Gloria Estefan: Get on Your Feet

Picture this. It's the eighties. The music is bumping from the beaches of La to South Beach. The kids are blasting music on their boomboxes.

I see the mihita wearing bandana's short shorts, no shirt, all those sweaty bansitas.

Oh yo, exactly beautiful sun kissed people roller skating with walkman's in their hands, moving their bodies to songs like let It Loose, Give It Up, and.

The ragm is gonna get you, The rhythm is gonna get you, the rythm is gonna get you.

To night Dun Dun.

I feel like we sound just like them.

I mean seriously.

I'm your host, Lilianavoscaz.

And I'm Joseph Carrio And this is Becoming an Icon.

A weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on how today's most famous latinx have shaped pop culture.

And given the world some extra level.

Sit back and get comfortable.

Because we are going in the only way we know how, with buenos buenas, visas.

And a lot of opinions, as we relive their greatest achievements on our journey to find out what makes them so iconic. The Miami Sound Machine returned to the studio in early nineteen eighty seven with Jorge George Gasas on bass, keyboardist Clay Oswald, and guitarist John Defadia. Kika Garcia was the only remaining core member. Now that Gloria Stefan was given top billing.

Henny, she hypnotized the fans I mean, the band's name was changed to Gloria Es Stefan and the Miami Sound Machine.

To capitalize on that ass.

The album Let It Loose went multi platinum, with three million copies sold in the US alone. The songs Can't Stay Away from You, Anything for You, and one two three were all top charting singles on the Adult Contemporary.

Hits Adult Contemporary That's Giving leg Warmers, shoulder Pads, and perm Vibesa.

Don't Forget Success vibes Joseph because it also featured the song anything for You, that did reach number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred. This song was their very first number one hit.

Gloria and you know what, My Blue The rhythm did get.

To them, well, not all of them. Gloria had always spoken out against the Castro regime, and all that success gave her a big platform where people really listened to what she had to say about it, and the Cuban government, well, they weren't very happy about it. She was declared persona non grata out, but that did not stop her or her massive fame. In nineteen eighty nine, the group's name was changed one last time. Glodia Stefan was now on her own as a solo artist.

Hey listen, it happened to Selena justin Timberlake, Beyonce.

After the worldwide chart success of the single Anything for You, her Let It Loose album was repackaged as Anything for You, with only her name on it. The album included the hit singles Don't Want to Lose You, Oyamikanto, Here we Are, Cuts both Ways, and get on Your Feet. It was her best selling album to date, and with so many successful singles, she made writing look easy.

In both English and in Spanish. It was like she knew no boundaries and those curls on the cover of the album were to die for. They were hydrated and bouncy. It was like the Vo five commercials.

I love her with the curly hair. I think she looks so beautiful, it's so youthful, and I love that she wore her hair curly on the cover. Remember when Mariah did that. It was such a big deal, too, so good. Why was it such a big deal to wear curly hair back then? Like, who cares?

It just meant you were different and you can't be different.

I guess everybody wanted straight hair, and I'm like, no, let these curly divas shine. With the success of the album came a tour, and Glodia was on tour in Pennsylvania when on March twentieth, nineteen ninety, a near fatal accident almost stripped us and the rest of the world of her amazing voice. There was a snowstorm and as her bus hit the road that day, a semi truck crashed into them.

Stop it, it was Emilio there, No, he was not.

Emilio was returning from a meeting with President George Bush to discuss participation in an anti drugs campaign when he found out that his wife's tour bus had been in a major accident. She was critically injured with a fractured spine. She was flown by helicopter the following day York City, where she underwent surgery that included implanting two titanium rods.

My God, my body just aches imagining this. I know.

Thankfully she did make a complete recovery.

Okay, so hold on, what was happening to the Miami Sound Machine all this time? Were they like still a thing without Gladia?

Not quite. Emilil tried to create an offshoot Miami Sound Machine with a completely different lineup, but without Gloria's signature of vocals or any real connection to the original Miami Sound Machine musicians. The new project failed to chart in the United States.

I mean, what did he expect.

The lead singer is a lead singer period, Like Honey to the Bees, It's like this show.

I'm the Gloria, You're the sound machine.

But I love you though I know you do, and yes, my love, you are the Gloria. But now back to the real Gloria. It was the early nineties when a Stefan officially returned to the stage and to the charts. Ten months after her accident. She performed Coming Out of the Dark at the American Music Awards to a standing Oh.

Coming out of the Dark. Did she be coming out like the speed of light? Honey, that recovery?

You said it earlier.

She's Wolverine serious.

The fans were thrilled to have her back. Coming Out of the Dark reached number one in the US as a single, and the album went double platinum in the US one year after her recovery, as Stefan proved she was back by performing in the Super Bowl twenty six halftime.

Show like an icon.

Baby, It's the early nineties, nineteen ninety two to be precise. Gloria has just released Glodia Stefan's Greatest Hits, and the album includes the US hit ballads Always Tomorrow and I See You Smile, along with the international hit dance track go Away.

Nineteen ninety two, So big Hair, Bigger Hoops. The Cold War was officially over and Clinton is president. Like, what a time to be alive.

I was little in nineteen ninety two. I mean not just physically little. I was true physically little. I probably in the same size today that I was in nineteen ninety two.

No joke, you guys, lid to really, but I was little.

I was twelve and I was in middle school, and I definitely remember Gloria being the queen of pop in my house. Oh have that playing? Was that the soundtrack to your early nineties years?

You know?

I'll say this, my parents didn't really like They grew up with very different music, obviously, but I think at this time my brother was older, so he was listening to like Lisa Lobe and a little bit more like alternative stuff like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Lisa Lobe. Something was happening there because I wasn't listening to Gloria.

Then well, I think for me, I don't know that I would have chosen Glodia. It's just that I never had a choice. In the car, it was my mom. My mom was like, what's the adult contemporary channel? One oh two point one line? And so every time we got in the car, if we were listening to that

She's the one person that gave like English Latin.

I don't know if that's true, right, I'm just saying that for me, Like, she's the one person that it sounded like Spanish but it.

Was English, So whatever that means.

It's just like, you know, I can see that your mom would would go like that. I think even the music of the nineties she had such a big influence because like they sang music in English that sounded like Spanish.

How could you do that? Is what I'm saying, Like.

I think what you're getting at is that the soul of the song feels connected to you in your native language. Thank you, let me transfer.

All of my Yeah, those were all of my words for you, guys. That's what I meant to say.

What he meant is this, the soul of the song feels connected to him in his native language of Spanish. And I think that same thing applied to other first generation or immigrants that were enjoying Spanish music and all of a sudden found themselves in cars with their children listening to English music.

I love it because I wonder if they were, like, bet do I know Inglass?

Yeah?

They were probably know what I mean?

Well, I think a lot of people, if you think about singers, learn a new language by singing the songs, right, you can learn a new language by singing songs. My mom learned English by watching TV. So it was just an extension of that. And you brought up a really important part of the nineties that people have probably forgotten about.

Just another day.

I feel so bad that he last or wherever he is, John, we miss you. Do a revival song, do another day song.

And he, by the way, was just the first a long line of musicians that the Stephans would go on to help We've talked about that before with Shakira sitting down for writing sessions with her for Ricky Martin. So clearly this was something that was nay like, helping other Latino succeed in the US was something that was innate to them. It was natural. It's what they wanted to do.

There are good people out there. Yeah. Sicata had that smooth voice.

I remember giving me a reason, give me a reason because I I don't want.

To say or stay I don't really remember.

Whatever that was was beautiful. I'm sorry, where's Joseph is? Just the day?

Whatever? John sis Johnson?

That was amazing And I don't want you to come back to me. Stay exactly where you were and stay there. Because after helping John Sicata reach US fame, Gloria released her first Spanish language album, Meet Thiira as a solo artist. It was an instant hit. It peaked at number twenty seven on the Billboard Album Chart and number one on the Top Latin Albums chart in the US. The singles Mitthieira, the romantic tropical ballad Go and Me buen More all climbed to number one on the Hot Latin.

Tracks Chartgallon is one of the most romantic songs ever.

Don't you think it's beautiful?

Will you sing that? No? I will not.

I will spare our listeners the pain and I will not can be. And I also won't disrespect Clodia like that. Nobody wants to hear me saying except my son, and even then.

Take down, make look at you. I'm not going to go more because I can't sing like her. I'm just gonna say that one part. I mean, if someone dedicates this song to you, it's like your lovers from other lifetimes who.

Get to meet again. Don't you think it's like love love love.

It's like another type of love. It's like in another life, love bringing itself into the present. Like it's what her and Emelia have, It's what we all wish we had.

I want that.

The album went on to sell over eight million copies worldwide, and it went on to become multi platinum in Spain. And in the US, and it earned the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album.

And you forgot because she looks absolutely gorgeous with that twenties haired you.

It's vintage, it's classy, very Hollywood.

It's giving Maria Felix or the Lords Delrio such.

A good reference as Joseph Una Diva in the true sense of the word.

That's right.

You think Glodia would take a break given all her success, but she didn't stop working for a second. After Midiira, she released her first Christmas album.

This was the first album Emilio didn't produce, and you can tell. I mean it was good, but it's definitely not Latino at all, like zero, no Satasa, no spice, no cozy Latin vibes, and na this sena and it's.

What are cozy Latin vibes? How do I get that in my house?

You know? They just exist?

Oh my god, you're so funny. I love you, and yes, I agree with you. But This Christmas and Silent Night did go platinum in the US, So while it might not be your favorite Christmas album, but the singles This Christmas and Silent Night went platinum in the US, so it was liked by many. Did you know that almost every year in the nineties she released an.

Album Wait for Real? That's like five hundred and eighty six years.

She remade disco hits from her past. She did another Spanish album, I Mean this Woman didn't stop.

She made the official theme of the nineteen ninety six Atlanta Summer Olympics, Reach, which she would perform at the Summer Olympics closing ceremony. I mean, can we all agree you should become officially a Latin institution? Uh?

Yes, we are all in agreement for sure. And after the accident, it did take her five years to go back on the road, but her comeback was for the entire world to see. The Evolution World Tour covered the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia. Wow.

Before the decade ended, she had released twenty one records if we include the Miami Saw Machine ones.

This woman was all whack whack, whack, whack whack Why.

And just before the year two k she said goodbye to the century by performing at the Super Bowl thirty three halftime show. And yes, if you're keeping track, that was her second appearance.

This was a big deal. I mean she was on the world's biggest stage twice. Not one Latino can say that.

And just to give it some context for you guys. Before her, the Latinos who had made it to the halftime show were some performers from Up with the People in the seventies and eighties, and Jordan Knight who is Puerto Rican and of course a member of NKOTB. New Kids on the Block for all of you youngins.

Yes, exactly, new Kids on the Block. You still have the post strap, don't you. I do.

And before this there was no big Latino star that could have performed in the Super Bowl. Glordia paved the way for I don't want to say it, so I'm going to let you say.

It, the Latin Explosion.

Glodia Stephan was the first Latina to be at the center stage of the Super Bowl halftime show. Her reach to stardom paved the way for so many Latino musicians.

Henny, she brought up spice and made that road slay in. I mean to sing with the coolest boy band baby.

Bye Bye Bye.

That's right, I forgot. Glodia performed with in sync on the single Music of My Heart which is a song featured in the film Music of the Heart, in which she also appeared. This song peaked at number two on the Billboard chart and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Did you watch Music of the Heart, because I have to tell you I did not.

It's, first of all, it's Meryl Streep, so yes I have.

Oh that would change my mind.

Though, yes, well it's a big deal. I mean, if you're acting next to Meryl Streep, I don't know that it matters what I think of your acting skills because Meryll co signed you being in this film, so it's her debut film as an actress, which is a big deal. Again, like, if you're sharing the screen with Meryl Streep, I'm having so much imposter syndrome. But Gloria actually is really good in it. I mean, Meryl got an Oscar nomination for it, and Glodia got a nomination for a song in it.

When it's also Gloria. I'll say this, she has been performing, like not that you're an actor in a singer, but she's been performing for a very long time that I imagine she's able to go into a character, is what I'll say that, not that this came easy, but for her to be next to Meryl Streep, did it feel to you? Did it look like she was acting or were you like WHOA? I kind of believe this.

I felt like she was acting. But I think it's hard to be on screen next to Meryl. And by the way, it's also like Angela Bassett. I mean, it's there's a lot of really good people in this film. But I will say good for her, and by the way, I love her and Father of the Bride.

Too, So I did see that one.

It's very good. It's so I love her as an actress. I say, go for it, Glodia, do all of those things. I don't want to put people in a box. I'm not putting her in a box. You go out and do whatever makes your heart happy, and her success would continue. In twenty eleven, she released a song produced by Pharrell Williams.

Can talk about being musically pluri potential, pop checked, belcanto, done, jazz a.

You got it, Oh, and of course don't forget acting, Joseph. She also gave her voice to a song in the Lynn Manuel Miranda movie Vivo and made cameos on Fraser Niptuck Lee. And lastly, let's talk about our favorite Glodia movie, Father of the Bride with Andy Garcia.

Really and like, is that all?

It's Gloria. We're not done yet. Funds have made themselves a household name, not only in music but everywhere. Glodia and Emilio aren't just about the music. They own restaurants, hotels.

I heard she even wrote children's books.

Oh yeah, that's right. She authored two children's books, The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noel the Bulldog and Noel's Treasure Tale. FYI, that last one is a New York Times bestseller.

She is a She also wrote a cookbook called Estefan Kitchen. Tell me how does she find time to do all of this? Is she everything everywhere all at once?

I love that movie. And she's an icon. Joseph, you know that sign or that meme that always says, like, even Beyonce has twenty four hours in a day, it doesn't matter. Those twenty four hours are exponentially better when you're Beyonce or when you're someone like Gloria. They just never stop. Simply put, she's an icon. Joseph of I know it. You know it, our listeners know it. Even

Basically, she is topped everything like what's missing?

Not a lot. But this year I will say she also took another top honor and became the first Latina inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. So as for what's next for Santa Glodia, well that's a whole other episode.

On the next Becoming an Icon.

Join us along with our very special guest to chat more about the legacy of Gloria and Emilio Stefan, not just in music, but also in our kamuni that Becoming an Icon is presented by Sonoo and Iheart's Michael Duda podcast network. Listen to Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast