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
Say Ay
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say ay, ay
No quiero que me digas
Que no tienes lo que estoy pidiéndote
Dámelo por favor y sabes bien
Lo loca que me estás volviendo
Eres casi una adicción
What the hell is going on
What's been takin' so long
That's the reason for this song
I'm here, we're gonna get it on
Well if you like this feelin'
And you're ready and willin'
I'll turn it up but it's your call
Sé que te sobran las ganas
No dejes para mañana
To watch the sweat drip down the walls
What the hell is going on
What's been takin' so long
That's the reason for this song
I'm here we're gonna get it on
Say ay, ay
Say ay, ay
Best describes emotion
No need to finish the sentence
To sexually hint it, you say ay
Si es muy directo lo siento
Me gustas, no me arrepiento
Y sé que nunca va a cambiar
Ya no perdamos el tiempo
Ay que vivir el momento
Quien sabe lo que va pasar
What the hell is going on
What's been takin' so long
That's the reason for this song
I'm here we're gonna get it on
No voy a darte presiones
No quiero complicaciones
Solo esta noche aprovechar
Acabar on the floor,
Agotada, gimme more, ponerte a sudar
What the hell is going on
What's been takin' so long
That's the reason for this song
I'm here we're gonna get it on
Say ay, ay
Say ay, ay
Best describes emotion
No need to finish the sentence
To sexually hint it, we say ay,
We say ay, ay
We say ay, ay
Best describes emotion
No need to finish the sentence
To sexually hint it, we say ay
We say ay, ay, ay
Gloria Estefan's "Say Ay" is a seductive and playful tune that captivates listeners with catchy beat, energetic rhythm, and catchy lyrics. The song highlights how one partner's sexual desire can overpower the other person, leaving them with no choice but to give in to the fascination. The singer is requesting her lover to fulfil her desires and claiming how they are becoming an addiction to her.
The song's chorus is the most memorable part, with the repetition of the phrase "Say Ay." It implies that they do not need to express themselves directly, but their feelings are obvious through the use of such phrases that make the song more sensual and provocative.
In the second verse, the singer conveys her sense of urgency and sets the mood for the rest of the song. She makes it clear that all she expects from her lover is to enjoy the night with her. The artist sings of the chemical reactions that occur when two people are attracted to each other and how it is essential to seize the moment since no one can predict the future.
Overall, the song's message is about the importance of making yourself vulnerable when dealing with matters of the heart. The lyrics and melody of "Say Ay" create an electric atmosphere that draws the listener's attention and awakens the romantic in them.
Line by Line Meaning
Say ay, ay
Best describes emotion. No need to finish the sentence. To sexually hint it, you say ay.
Say ay, ay
Best describes emotion. No need to finish the sentence. To sexually hint it, we say ay.
No quiero que me digas
Que no tienes lo que estoy pidiéndote
Dámelo por favor y sabes bien
Lo loca que me estás volviendo
Eres casi una adicción
I don't want you to tell me that you don't have what I'm asking for. Please give it to me and you know how crazy you're making me. You are almost an addiction.
What the hell is going on
What's been takin' so long
That's the reason for this song
I'm here, we're gonna get it on
What's happening? Why is it taking so long? That's why I'm here, to get it on with you.
Well if you like this feelin'
And you're ready and willin'
I'll turn it up but it's your call
Sé que te sobran las ganas
No dejes para mañana
To watch the sweat drip down the walls
If you like this feeling and you're ready and willing, I will turn it up but you're in control. I know you have the desire, don't leave it for tomorrow. Let's go until we sweat and see the sweat drip down the walls.
Si es muy directo lo siento
Me gustas, no me arrepiento
Y sé que nunca va a cambiar
Ya no perdamos el tiempo
Ay que vivir el momento
Quien sabe lo que va pasar
I'm sorry if it's too direct. I like you, and I don't regret it. And I know it's never going to change. Let's not waste any more time. We have to live in the moment. Who knows what will happen.
No voy a darte presiones
No quiero complicaciones
Solo esta noche aprovechar
Acabar on the floor,
Agotada, gimme more, ponerte a sudar
I'm not going to pressure you. I don't want any complications. Let's just take advantage of tonight. End up on the floor, exhausted, give me more, make you sweat.
We say ay, ay
We say ay, ay
Best describes emotion
No need to finish the sentence
To sexually hint it, we say ay
Best describes emotion. No need to finish the sentence. To sexually hint it, we say ay.
Say ay, ay
Say ay, ay
Best describes emotion
No need to finish the sentence
To sexually hint it, we say ay
Best describes emotion. No need to finish the sentence. To sexually hint it, you say ay.
We say ay, ay, ay
Best describes emotion. No need to finish the sentence. To sexually hint it, we say ay.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GLORIA M. ESTEFAN, PHARRELL L. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind