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
Mambo I I I
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I want you just the same
Don't play innocent with me
You know it's not just fun and games
When I look into your eyes
So much passion burns inside
But if you need some coaxing
I will do it
1-2-3-4 come on baby say you love my
5-6-7 times
8-9-10-11 I'm just gonna keep on counting
Until you are mine
Come out of your shell boy
You know we go like hand in glove
You're afraid of giving in
But I am never giving up on your love
And no matter what it takes
I will steal your heart away
Take a chance for once you won't regret it
Want my love just come and get it
1-2-3-4 com on baby say you love my
5-6-7 times
8-9-10-11 I'm just gonna keep on counting
Until you are mine
So no matter what it takes
I will steal your heart away
Take a chance for once you won't regret it
Want my love just come and get it
1-2-3-4 come on baby say you love my
5-6-7 times
8-9-10-11 I'm just gonna keep on counting
Until you are mine
1-2-3-4 come on baby say you love my
5-6-7 times
You got to give me your love
8-9-10-11 I'm just gonna keep on counting baby
Until you are mine
1-2-3-4
5-6-7 times
8-9-10-11
1-2-3-4
5-6-7 times
8-9-10-11
The song "1 2 3" by Gloria Estefan is about a woman who is interested in a shy man and is willing to take the time to get to know him and make him feel comfortable. She acknowledges that he may need some coaxing, but she is willing to put in the effort to make it work. She describes the intense passion she feels when she looks into his eyes, and encourages him to come out of his shell and take a chance on her. She counts from 1 to 11, expressing her determination to win him over, and her belief that their love will be worth all the effort they put into it.
The lyrics also touch on themes of persistence and patience in pursuing love. The singer is not deterred by the fact that the man is shy and hesitant to express his feelings, and instead sees it as an opportunity to get to know him on a deeper level. The repetition of the counting serves to emphasize the singer's resolve to keep trying until she gets the response she wants, and reinforces the idea that love is worth the effort it takes to make it work.
Line by Line Meaning
They tell me you're shy boy
The singer has received information that the addressee is a shy person.
But I want you just the same
Regardless of the addressee's shyness, the singer is still interested in them.
Don't play innocent with me
The singer doesn't want the addressee to pretend they don't understand what's happening.
You know it's not just fun and games
The artist wants the addressee to know that their feelings are serious and genuine.
When I look into your eyes
The artist has had enough interactions with the addressee to have spent time looking into their eyes.
So much passion burns inside
The singer feels a lot of passion towards the addressee.
But if you need some coaxing
The singer is willing to help the addressee feel more comfortable and confident.
I will do it
The artist is willing to help the addressee with what they need.
Step by step there's nothing to it
The artist believes that helping the addressee will be easy and achieve the desired result.
1-2-3-4 come on baby say you love my
The artist wants the addressee to express their feelings of love.
5-6-7 times
The singer wants the addressee to express their feelings of love repeatedly.
8-9-10-11 I'm just gonna keep on counting
The artist wants the addressee to know that they won't give up on pursuing their love.
Until you are mine
The singer wants to be in a romantic relationship with the addressee.
Come out of your shell boy
The singer wants the addressee to be more open and expressive about their feelings.
You know we go like hand in glove
The singer thinks that they and the addressee are perfect for each other.
You're afraid of giving in
The artist believes that the addressee is hesitant to pursue a romantic relationship.
But I am never giving up on your love
The artist is committed to continuing to pursue the addressee's love.
And no matter what it takes
The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to win the addressee over.
Take a chance for once you won't regret it
The singer wants the addressee to take a chance on them and trust that it will be worth it.
Want my love just come and get it
The artist wants the addressee to pursue their love directly and actively.
You got to give me your love
The artist wants the addressee to express their love and affection.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Enrique Elias Garcia, Gloria M. Estefan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind