Estefan's farewell tour leaves lasting impression

Gloria Estefan performs Tuesday night in Denver.

Latin diva Gloria Estefan recently declared plans to retire from touring and be a more-devoted mom. She envisioned this summer's Live and Re-Wrapped tour to be an over-the-top farewell.

Fans who have followed music as long as Estefan has been pop might raise an eyebrow over her retirement decree. Won't a retired Gloria Estefan be like a retired George Foreman, forever returning to the spotlight as the mood strikes?

But Estefan is not the type for pretense. She's orchestrated a glamorous  retrospective. The obvious message during Tuesday's stop at The Pepsi Center was that this tour should leave an impression.

And it did.

"It's definitely a more personal show for her," said Clay Ostwald, a Boulder native who is Estefan's longtime keyboardist and assistant musical director. "I've been back here four or five times and this is definitely the most special visit."

Middle Eastern-infused Latin lounge music echoed through the arena before the show as a golden sun puppet in a shimmering cape stretched across the stage.

Around 8:15 p.m., ten dancers with drums stomped in front of the crowd. The serene, smiling sun rose to the rafters, and flames lapped at video screens behind the set. Estefan stood at the center of it all in a white, corseted suit with flared lace slacks. She stoked the house with "Get on Your Feet" and "Turn the Beat Around." Even though hokey, salsa club-inspired choreography and grandiose orchestration gave her act a "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" vibe, Estefan's fans it ate up.

The singer peppered her show with classic fare and new material. She referred to the latter as a "musical photo album."

"I called (my last album) 'Unwrapped' because I feel very comfortable in my own skin," the 46-year-old diva said about her 2003 release. "This is a great age to be a woman."

Personal moments filled the Denver show. Old family photos and nostalgic video from Estefan's career enhanced the performance. Even passing fans cracked a smile at '80s footage of Miami Sound Machine on American Bandstand.

Estefan has always invited fans into her life. Her devotees often relate to her immigrant story. They mourned her 1990 tour bus accident and cheered her spirited recovery from a near-paralyzing back injury.

The crowd was especially pleased when Estefan's young daughter, Emily, brought a guitar to her mother for a rare, spotlighted solo of "Cuando Sali de Cuba," the Cuban folk song. The child treated the audience to a feisty drum solo before scampering of the stage.

Estefan tempered her well-known ballads such as "Words" and "Don't Wanna Lose You" with high-energy club songs like "Everlasting Love." She closed with "Rhythm" and "Conga," then used a four-song encore to sashay from one end of the stage to the other, shaking hands, waving and winking. "I will be forever grateful to you," she said.

So will this crowd.

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