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
Show Me The Way Back To Your Heart
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had you in my life, I had you here to hold
And I remember love warm as a summer day
But I lost you and I lost my way
Now I'm in the rain begging you please, please
Baby, won't you show me the way back to your heart?
Let me see a sign to know if I'm close or far
To your arms
(Lead me back)
Every night another lonely street I walk down alone
Searching for a light, your light to lead me home
(Lead me home)
Leave a candle in the window and let it shine for me
Take my hand and take these tears away
I can't take the pain, I'm on my knees, please
Baby, won't you show me the way back to your heart?
Let me see a sign (sign, sign), to know if I'm close or far
Lead me back to the road that leads back to your arms
To your arms
Take my hand and take me in your arms
I'm out in the dark
Down on my knees, please
Show me the way back to your heart
Let me see a sign (sign), to know if I'm close or far
Lead me back to the road that leads back to your arms
To your arms, to your arms
Gloria Estefan's song, Show Me The Way Back To Your Heart, is all about the singer's longing to be reunited with a lost love. The lyrics are filled with sorrow, regret, and a deep desire to be back in the arms of the person she loves.
The first verse talks about the memories of a beautiful and warm love that Gloria once shared with her significant other. However, she lost her way, and now all she can do is beg for the person to take her back. She's lost and alone, and the rain is the only thing she has left.
The chorus is a plea for her lover to show her the way back to his heart. She wants to know if she's close or far away and is willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. The second verse talks about how she's walking down lonely streets, searching for a sign or a light to lead her back home. She's asking him to leave a candle in the window to guide her way.
Overall, the song is deeply emotional and conveys the pain of losing someone you love. The lyrics paint a picture of a desperate Gloria Estefan, lost without her loved one and willing to do whatever it takes to be reunited with them.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember days, nights were never cold
I recall moments when I was with you and the nights were never uncomfortable because you were there to comfort me.
I had you in my life, I had you here to hold
I had you close to me and I could physically feel you in my arms when I was lonely.
And I remember love warm as a summer day
I have memories of our love that was as warm and comforting as a summer day.
But I lost you and I lost my way
I lost you from my life and as a result, I lost direction and purpose in my life.
Now I'm in the rain begging you please, please
I am currently in a difficult and challenging situation, and I am pleading for your help and guidance.
Baby, won't you show me the way back to your heart?
I am requesting that you help me regain access to your heart and the love and comfort it provides.
Let me see a sign to know if I'm close or far
I need some indication from you to understand if I am near or far from accessing your heart and love once again.
Lead me back to the road that leads back to your arms
Guide me back to the path that leads me to your open arms and unseen embrace.
Every night another lonely street I walk down alone
Every night, I find myself walking down empty streets, with no one to keep me company or provide any kind of companionship.
Searching for a light, your light to lead me home
I am searching for a light, specifically yours, to help lead me out of darkness and back into your comforting embrace.
Leave a candle in the window and let it shine for me
If you could leave a candle in your window, it would guide me to you and provide the light I need to find my way home.
Take my hand and take these tears away
If you could take my hand and provide emotional support, it would ease my pain and help me to stop crying.
I can't take the pain, I'm on my knees, please
I am overwhelmed by the emotional pain and stress, and I am expressing my desperation to escape it.
Take me in your arms, I'm out in the dark
Comfort me and offer me shelter from the emotional darkness and despair that I am currently experiencing.
Show me the way back to your heart
Provide me with guidance and support to help me find my way back into your heart and the love you once gave me.
Let me see a sign (sign), to know if I'm close or far
Give me a clear signal to understand whether or not I am getting closer to accessing your love and comfort.
Lead me back to the road that leads back to your arms
Help me find the way back to you and the physical and emotional comfort of your embrace.
To your arms, to your arms
The only thing I desire is to be held and loved by you once again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Realsongs
Written by: Diane Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind