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
Te Tengo A Ti
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que podria tener ilusions
De que vale amar si siempre al final
Solo quedan dolores
Largas noches pase sin nunca tener
Quien me consuele
Mi destino cambio cuando a ti te encontre
why es que llegaste tu entre las nubes negras
Ya no siento dolor, rompiste las cadenzas que me
Ataban con temor
Conmtaste mi condena
Casi pierdo la esperanza
Es que el abismo donde cai era tan grande
Senti ahogarme
Inalcanzable
A la deriva en un mar de seres
Todos iguales, inconsolable
why es llegaste tu entre las nubes negras
Ya no siento dolor, rompiste las
Cadenas que me
Ataban con temor
Conmutaste mi condena
Si te tengo a ti
Puedo sentir bellas emociones
Eres un rayo de luna
Tu amor es cura
Tu amor me llena
Coro:
Te tengo a ti
No hay miedo en mi
Mientras tu estes cerca
Eres un rayo de luna
Tu amor es cura
Tu amor me llega
Si, te tengo, yo te llevo
Si, te tengo, yo te llevo
Ay amor, ay amor
Si te tengo a ti
(Coro)
Te tengo a ti, te tengo a ti
Del cielo cayo una rosa
Te tengo a ti
Pintadita de colores
Te tengo ti
En el centro ella decia
Te tengo a ti
Que el amor de mis amores
Si, te tengo, yo te llevo muy dentro de mi
Te tengo a ti
Translation:
I retired my heart
And never thought
I could once again dream
What good is it to love
When in the end
All that's left is pain
Long nights passed
Without anyone to console me
My destiny changed when I found you
I learned from my mistakes
It's because you came
Right out of my gray skies
That I no longer feel pain
You broke the chains of fear
That held me down
You commuted my sentence
I had almost lost all hope
Because the abyss I had fallen into was so great
I felt I was drowning
Happiness was unattainable
Lost in a sea of beings
Everyone the same, inconsolable
It's because you came
Right out of my gray skies
That I no longer feel pain
You broke the chains of fear
That held me down
You commuted my sentence
If I have you
I can feel beautiful emotions
You are the light of the moon
Your love heals me
Your love fills me
Chorus:
I have you
I am not afraid if you are near me
You are the light of the moon
Your love heals me
Your love reaches me
(Yes, I have you, I take you with me)
(Yes, I have you, I take you with me)
(Oh my love, oh my love)
If I have you
(Chorus)
(I have you, I have you)
A rose fell from the sky
(I have you)
Painted in different colors
(I have you)
In it's heart is said
You are the love of my life
(Yes, I have you
And I take you deep inside me)
I have you
The lyrics of "Te Tengo A Ti" by Gloria Estefan express the idea that sometimes love can be painful and it can feel like there is no hope. However, the song's protagonist states that their life changed when they met the person they now have in their life. They were able to learn from their mistakes and break free from the chains of fear that had previously held them down. The person they now have in their life has given them hope and has taught them to feel beautiful emotions. The chorus repeats the phrase "te tengo a ti," which means "I have you." It emphasizes the importance and significance of the person they have in their life, and how their presence brings comfort and joy.
The lyrics are very emotional and express both sadness and hope. The song talks about the power of love and the effect it can have on a person's life. It highlights the idea that love can heal emotional wounds and that having someone to rely on can make all the difference. The imagery used in the song, such as "long nights" and "gray skies," emphasizes the feeling of sadness and hopelessness that can come with heartbreak. However, the singer also talks about their newfound happiness and the positive impact the person in their life has had on them.
Line by Line Meaning
Mi corazon retire why nunca pense
I withdrew my heart and never thought
Que podria tener ilusions
That I could dream again
De que vale amar si siempre al final
What good is love if in the end
Solo quedan dolores
All that's left is pain
Largas noches pase sin nunca tener
I spent many long nights without ever having
Quien me consuele
Anyone to console me
Mi destino cambio cuando a ti te encontre
My destiny changed when I found you
Aprendi de mis errores
I learned from my mistakes
Porque llegaste tu entre las nubes negras
It's because you came right out of my gray skies
Ya no siento dolor, rompiste las cadenzas que me
That I no longer feel pain, you broke the chains of fear that held me down
Ataban con temor
And commuted my sentence
Casi pierdo la esperanza
I had almost lost all hope
Es que el abismo donde cai era tan grande
Because the abyss I had fallen into was so great
Senti ahogarme
I felt like I was drowning
Inalcanzable
Happiness was unattainable
A la deriva en un mar de seres
Lost in a sea of beings
Todos iguales, inconsolable
Everyone the same, inconsolable
Si te tengo a ti
If I have you
Puedo sentir bellas emociones
I can feel beautiful emotions
Eres un rayo de luna
You are the light of the moon
Tu amor es cura
Your love heals me
Tu amor me llena
Your love fills me
Te tengo a ti
I have you
No hay miedo en mi
I am not afraid if you are near me
Conmtaste mi condena
You commuted my sentence
(Yes, I have you, I take you with me)
(Yes, I have you, I take you with me)
(Oh my love, oh my love)
(Oh my love, oh my love)
Del cielo cayo una rosa
A rose fell from the sky
Pintadita de colores
Painted in different colors
En el centro ella decia
In its heart, it said that
Que el amor de mis amores
You are the love of my life
(Yes, I have you and I take you deep inside me)
(Yes, I have you and I take you deep inside me)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMILIO JR. ESTEFAN, ROBERT BLADES, GEORGE R. NORIEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind