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
Nayib's Song
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know what to tell you
'Cause it's all such bad news
Lately my son I've been discouraged
I look around and it fills me with worry
What kind of world can I offer to you
Where will it all lead,
Do we have the sense to make it trough
I can tell to you
But all I can see, all I can see
I am here for you, and you are here for me
It's an ongoing process (ongoing process)
I will take care of you and you will take care of me
If we're gonna make some progress
Lately my son I feel ashamed
For many things that have happened
And are happening again
Really my son I thought we'd learn
From what I see around me it's a very though world
But all I can hope is that you take it as a challenge
To create something new that will take you far
I know that you can manage
To scatter some hope, 'cause it's not too late
To repair the damage
The way it should be, so easy to see
That I am here for you (here for you)
You are here for me (you're here for me)
It's an ongoing process (ongoing process), ongoing process
I will take care of you (take care of you)
You will take care of me (care of me)
If we're gonna make some progress
You gotta believe
Never be afraid to dream
But following through
'Cause it won't get done unless it comes from you
You gotta make it all work
For the ones that are coming after you
Though odd it may seem, you gotta believe
I am here for you (here for you)
You are here for me (you're here for me)
It's an ongoing process (ongoing process)
I will take care of you (take care of you)
You will take care of me (care of me)
If we're gonna make some progress
I am here for you (here for you)
(Here for me)
It's an ongoing process (ongoing process)
I will take care of you (take care of you)
(Care of me)
If we're gonna make some progress
I am here for you (here for you)
You are here for me (you're here for me)
Ongoing process
I will take care of you (take care of you)
You will take care of me (care of me)
If we're gonna make some progress
The song "Nayib's Song" is a heartwarming tribute from Gloria Estefan to her son Nayib who was born in 1980, four years after she and Emilio Estefan married. The song expresses Gloria's emotions towards the state of the world and the kind of future that she envisions for her son. She feels confused, discouraged, and ashamed about the things that are happening in the world. Gloria acknowledges the world's flaws but also encourages Nayib to have hope and create something new that will take him far. She emphasizes the importance of an ongoing process, to take care of each other, and to believe in oneself. The lyrics express that the world is not an easy place, but by working together, we can make progress.
The song carries several important messages to both parents and children. It encourages parents to create a better future for their children while acknowledging the challenges in the world. It also reminds children that they have the power to create change and to believe in themselves. Additionally, the song emphasizes the importance of taking care of each other, and that progress is an ongoing process that requires perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately my son I've been confused
I've been feeling unsure about what to say to you lately
Don't know what to tell you
I'm not sure what advice to give you
'Cause it's all such bad news
Because everything in the news and the world seems negative
Lately my son I've been discouraged
I've been feeling unmotivated lately
I look around and it fills me with worry
When I look at the world, I become anxious
What kind of world can I offer to you
What kind of world am I able to provide for you?
Where will it all lead,
Where is everything heading?
Do we have the sense to make it trough
Will we be able to get through it with wisdom?
I've tried to figure it out, to have an answer
I've attempted to solve these problems and find a solution
I can tell to you
So I can share it with you
But all I can see, all I can see
But as of now, all I can envision is
I am here for you, and you are here for me
I am here for support and help, and you provide the same for me
It's an ongoing process (ongoing process)
It's a continuing journey that we travel together (travel together)
I will take care of you and you will take care of me
I'll assist you and you'll support me as well
If we're gonna make some progress
Only if we act together, we'll be able to accomplish something
Lately my son I feel ashamed
Recently, I've been feeling humiliated
For many things that have happened
For various incidents that have taken place
And are happening again
And are occurring once more
Really my son I thought we'd learn
Frankly, I believed we would have learned from our past mistakes
From what I see around me it's a very though world
The world appears to be tough based on what I observe
But all I can hope is that you take it as a challenge
Nonetheless, I hope you see it as an opportunity to set your own goals and accomplish them
To create something new that will take you far
To create something unique that would help you move forward in life.
I know that you can manage
I have faith in your abilities
To scatter some hope, 'cause it's not too late
To spread some positivity, as there's still time to make things better
To repair the damage
To heal the harm that has been caused
The way it should be, so easy to see
The way society is intended to be can be seen clearly
You gotta believe
You have to have faith
Never be afraid to dream
Don't be afraid to envision something grand
But following through
However, continue working for that goal
'Cause it won't get done unless it comes from you
Because without your efforts, it won't be accomplished
You gotta make it all work
You must ensure that it all functions
For the ones that are coming after you
For the future generations
Though odd it may seem, you gotta believe
Although it may seem strange or improbable, it's vital to have faith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLORIA ESTEFAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Libierth Castaños Lopez
Me fascina esta canción. Podría escucharla todo el día y no me cansaría
Robert Coker
I Agree Completely, I put it on, hit "Loop", I'm good to go !!!!
unstoppableguy
Love this song. It's a shame it wasn't released as a single in the U.K.
ltinoga
This song is everything!!! From the beginning this song moved me, even before I had a Son!!!
Margaret Nahmias
It could be for a friend if you tweak it a little
Luis
Buenos arreglos y el coro exacto conviven en una eterna melodía, y una gran artista: Gloria por siempre.
Elizabeth Cronen
My Mother died way before she should have. She had Dipoler disorder. When we picked up her personal belongings. There was a CD with this song on it for my brother. It a beautiful song we listen to and cried all the way home
Laurie Somma
This song is everything, especially right now.
cristina ferreira
Great song love it.