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
Reach
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those dreams, you want with all your heart
And I'll do whatever it takes
Follow through with the promise I made
Put it all on the line
What I hoped for at last would be mine
If I could reach, higher
From that one moment in my life
I'm gonna be stronger
Know that I've tried my very best
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach (uh-uh)
Some days are meant to be remembered
Those days we rise above the stars
So I'll go (go, go, go) the distance this time
Seeing more the higher I climb
That the more I believe
All the more that this dream will be mine
If I could reach, higher
Just for one moment touch the sky
From that one moment in my life
I'm gonna be stronger
Know that I've tried my very best
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach
If I could reach, higher
Just for one moment touch the sky
That one moment in my life
I'm gonna be (be stronger)
I'm gonna be so much stronger yes I am
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach (reach higher)
If I could, If I could
If I could reach
Reach, I'd reach, I'd reach
I'd reach' I'd reach so much higher (higher)
(Be stronger)
(Higher)
(High, higher)
In the first verse, Gloria Estefan sings about dreams that seem to persist beyond their time, the dreams that you desire the most. She pledges to do everything within her power to fulfill these dreams, putting everything on the line and doing whatever it takes to make her goals a reality. She wants to achieve whatever she hopes for, and with every effort made, she gets closer to her aspirations.
The second verse highlights the days that stand out to her, the ones that she will never forget, the ones that make her feel like she is achieving her dreams beyond what she ever imagined possible. Gloria promises herself that she will go the distance this time around, climbing higher and higher, and with every climb, her dreams will become more real to her. Her belief will be unshakable, and she will achieve these goals, with every effort and every attempt that she puts forth.
The chorus of the song is about reaching higher, to touch the sky, to be stronger, and to give her very best. She puts her spirit to the test, seeking to achieve that one moment in her life where she is at the pinnacle of her success. In this moment, she will be so much stronger, and she can look back on all the effort and perseverance she had to make to get there. If she can reach, she will reach higher and be stronger, pushing herself to be the best she can be.
Line by Line Meaning
Some dreams live on in time forever
There are some dreams that never fade with time.
Those dreams, you want with all your heart
These are the dreams that you truly desire.
And I'll do whatever it takes
I am willing to go to any lengths to achieve my dreams.
Follow through with the promise I made
I am committed to fulfilling the promises I have made to myself and others.
Put it all on the line
I am willing to take risks and put everything at stake for my dreams.
What I hoped for at last would be mine
I am confident that I will realize my dreams, no matter how long it takes.
If I could reach, higher
If I could push myself to greater heights,
Just for one moment touch the sky
If I could experience a moment of soaring success,
From that one moment in my life
That one moment would change my life and perspective forever.
I'm gonna be stronger
I will emerge from this experience stronger and more resilient.
Know that I've tried my very best
I will know that I have given everything I have to achieve my dreams.
I'd put my spirit to the test
I am willing to challenge myself and my limits.
Some days are meant to be remembered
There are certain days that we hold in our memory forever.
Those days we rise above the stars
These are the days when we achieve great success and exceed our own expectations.
So I'll go (go, go, go) the distance this time
I am willing to go to great lengths to achieve success this time around.
Seeing more the higher I climb
As I continue to push myself, I will see and experience more than ever before.
That the more I believe
I realize that the power of belief is crucial to achieving success.
All the more that this dream will be mine
The more I believe in myself and my dreams, the more likely I am to achieve them.
I'm gonna be (be stronger)
I will become stronger and more resilient as I pursue my dreams.
I'm gonna be so much stronger yes I am
I will surpass my own expectations and become even stronger than I ever thought possible.
I'd put my spirit to the test
I am unafraid of challenging myself and my limits.
If I could reach (reach higher)
If I could push myself to achieve even greater heights,
If I could, If I could
If only I could achieve my dreams,
Reach, I'd reach, I'd reach
I would go to any lengths to realize my dreams.
I'd reach' I'd reach so much higher (higher)
I would push myself even further and fly higher than I ever imagined.
(Be stronger)
I will be even stronger and more determined than before.
(Higher)
I will soar to greater heights and achieve success beyond my wildest dreams.
(High, higher)
I will continue to push myself to reach even greater heights of success.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Realsongs
Written by: Diane Eve Warren, Gloria M. Estefan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@abyanbaihaqi8214
Some dreams live on in time forever
Those dreams, you want with all your heart
And I'll do whatever it takes
Follow through with the promise I made
Put it all on the line
What I hoped for at last would be mine
If I could reach, higher
Just for one moment touch the sky
From that one moment in my life
I'm gonna be stronger
Know that I've tried my very best
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach
Some days are meant to be remembered
Those days we rise above the stars
So I'll go the distance this time
Seeing more the higher I climb
That the more I believe
All the more that this dream will be mine
If I could reach, higher
Just for one moment touch the sky
From that one moment in my life
I'm gonna be stronger
Know that I've tried my very best
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach
If I could reach, higher
Just for one moment touch the sky
That one moment in my life
I'm gonna be (be stronger) so much stronger yes I am
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach higher
If I could, If I could
If I could reach
Reach, I'd reach, I'd reach
I'd reach' I'd reach so much higher
(Be stronger, know that I've tried my best)
@pjwallace1006
God Bless you, Brother George, and all the best to you in life. May you CONTINUE TO thrive and be successful. If I may, I’d like to share a little of me with/ you:
In a nutshell, I’m a 27-yr old male, trapped in the body of a 54-yr young💚💛💙. In addition…
—I’m a veteran, having served my country in the USMC (1987-2002; I was an O-3/Capt. by the time of my honorable medical discharge);
—I was married once (1996-1999); divorced, because my wife wanted children AND for me to remain in the Corps (the former, especially, because I was not prepared emotionally to grant her…💔☹️💔;
—Not long after our [friendly, mutual, uncontested] divorce, through a friend of my aunt’s from work and church, I met and became attached to, these three kids (a boy and girl—twins (6 yrs old, b. 1993)—from Ukraine
💛🇺🇦💙; and a boy, 4 yrs old, b. 1995, from Poland ❤️🇵🇱🤍). Apparently, my aunt’s friend’s brother and wife back in New England, we’re in the adoption process, but tragically, they were killed in a car crash…💔😢💔!!! Oddly enough, they were in transition, from Germany to Boston, MA, and didn’t know about the accident until they landed @ Logan Int’l.!!! I saw a picture of the kids, and something just…clicked inside me, like God MEANT for me to be a Dad to these kids 🧒🏻 👧🏻 👦🏻. My ex-wife and her new fiance (coincidentally, a fellow Marine officer and good friend), were supportive in my efforts to adopt…provided I agreed to be godfather to THEIR children, when they had them. Seeing as my mother and aunt (twins themselves!!!) and I shared a large house in an upper-middle neighborhood, they were enthusiastic about helping out with/ raising them…😊. Today, all three are all grown up and doing EXTREMELY well in life!!!
—After working for the Dept of Defense (1997-2006), Disneyland (1997-2002, for a little extra $$$), and the Longshoremen (2003-2016), I retired in 2016, w/ a nice pension;
—In 2022, I married my second wife, after a 2-yr delay due to COVID-19. We became friends in 2005 (when she was still married to her first husband: 2004-2013. Coincidentally, HE divorced HER because she didn’t want to have kids, and because she was scared to, following an abortion from an unplanned pregnancy back in HS!!!). She moved in w/ my kids and I in 2014, we started dating in 2015, and—with a little nudge from my kids—I proposed to her in 2019…💚💛💙. My ex- and her husband even attended our wedding;
—My ex- and I still remain good friends to this day, having never really stopped loving each other. She and her husband had a son and two daughters (twins as well). Keeping my promise, I became their godfather, and my ex- and her husband became godparents to mine as well;
Since 2005, my kids and I have lived up in the Pacific Northwest (where I also my loving 🥰 wife and “mom” to my kids)…
My mother and aunt are retired as well, living happily in Central AZ…
In 2019, I learned I was adopted. My real mother was the older sister of my mother and aunt. In addition to the 5 younger siblings I grew up with/ (who still, respectfully, address me as “Big Bro 😎”, and my nephews and nieces who still also respectfully call me “Uncle Euggy”💚💛💙), I also have an older sister as well as two younger half-brothers and two younger half-sisters💚💛💙.
So, my Dear Brother George, let us remember THIS song 🎶, and what it represents:
Citius (Faster)…
Altius (Higher)…
Fortius (Stronger)…
In short, you might lose some things REACHing for your dream(s), but if you don’t give up, and persevere, you WILL grab that special something worth FAR MORE than a gold, silver, or bronze 🥇🥈🥉…
As we used to say @ my old alma mater:
FIGHT ON…
FIGHT HARD…
&…as Judas Priest would put it…
ROCK HARD and RIDE FREE…
🫶🏻🙌👍🏻✊🏻✌️🤘🏻💪🏻🙏💚💛💙
@cidianagonzatto6293
Essa canção foi escolhida novamente para as olimpíadas de Paris na França ano que vem ... É linda mesmo
@adrianocosta5200
Pra mim, depois de de Koreana - Hand in Hand, das Olimpíadas de Seul 1988 é a melhor.
@valquiriamello5334
Maravilhosa!❤
@aliciak1959
Gloria Estefan deserved it!
@leilaraquelcastrodasneves1629
Como você sabe disso ? Essa foi a melhor das olimpíadas que eu acompanhei , Atlanta 1996.
@aliciak1959
@@adrianocosta5200One moment in time- Whitney Elizabeth Houston.
@gbacrila
This song iis still killing it in 2023!!
@jasonlandy3491
I had the great opportunity to attend the Olympics with my family in 96’! REACH!
@RhaegarTargaryen1st
"Reach" and "One Moment In Time" are the greatest Olympic songs ever! They both encapsulate the spirit of hard work, self belief, perseverance and ultimately triumph that the Olympics are all about.
@gloriajohnson3206
This song still killing it in 2021.... Well done Gloria Estefan