Latin sensation bids adieu to her fans with farewell tour

After eight long years, Gloria Estefan is pumped and ready to go on tour again. She's also excited about her new album, which was recorded live and features mostly songs she penned.

Each time she hits a stage in a different city, however, it will be the last time those fans get to see the Latin superstar perform.

Though it might be considered a joke to retire in Hollywood, Estefan assured media in a telephone interview conference July 23 that this is it - her 2004 Live and Rewrapped Summer farewell tour. The Miami darling performs Aug. 3 at the Don Haskins Center.

"I'm not going to stop performing. I'm not retiring from doing (shows) that I've done through the eight years I've been off tour. But touring is grueling and just with the evolution of my life and the way things are, it was only fair to let the fans know," Estefan said.

Estefan already knows she will miss certain aspects of touring.

"I will miss the fans the most, the opportunity to be face to face with them and nurture that relationship," she said. "What I will miss the least is everything else, the rehearsals. ... My body is my instrument, so my natural instinct is to move around a lot and that physically is very demanding."

Estefan wants to assure her fans that this tour is about energy and excitement - and some reminiscing with old hits including "Primitive Love."

"The band is spectacular but we also have two extra percussionists. We did the entire show last night without an audience. And we were having a ball," she said.

Zeida Gonzalez, media relations director for Estefan, said Estefan's tour will begin in Hidalgo, Texas, today and continue through September in numerous cities, ultimately ending with a huge show in Miami, where she lives.

About her new album, Estefan said she wanted to recapture what made music exciting for her. She chose specific players and encouraged them to experiment with their music.

"Some songs we did in two or three takes, but some were on in one take. I just wanted to capture that spontaneity," she said.

Estefan said she expects to continue working, whether it's writing music or helping other young artists record. She is planning to release a new album "Amor y Suerte," a compilation of 12 romantic ballads in September, according to her Web site, www.gloriaestefan.com

In the album, she will perform duets with Mexican ranchera singer Alejandro Fernandez and other famed Latin singers, including Jon Secada and Jose Feliciano.

She is interested in working with "American Idol" singer Diana DeGarmo. And she has started to think about writing her autobiography with some kind of empowering message for young and hopeful Hispanics wanting to succeed.

"It's been a great joy and privilege for me and (husband) Emilio to be able to help other artists. When we started, we were like our own cheering section. So we wanted to do something that would help other artists believe in themselves.

"We love what we do ... and it keeps you fresh and invigorated to work with young talent. That's what music is about, newness and freshness," she added.

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