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
Traces
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Covered now with lines and creases
Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces
Traces of love long ago that didn't work out right
Traces of love
Things we used to share
Souvenirs of days together
Pages from an old love letter
Traces of a love long ago that didn't work out right
Traces of love with me tonight
I close my eyes and say a prayer
That in his heart he'll find a trace of love still there,
Somewhere
Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry
These traces of tears from my eyes
Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry
These traces of tears from my eyes
FROM HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME
In Gloria Estefan’s Traces, the singer takes us on a nostalgic journey of a love that didn't work out. The first stanza starts with a faded photograph covered with lines and creases that represents how the once-perfect relationship has turned into a distant memory. The second line says tickets are torn in half, which signifies how the love that used to be adventurous and fun has now fallen apart. Memories of love are now just bits and pieces, and only traces remain of what was once a beautiful love affair.
The second stanza starts with memories of the things both lovers used to share, like souvenirs from the past that now bring back memories. The ring that one party wore now symbolizes the end of love, and the old love letter pages are the only memories left. These small remnants of the past create a sense of frustration, disappointment, and regret.
The third and final stanza mentions the singer closing her eyes and saying a prayer, hoping that in the heart of the lover, he'll find a trace of love still there, which provides some hope. The last line repeats the traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry these traces of tears from her eyes, which gives a sense of emotional completion.
Line by Line Meaning
Faded photograph
An old picture that has lost its color and brightness over time
Covered now with lines and creases
The photo is now marked with wrinkles or folds, possibly due to handling over time
Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces
Pieces of memories, such as tickets, have been broken and destroyed, making it harder to remember and piece together the past
Traces of love long ago that didn't work out right
Small remnants of a past romantic relationship that did not end well
Traces of love
Remnants of affection and past intimacy
Things we used to share
Things or experiences that were once shared between two people
Souvenirs of days together
Memorabilia from the past, reminding someone of the time they spent with another person
The ring he used to wear
A symbol of commitment or love that someone once wore but no longer has
Pages from an old love letter
Written messages that once expressed deep feelings between two people
Traces of a love long ago that didn't work out right
Small fragments from a past relationship that was unsuccessful
Traces of love with me tonight
Memories of love lingering with someone currently
I close my eyes and say a prayer
Taking a moment to reflect on the past and hoping for a better future
That in his heart he'll find a trace of love still there, Somewhere
Expressing a desire that the other person still harbors feelings and love for them
Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry These traces of tears from my eyes
A glimmer of hope that the person they still love will come back and help heal their emotions and mend their heartbreak
Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry These traces of tears from my eyes
A recurring thought that the person they love may return to comfort them and alleviate their sadness
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Buddy Buie, Emory Gordy, Emory Lee Gordy, J Cobb, J R Cobb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind