay fiesta por nacer
The night is dying and the party is born
Que alegría
What happiness
Tenerte junto a mí
To have you by my side
La vida es más bonita
Life is more beautiful
Cuando se quiere asi
When it is so
Un beso a mis viejos
A kiss to my old pals
Un trago pa'don facunfo
A toast for father time
Esto si esta bueno
This is so good
Lechona pa todo el mundo
Food for everyone
A la noche respira ilusión
The night breathes magic
De augurios que le lanzan
Of best wishes that are cast
Al viento soñador
On the singing winds
Mil historias
Thousands of stories
Se tejen mas alla
They are weaving beyond
De vidas que abrazan
They embrace life
De amores que vendran
Of loves to come
Se armo el jolgorio
The merrymaking gets stronger
La parranda se prendio
The party is really going
Prendio vamos todos a bailar
It's on, let's all dance
Por el ano que se va
For the passing year
Que siga la fiesta
Let the party continue
Hasta que amanezea
Until dawn
Esta fiesta si está buena
This party is truly good
La parranda no se acaba
The party does not end
Hasta el sol de la manana
Until the rising sun of the morning
Vamos a seguir bailando
Let's carry on dancing
Que el año se está acabando
As if the year is ending
Contributed by Levi E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.