Gloria Estefan believes in the old saying that change is good. That’s why she is excited about the June 2 release of Gloria!, her first album devoted entirely to dance music. As a global superstar and mother of two, Estefan doesn’t have to dabble in club fodder. She could sit back and record chart-top-ping power ballads for the rest of her life. But that would be too easy. Instead, Estefan is promoting her new project from a top-floor suite at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, where she seems to enjoy explaining the cultural significance of dance music to a reporter from Entertainment Tonight.

"Dance music recalls the ‘70s , when having fun and having sex weren’t considered a death sentence," Estefan says, as the camera rolls. "It’s also a chance for me to get back to my roots because the music I made with Miami Sound Machine was like dance music. But there’s no growth without a lot of hard work and a little risk. It’s important to me that I continue to grow. There’s no point in living any other way."

Estefan exudes confidence and sincerity. Dressed in white slacks and an elegant silk blouse, the singer discusses her history with Miami Sound Machine, whose 1985 single "Conga" sold the Latin sound to mainstream America. Since then, Estefan has written and performed several number one pop singles and a string of multi-platinum albums.

When the taping is finished, Estefan joins this reporter at a table by the window. "I hope I brought an umbrella," she says, frowning at the downpour outside. "We’re walking to the theater tonight. We have tickets for The Lion King." Settling into a chair, Estefan offers some background on her new project. "We had an idea about releasing an album of all my dance remixes," she says. "But the more I thought about it, I wanted to do an original album of dance songs. Not as many people get to hear the club mixes because they’re not on the albums. So I thought it would be exciting to write new material."

Estefan worked closely with her husband and manager, Emilio Estefan Jr., and Epic Records Marketing Director Frank Ceraolo to find producers for the album. They chose Tony Moran, Soul Solution and Francois K of New York; Love to Infinity of Britain; R&B sensation Wyclef Jean; and longtime Estefan protégés Pablo Flores, Javier Garza and Lawrence Dermer of Miami. This teamwork resulted in an album that’s brimming with radio-friendly house beats, merengue riffs and salsa flavor.

Even "Cuba Libre," Estefan’s somber ode to her native country, is irresistibly danceable. "That song is my two cents," Estefan grins. "Everybody had their two cents about Cuba this year, even the Pope. I figured, if everyone’s going to talk about it, I’ve gotta say something. It’s a very nostalgic song, but it’s not political. It’s about my hope for Cuba." Estefan was born there in 1957 and fled to Miami with her family three years later. "When I sing about freeing Cuba so many people can dance, I mean that I want them to enjoy everything that I have. It frustrates me that I have traveled the world and seen so many cultures except my own. You know, when I’m talking a nice, hot shower, I actually think about people in Cuba not being able to do that. They can’t even enjoy a hot shower. This kind of thing actually pops into my mind."

Estefan also has her own domestic concerns to worry about. Her daughter, Emily, 3, is along for the trip and requires constant care, while her son, Nayib, 17, had to stay home in Miami and study for his high school finals. The only way to survive as a showbiz mom, Estefan says, "is to bring the kids along whenever you can. You just have to! On my last tour, I was on the road for 14 months. Can you imagine if I left a teenage boy and a baby girl home alone for 14 months? The baby wouldn’t even know who I was!"

But Estefan wasn’t always so comfortable on the road. In fact, she was one "petrified" to sing live. "Performing came very slowly to me. But I loved the music. I realized that the more I just acted like myself onstage, the easier it was. Now, when I started with Miami Sound Machine, that was 1975. I did every kind of gig imaginable, from one person in the audience to festivals with
150 000. By the time things got hot for us in 1985, I was more ready for it."

But the seeds of stardom had already been planted years earlier. When Estefan was 11, she received a classical guitar as a gift from her parents. "I wrote so many songs on it. I played it all through my childhood. It’s a wreck now, but I still have it. My mother supported my music, and my dad’s family was very musical. But mom wasn’t too happy when I decided to go professional. I was originally going to be a psychologist, and French was my minor. Music was a hobby. If anybody then had shown me one of my videos now, I would say, ‘Who the hell is that?’ But in the end, it offers more happiness to earn a living making music."

"DANCE MUSIC RECALLS THE ‘70S, WHEN HAVING FUN AND HAVING SEX WEREN’T CONSIDERED A DEATH SENTENCE," ESTEFAN SAYS

Estefan’s appearance on the recent Divas Live concert on VH1, a benefit for school music programs, united the singer with such living legends as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Shania Twain, as well as two of Estefan’s longtime idols, Aretha Franklin and Carole King. "I was
diva-stated," she laughs. "We all know that Aretha is the real diva. But the best thing for me was singing "You’ve Got a Friend" with Carole King at the piano. I admire her so much. I wore out my Tapestry album in the ‘70s!"

The concert highlighted not only Estefan’s talent, but also her commitment to charitable work. The artist frequently performs at benefit galas, particularly those of children’s organizations. "I’m a very empathetic person," she says. "I guess that’s why I still am fascinated with psychology. You know, when I was a kid, I’d be on the bus to school and people would start talking to me, telling me their problems! I must have a confessional face or something. But helping can also be frustrating and depressing. I worked on some actual cases in school, but I just couldn’t divorce emotionally from the patients. It’s hard to help people who are trapped in bad socioeconomic conditions. At one point in my life, I couldn’t even watch the TV news. But when you get older, you learn to take life with a grain of salt."

With that, Estefan’s publicist signals that it’s time to head for the theater. The singer leaps from her chair, throws on a raincoat, apologizes for having to leave and offers a glimpse of her future plans. "We’re going to do a big world tour in the year 2000," she says with one foot out the door. "I just want to be onstage when the millennium hits. It’s gonna be very exciting!"

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A special Thank You to my friend Amanda Warnock. You are always so lovely and friendly to me! Thank you! I never will lose our friendship!!!!!!

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