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Gloria Estefan
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Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan (born Gloria Fajardo in Havana, Cuba, in 1957) is one of the biggest Latin pop stars of all time. She joined future husband Emilio Estefan's Miami Latin Boys in 1975. Renamed the Miami Sound Machine, the band began releasing Spanish-language albums that fused pop, disco and salsa on CBS International. They first crossed over to the English-language market with the single "Dr. Beat," which topped the European dance charts in 1984. The English-language Primitive Love, released the following year, featured three hit singles, "Conga," "Bad Boy" and "Words Get in the Way." In 1988 the group changed its name to Gloria Estefan & the Miami Sound Machine for the album Let It Loose, which had four Top 10 hits, including "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" and "1-2-3."
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International superstar Gloria Estefan is one of the most successful crossover artists in the world. Among her many honors, she was the first Hispanic woman to be named BMI songwriter of the year, was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and is an American Music Award Lifetime Achievement recipient. She was ... awarded the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor for her philanthropic work. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog. Gloria lives with her son Nayib, daughter Emily, and husband Emilio in Miami.
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Gloria Estefan (still Farjada) had no idea she was only a few years from making history. 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.
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Initially considered a Latin version of Madonna, Gloria Estefan developed from a dance diva into a respected songstress. With her husband on keyboards and in the producer's seat, Estefan's band Miami Sound Machine evolved from a wedding band to a veritable hit machine in the 1980s, composing accessible dance tunes that fused Disco with Salsa. "Conga" and "Rhythm is Gonna Get You" were chart-topping dance anthems rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythms that foreshadowed the tropical music explosion. In 1993 she released a Spanish language record, "Mi Tierra (My Land)," which was a mix of nostalgic ballads and contemporary Salsa. Singing in her mother tongue, Estefan's voice reached a new level of sophistication and highlighted her formidable range. Featuring a guest appearance by Celia Cruz on "Alma Caribena (Latin Soul)" (2000), Estefan wholeheartedly embraces her Cuban heritage with superb arrangements.
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Gloria Estefan's family fled Cuba for Miami in 1959. She began her singing career in 1975 with the group Miami Sound Machine, and four years later married the group's keyboardist, Emilio Estefan. After several Spanish-language albums the group began releasing material in English, their breakthrough album coming in 1985 with Primitive Love. Estefan went solo with even greater success; with Emilio Estefan as her producer and promoter, she became for a time America's leading Latin recording artist. Her career was interrupted in 1990 when she was seriously injured in a car accident. She bounced back, winning a 1993 Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album.
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Gloria Estefan was born September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba as Gloria Fajardo. Estefan was raised primarily by her father in Miami where she auditioned to be a singer for a local wedding band. She was added to the band and the name changed to the Miami Sound Machine and Estefan married the keyboardist Emilio Estefan. Their first English album was a success and gave them hits like "Conga" in 1985. The success of The Miami Sound Machine continued into the '90s and Estefan is back to do it again. Get your tickets today to see Gloria Estefan live.
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Gloria Estefan