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
The Day You Say You Love Me
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caressing my day dreams
You're here by my side
I feel life smile above me
Whenever your sweet eyes
Can look into mine
And it's my consolation
Like music sublime
There's no way of concealing
Every thought, every feeling
The day you say you love me
The most beautiful of roses
Will bloom in every garden
Of a color never seen
And from the highest steeple
The bells will sing our love song
And make the eager fountain
Spill over with our love
The night you say you love me
The skies above will listen
The jealous stars will longing
Will see us passing by
A playful ray of moonlight
Will dance along of pleasure
While witnessing this moment of our lives
We will always treasure
A playful ray of moonlight
Will dance along of pleasure
While witnessing this moment of our lives
We will always treasure
The lyrics of Gloria Estefan's song The Day You Say You Love Me talks about the joy and happiness that comes from being loved by someone special. The opening lines paint a picture of tenderness as the singer describes the gentle sighs and caresses of the person she loves, which makes her daydreams come alive. The joy of having this person by her side is overwhelming, and she feels like life itself is smiling down on her, especially when she looks into their sweet eyes.
The chorus of the song talks about the day when the person finally says "I love you," and how this will result in a beautiful bloom of roses in every garden, of a color that has never been seen before. This signifies the rare and unique love that they share. The bells will ring out a love song, and fountains will spill over with their love, signifying the overflowing joy and abundance of their love. The night when the person finally says they love her is described as a moment of glory where the skies and the stars listen to their love and even the jealous stars long to be part of their love story.
In conclusion, The Day You Say You Love Me is a beautiful love song that describes the depth of feelings that come with being loved by someone special. The lyrics are filled with tender moments, and the anticipation of the day when the person finally expresses their love is palpable. The song highlights the beautiful moments that come with love, and the promises of an even more beautiful future for the couple in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Tender sighs like a whisper
Soft, gentle sounds resembling a hushed voice
Caressing my day dreams
Nurturing my hopes and wishes
You're here by my side
You are present with me
I feel life smile above me
I sense joy and happiness surrounding me
Whenever your sweet eyes
Every time your kind gaze
Can look into mine
Meets my own eyes
And it's my consolation
It is my source of comfort
The sound of your laughter
The beautiful noise you make when you're happy
Like music sublime
A beautiful and elevated form of art
There's no way of concealing
It is impossible to hide
Every thought, every feeling
All my emotions and ideas
The day you say you love me
The moment you express your affection for me
The most beautiful of roses
An exceedingly gorgeous flower
Will bloom in every garden
It will grow in all places
Of a color never seen
A hue that has yet to be observed
And from the highest steeple
Atop the greatest tower
The bells will sing our love song
Chiming to the tune of our romance
And make the eager fountain
Exciting the lively water feature
Spill over with our love
Filled with our adoration
The night you say you love me
The evening you declare your love for me
The skies above will listen
The heavens above will hear
The jealous stars will longing
The envious stars will yearn
Will see us passing by
Witness us walking together
A playful ray of moonlight
A lively beam of moon's light
Will dance along in pleasure
Swirling with delight and joy
While witnessing this moment of our lives
At the time we experience this event
We will always treasure
We will forever cherish
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARLOS GARDEL, ALFREDO LE PERA, M ESTEFAN GLORIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind