Gloria Estefan...Returns to Her Raices

This is, he said, ayad ho with Eric Winter and Rodlin Fantas.

Hello, Hello, everybody, Welcome to another episode of he said, jib, how are you.

I'm doing good.

I'm doing good. We have an exciting guest today. I'm very pumped. A friend of yours, actually a legend.

It's amazing. I am so happy.

Guys, we have the one and only Gloria is Stephan I've been a fan, I'm a colleague, I'm a friend, a lover. I think she is such a solid human being, as well as her husband Emilio.

I adore.

The whole family is just next level and incredibly talented and what a what a testament of success and discipline and working hard to accomplish dreams.

They own Miami, the music industries.

People who have revolutionized in industry. Yes, I'm so excited. She They're lovely people and good people, good people, Gloria. I'm with us, So let's bring her in.

So Gloria, oh my goodness, let me tell you something. You are And I'm not kidding, You're going to tell you this. You're one of my idols, one of the people that I study your career, your personal life, and I just go Oh my god.

She's not a stocker.

It's not a stock a stalker. You know, I love you and you know it serve. You serve as an inspiration for.

People like us.

You know, we've been doing this for a long time as well. We've been together for a long time. It's going to be twenty years now, and you just seeing you thrive and still doing it hard and with passion and doing so well while maintaining a fabulous, beautiful personal life.

It's thank you, Thank you for that.

Thank you.

And Dido, by the way, I'm a huge fan, as I've told you, and twenty years there is nothing to sneeze at.

That's phenomenal.

Thank you.

So we feel blessed. I mean, you know, I don't. I'm not out there all the time.

I really have the luxury of picking my projects. Sometimes it all converges, just like when it rains, it pours. But unless I'm really excited about a project, I'm not going to go into the studio unless I have something to say or want to share something in the last original song I did was during COVID that I did Kwandoy a Moore that was on the Brazil three five album All the other ones were like Brazilian versions of

And likewise, now with it, I he says. I wasn't planning it.

I was working for the last three years with my daughter on the musical that's an original musical that I'm super excited about. And Emilio comes to me with a song like a couple of years ago, and he goes, babe ata consiln you know, I really I wrote it supposedly for this artist that I'm doing this album, but this song has to be for you, and I go, way, but I'm not doing an album.

Let me hear it.

I go, oh my god, this song is like off the charts. And I said, well, look, I can't divert because I have to focus on one thing. He does fifty things at once. He's got add and he's.

Good at all.

But I said, if if you wait, he goes, do you trust me? I go, of course, I trust you. He goes, would you let me write this album for you? I go go to it.

Wow, that's what I was kind of going to ask you. I was going to ask you about that because to me, you're you and Amelia. It's like you set the bar for working couples that work together, build together, make magic together. And I was curious in a situation like that, And it sounds like in this he came to you with this idea and said, hey, what do you think? Throughout the years, has it always been sort of a back and forth? Sometimes you're the one that going to him saying, hey,

It does, it doesn't. It's a mutual thing.

Like Yeah, for example, when we did, he came started feeding me all these songs and they were phenomenal. It's like a really autobiographical our love story. I did write one song for my grandson, but I didn't I hadn't written it for this album. I had written it in English a while back because I missed him and he had just been with me and he left and it all poured out, and then I told him I want to write it in Spanish to include on this album and do this really.

Old Cuban rhythm with it.

And then when when we were going to do the videos, I directed both videos and I told him I have this idea that I want to do. What do you think of this? And he goes, good luck of you can get that done. I wanted to shoot it at the place where my mother and I lived when we first got to Miami.

Wow, And it looked.

Exactly the same. And he said, are you sure you're going to be I go, I'm going to get it done. You watch.

So he was very supportive of that, but at the beginning it was going, I don't think you're going to be able to pull it off.

A go just watch me, just watch.

Me, watch me.

Wow.

So this is the celebration of fifty years in the industry, which is unbelievable, and other accolades that you have gotten throughout the year. Would you say that rasis because it came like that. You know, it was spontaneous, it was organic. You were at a place that you were not even thinking about an album, and then it clicked and it all made sense. Do you think this one would be? And I know they're all special, they're all like delivering babies.

It's absolutely full circle.

And by the way, Emilia didn't even realize that it was my fiftieth year. When it comes to me with this idea and we're finally doing the album, and I go, babe, do you realize I joined your band in nineteen seventy five. This is my fiftieth year doing this. He goes, no, it can't be. I go do the math Wow with her fiftieth year. And then that's when you start thinking about it. It wasn't like I thought, oh, let's do this extravaganza for my fiftieth year. No, it just turned

Will be It's full circle.

I told him when he brought the song, I go, you know what, if I do another album, I want it all to be tropical and I wanted.

To be in Spanish and this is the world.

I got a taste of it Doingclorail, which we won a Grammy for, and she won her first Grammy. O Wo a song by Celia Cruz, who I loved and adored and was my idol and my like just like that North Star in so many ways.

Her relationship with Pedro. You know, she was on stage and she was aged list up there.

She was the most humble and professional and warm human being. I'd get notes from her on every special occasion it was, and I saw it as a sign when Sheila text me in the middle of the night, Sister, I want you to join me. I'm doing a Sunsa jazz album and I want to do Bemba Golora and Mimi Suka and you and me and I go, Bemba Golora, I go.

I'm there. You know, she's been there for me so much.

She's beautiful.

You know.

I was listening to Raise as the single and it's such a positive, uplifting the message. You know, the lyrics are just just beautiful, and I was I've been listening to it over and over. I love the musicality. I think the arrangement is incredible, the production, the lyrics, your performance.

I love it.

And it's interesting because it mixes like two worlds. It's like musically it has like this, all these different components and I'm listening to it and I'm thinking this song will become like an Them marc Antonia. Besides musically, it's it's incredible. It's a it's a very specific positive message. And this one you know, but not what I say.

Sense to them and you.

I will have to translate it to you because you you would understand that. But it is beautifully written, Eric, and it's just the one thing that you if you, if you would listen to every single morning, it will reset your mind and your day.

We wanted to remind people because you know, we forget about the simple things that are just so beautiful. You know, sometimes there's so much anxiety and depression going on. That's why the one line where it says, look to the sky, open up your heart, you know, because the stars are always gonna shine every night. They're gonna be there, you know,

But his joy isn't magical, it's joyful.

How was it doing the video with the whole family? I understand was the first time, right the entire family had been together on screen doing something so meaningful like that. Was that just to me? I can't imagine. It means everything when you see your whole life and career come together.

In one well.

My family is actually in both videos in a certain way. In first video of Races, I wanted to go to some place that's like the most deeply rooted place in Miami Fairchalk Garden. It's been there for over one hundred years. It's got trees from both Cuba from here. I'm a virgo. I need nature. I'm happiest there. So I was kind of mirroring life as a journey. I'm barefoot in the video. The fashion was just about being a part. The green

And then I have my family through the years, all.

These old videos, some pictures that I brought to life because I wanted also to touch the fact that we're in twenty twenty five. So I used AI to bring to life a picture of my mom and dad in Cuba where they literally waved me on to my journey. And when that came to life, it was like I was reclemped. I was going, oh my god. It really affected me. And there's little things like that. I brought to life. A picture of my grandmother holding my son.

She smiles.

A picture of Emilio and me both just like a cowboy and a cowgirl, him in Cuba, me here, and they hug in the they cross the frames and hug. So we were trying to do it in a very slight way, because you know, you gotta be careful with that kind of thing, but it's about.

That journey, so they're all in there.

And then at the end it's a photo album where all the pictures are falling on it from everybody from our great grandparents down to the last one, which is my grandson Sasha. In Lavesina video, where we shot at the place where I first lived with my mom, I played three characters. There's Lavesina sitting in the launchair. I have a picture of my mother sitting in a launchair in front of that apartment with me in her lap,

So that's the church lady. I call her more my mom.

And then at the end, we literally built a stage in the middle of the two apartments and it's my image now. So it's a place where I started, it's where I am now, and then my whole but now with my entire family revisiting this place where we started our lives. Here these little apartments that were like the size of a closet.

And it was very emotional.

I was very I had all kinds of memories all day, good ones, bad ones. But it was important because looking back on fifty years and that was sixty five years ago when I was living in that place, to have it be exactly the same and soon they're going to tear it down, so we kind of saved it for posterity. And it was really special to have my family there, to have my son say yes, because he never does anything.

It's like a hermit.

And when I told him the concept, he really dug it because he's in film and all that.

So he said, okay, Mom, I'll do it. I'll be there for you. So how beautiful Vin our grandson.

Yeah, when the kids of your kids and the grand kids of your kids, you know this generational treasure that they're going to have, you know, so they can look back and said, this is the video that grandma did.

Ah amazing.

And to have them there all day it was beautiful. I think that's the longest they've ever sat in one place because since they were at the end of the shot and then we had close ups, but they had to be there for a few hours and the stories from you know, them talking about their dad in shooting this thing, like you would tell them, okay, nobody, nobody look into the camera and the minute the camera would pass, why.

You wouldn't look. They have made so much fun of him.

Oh my god, Oh my god. I love it.

Let's now transition Gloria to the acting because I know you have this movie coming out. You voiced one of the characters in September.

Now it's live action as well.

It's like, okay, I didn't know that.

Okay, beautiful, And I know you've been acting for a while. You know, you've been doing it for many, many, many years, but you're coming and out. You know, like you said, you have the luxury to pick what resonates with you, and that's what you do.

But how important is acting to you? Is it as important as singing?

Or was just a byproduct of because you became Glory staff and now people call you like how important.

It is to you?

Well, first of all, I have nothing but respect for actors, and early on in my career, I'm a musician.

I'm a singer.

That is my soul, right, But when we started having to do videos, because at the beginning, we could record. You know, we did our albums. There was no videos. The worst the biggest thing you did was going on a TV show and performing. But now, all of a sudden, here comes the eighties, eighties.

And now, oh no, you're not done.

When you do the album, you have to do a frigging mini movie. So I really enjoyed that part of it, but I knew I was in no way ready. And when we were really climbing, they approached me to do the role that Julia Roberts ended up doing.

A Mystic Pizza. Okay, so they wanted me.

I didn't have to audition, but I knew I wasn't ready. I knew I wasn't ready.

I knew that the acting, I knew what it takes, and I wanted time to prepare.

I didn't want to divert from the music because I go, if I fail at the movies, it's going to screw up.

You know, everything kind of washes over your career. So I thought there'll be.

Other opportunities if it's meant to be. So I didn't do it, and I started whenever I could. I started, you know, I got an acting coach, I started actually working on it before I ever did anything, because I have nothing but respect for acting.

You know, it's you have to.

Let go of your ego, and then for somebody like me, it's a double whemming because you have to make them forget it's you. Of course, early you know you're not coming as a blank slate. But I love it. But I got a lot of things offered through the years that I turned down because it wasn't going to advance me as an actor. He was going to portray my culture in the typical, stereotypical way that we tend to get treated, and I thought, no, I don't want to

Is it?

He goes, you'll see and he goes the director wants to zoom with you. Because this was during COVID, he wants to zoom with you on Tuesday. Go he wants me to audition. He goes, no, no, he wants you for the role. I want you for the role. It's you or nobody.

I go, oh. And then when I get it and It's Father the Bride. I go, oh, so good, are you going to such a classic? How are you gonna?

But the script was fun, it was good, yes, and I thought, oh wow, I get a chance to play with my friends. And it was during COVID, so we were in a hard bubble wow doing that thing.

I enjoyed it so much. I loved it. I loved you guys. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you. I enjoyed doing it, you know.

And that's the best part when you get to a job, you know, there is basically you you have like a second family for a couple of months, you know, and you have to make the most out of it. And when you love the people that you work with, is it makes a huge difference, a huge different.

Fun because it's fun for you, It's not gonna be fun for the people watching you.

It's all about heart.

And talk to us a little bit about this one you have coming, Gabby's Dollhouse.

It's I wasn't as aware because my kids were already grown. But there's been a very, very successful children's series called Gabby's Dollhouse. They've had like nine seasons and little kids little they go crazy with It's this young girl that she talks.

She breaks the fourth wall.

She talks to her audience, and she has this magical dollhouse and these cat eers that when she presses it and does this little song, she becomes an animated character and is in the dollhouse playing with these little cats. They have one it's kind of like a Sinatra cat. They have Kki, like they each have their own little personality. So they were bringing this to the big screen and it's the original Gabby. I play her grandma who built her this dollhouse. So my house in the movie is insane.

It was. It was a blast. I love shooting A two.

Day Leila was amazing and Christen Wigg is in it, one of one of my favorites.

She's amazing well, that's gonna be fun. I can't wait to take the kids to see that. They're gonna love it. Dealing is gonna go gaga. He's gonna love it.

It's gonna be fun.

Basura.

I know this is probably an incredible because you're collaborating with Emily and doing music together.

Controversial name, but that's what we wanted. Okay. These literally in a nutshell.

These kids live and work from their families one of the largest landfills in Asuncion, Paraguay, Okay.

Years ago.

They're the number four soy producers in the world, and a lot of people got pushed out of their family farms for sord production.

The people they could found homes in the city.

The people they couldn't had to find a place to live, and they created these bangneros which are around the city. This vannetros called Katua, and what used to be a beautiful lake years and years ago has now become one of the largest mountains of trash in the Southern Hemisphere.

They live from the trash because.

They salvage things and they fix them and resell them. But this engineer, an environmental engineer, went into the area to try to help that part of it. He couldn't, so he was a musician and he brought his violin and he started giving violin lessons to the kids in like a school. Eventually they made built the school out of trash. They have three hundred students now. They've played for the Queen. But they made the instruments out of the trash because they had floods, ash storms, all these

A book right for this, no splashing it out from day one.

The creative team and we're so excited, but you know, there was some reticence to allow us to call it basuda.

Because of what it is.

But it's the truth about finding hope and beauty in one of the most dire situations. And it makes you think about what we consider trash, how we make so much trash, you know, things we throw away.

That continue to be attached to us.

And and how they turned this situation into something beautiful and creative through music, through the arts, and that that's that story to me is like so important.

To that incredible Musically, you think, it's like a lot of infusion of many many things.

I did a deep dive into Paraguayan rhythms, so we have I want to be very culturally like thoughtful when we present them because but Paraguay music is not salsa.

What is it.

Paraguay and music is uh.

They have a lot of German ancestry in Paraguay, so they have these rhythms, the polkaya which comes from the Polkas that came from Europe and were in the area, you know, decades ago. They love classical music. They every New Year's they listened to the symphony at midnight, so

But it's been such a joy, it's.

Going to be epic. What do you think is going to be?

Like it's in development right now, like like Broadway shows like this that you start from zero is a full full package. How many years and what do you think is going to open?

We're on May thirtieth of twenty six.

We open in the Alliance Theater and then lex.

Yo exactly a year from now. Okay, you're already selling tickets.

My fans have already bought tickets to the show, so we start there and then hopefully by twenty seven we will be on Broadway.

Wow beautiful.

We're thrilled.

And then Eric wants to mention something very important.

Yeah, yeah, let's talk about your trip to La.

Oh the which one the one coming in for conga?

Yeah?

Yeah, what an honor.

I mean, this song is still giving. I see it everywhere, heard everywhere. I've seen it from anywhere from South Park to the Chipmunks movies that my grandson thought he was surprising me. He made me sit down when he was little, goes to to watch this and he plays me the chip hats doing conga.

Oh my god.

You know it's it's really a joy and a privilege to be in any kind of hall of fame. So for the Grammy Hall of Fame, that song, it's it's the gift that keeps on giving. And it's still I hear it everywhere. It still sounds like its own thing.

And he's like forty years years Wow, you.

Know, I'm gonna tell you a story. Grewer. You didn't.

You don't know this, No nobody knows this. When I left for the RICO, I moved to New York. I was there for three years. I was in a soap as a world turns right. But of course a dream is I want to move to Hollywood. I want to go to LA and I want to do movies and all that. Anyways, I'm under contract with the soap. I'm come to LA to do a national commercial for Always. They I booked this national commercial and while I'm here in LA for the first time, they didn't know anything

I auditioned.

I remember they flew me three times, acting portion of the audition, then singing portion, then dancing portion. I ended up getting it, left left New York, came to LA, and then never left LA. Anyways, I'm telling you this because I remember when my my singing audition that they flew me with all the producers at Sony, at this recording studio. This song assigned was Conga. I was like, but you don't they because I've been such a fan forever. I remember going, oh, how the heck, I'm gonna pull

This is a gift for you. It is not crazy.

And I ended up getting it, and that's how my prime time acting career started.

That means so much to me because they have been a small part of your process.

Song's not easy to sing.

I mean when I approached it, I'm a band girl. You know, I'm the girl in the band. So I feel very much about that. I'm part of everything, and I love percussion, so when I sang it, I sang it as if I was a percussive instrument. And when I did the three part harmony, it was my homage to the Andrew Sisters, which I loved and as a little kid, had the records because we moved into this house that was furnished and had collection of seventy eight's.

It's not it's not I was, I was petrified, but I was like, no, it's glory.

You're gonna carry me through. She's gonna carry me through. And you did so I appreciate it.

Yeah, thank you Dream, Yeah, incredible Dream.

Yes, you're thank you for you know, being hanging with us, talking to us about so much of your past, your present, everything going on. And your album will be is out, you know it'll be out. When this out, you'll be going and we wish you all the best and we'll look forward to seeing you hopefully soon in person.

Amazing doing all the best, continued success.

I love to see you know, married couple doing things together and having it work great and you know that's not always easy.

I'm sure you.

Know, of course.

Well you you two are an inspiration. So we appreciate you. Lots of love to the whole family.

Thank you. My mom be out there, leave.

The egos in at the door.

Yeah.

Absolutely, we love you and I'm tell you back, Mama, thank you.

Thank you.

Bye bye.

H She's so she's incredible.

It's so incredible. They both thought. The whole family. It's just uh, I mean you've I didn't know them until you, until I, you know, met you, but you know, since we've been together, I know I was always a fan, uh and since we've been together, you just switched. It speaks so highly of them, and to finally meet them, it was like, oh my god, this is exactly how you described.

I've known them for so long, you know, through thick and thin, and they've always been so supportive and loving and just like like your parents. You know, every time I see them, we hug, and it's I feel there's a comfort level because they're just amazing.

It's so unique though that people I don't know, people fully understand like to to meet or know stars, talents at that height, at that level, who have revolutionized industries, changed the game, and they're so humble and down to earth and just incredible humans. So it's it's a breath of fresh air. And like I said, inspiration. You know, any married couple working together I find success. I know.

So now you know it's possible.

You know you have you have, like she said, the North Star, you know you have them, knowing that you know they they worked it out in very very extremely circumstances. They come from Cuba and the oppression and they left the country and they started this band when they were kids. And there's a lot of baggage, you know, and a lot of generational trauma because of where they come from and to be able to succeed and do it together hand by hand.

And you have never ever heard.

Anything anything negative, no scand out, nothing about the Steffan, which is incredible. You know that she's like a billboard history maker, guys, and we're going to leave you with this. She's among Latin female artists, Gloria stands alone as the only one to charge Billboard hits across five consecutive decades, spanning multiple formats including the Hot one hundred, Latin Song's, tropical sands, adult contemporary.

I mean, she is a powerhouse. Absolutely very privileged to have her.

Absolutely, thank you so much, Gloria. We love you and love you next time. I love you. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to write us a review and tell us what you think.

If you want to follow us on Instagram, check us out at he said.

Ajab or sens An email.

Eric and Ross at iHeartRadio dot com.

He said.

Ajab is part of iHeartRadio's Mike would do that podcast network.

See you next time.

Bye,