Gloria Estefan
Latin Queen is back
G
loria Estefan burst onto the main music stage fronting the Miami Sound Machine with the fiesta-style ‘Conga’ back in 1985, drawing on the high tempo Latin rhythm of the Caribbean island of Cuba where she hails from, although now based in the US with husband/producer/songwriter Emilio Estefan Jr. The pair met at a wedding in 1975, where Emilio and his band the Miami Latin Boys, were performing, where he convinced her to take the mike for a couple of numbers. The rest, as they say, is history. Alma Caribeña is deeply influenced by the salsa sound of the Caribbean, or guaracha as it is known in Cuba – persuasive percussion and sultry harmonies with the sounds of Spanish spice islands never far away.The Voice managed to squeeze a few questions into her busy schedule during her promotional tour in Europe.
Alma Caribeña has been released and you are about to launch a European tour and also undertake an extensive promotional drive in the US, when will you relax?
I have been doing promotion for my new album since March and the biggest promotion of it so far was in Bahamas a couple of months ago, where I haven’t had any concerts for quite some time. It was amazing that many of my friends were there to give me their support.
I reckon the whole promotion period will last for a few months pretty intensively. It always gets really busy at the beginning – album recordings, photo and video shooting, then it’d be the time for the actual album and the first single promotion. And straight after that, the second single video will be there waiting for you. However, after that, you can be a bit more relaxed.
But this time round, I’m gonna have my European tour in the next few months and I’ll take a short break afterwards, then more promotion in America.
The album is in Spanish, although not your first, do you expect to become a sort of bilingual artist, that is a single in English then one in Spanish?
Spanish and English are my languages and I enjoy singing in both. It’s kind of natural for me. I never see myself as a bilingual artist ... Well, I guess I am.
Is the popularity of Latin artists fashion or indicative of the melting not projected as the US of A today?
Not only Latino artists, but many others from all over the world see the US as the biggest music market in the world. Due to geographical reasons, and a good many South Americans living in the States, it’s kind of natural the US becomes a door to get Latino music across to other parts of the world.
On your official website I was surprised to find absolutely no Spanish content, is it therefore unlikely we will see a Gloria site in Chinese?
My management have started to put things together in Spanish on the Net, but it’s gonna take a while I believe. I’m sure there will be a lot more to be done.
A Chinese website?! I don’t know. Maybe later. But I’m sure the local Sony Music websites like in Taiwan or Hong Kong should have news updates about me, shouldn’t they?
After Europe is there any chance of seeing you in Asia?
I’m still working it out with my husband. But with the tight schedule we have at the moment, it seems like it would take a while before we can be in Asia. Definitely, we must go to Japan and Hong Kong – if we happen to be in Asia.
You recently made your acting debut in Music of the Heart, will we see you in other films?
It was very exciting for me to be in a movie with Meryl Streep and others. I was kind of nervous as it'’ my very first appearance in a movie! The filming was fun and it turned out very well. I think if there is a good script and a suitable role for me, I will do it again.
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