Estefan says she'll curtail tours for family

San Antonio Express-News

After a prolific career that has seen a dozen albums and a few world tours, singer Gloria Estefan said it's time to spend more quality time with family.

So she's retiring. Retiring from the road, that is.

"I'm not the kind of person that announces these kind of things. I don't like drama," Estefan said during a tele- conference interview. "I know people say, never say never. And it's not. I'm not retiring in any shape or form.

"It's just that touring and the way the world and the music industry are heading, I just think that we're saturated. I think its time for me to evolve into other areas. Family is very important for me."

So for hard-core fans who can't get enough of Gloria, her concert at 8 tonight at the SBC Center will be a special treat. Tickets, at $38.15-$78.15, are available through Ticketmaster.

Estefan's Live and Re-Wrapped U.S. tour, which began in South Texas last week, will include stops in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Providence, R.I., and will end Sept. 27 in Miami. Afterward, she will tour other parts of the world.

On her tour, Estefan is performing new material from her latest CD, "Unwrapped," her first album in English since 1996's dance-oriented "Destiny." As expected, she will also perform some of her hits.

"All my shows have tended to be retrospective because all my fans love those hits," she said. "And I know as a fan when I go see somebody, I want to see the hits and hear the songs that made me feel something at a certain moment or take me back.

"But I actually asked my fans before this tour, 'What would you like to see in my concert? What would be your ideal set list?' They were very creative and they certainly gave me some ideas of things that they wanted to hear and what they want to see. So yes, there's some little things thrown in here and there that will remind people of way back, but also, the new album is a focus."

Estefan, who played a sold-out Alamodome during her most recent tour in 1996, had initially planned to tour in 2000 in support of her "Alma Caribeña" album, but again, family concerns came first.

"I had put together this whole massive show that we did at the American Airlines Arena (in Miami) for the millennium, and then my daughter was of the age that she was supposed to start pre-K, and I started thinking, 'Do I really want to do this — take these precious years of her life and trips around the world with her?'

"When she comes back to school, she'll be the odd man out. And I'll miss those years, being able to take her to school and just start that whole experience, creating those relationships.

"And I really chose that. I chose to stay home, take her every day. Take her to Tai Kwon Do and be involved in the school and create a really solid relationship. She's now going to be in fourth grade. I feel comfortable being able to pull her out a couple of months out of the school. And she's developed a lot of friendships that are solid and normal.

"I did that for my son as well. I really didn't tour until my son was around Emily's age, and I wanted to give her the same opportunity. That's how I got delayed in touring. That, and I wanted to have an English-language album ready as well to go out and show to the fans."

After the tour, Estefan plans to remain as busy as ever, but focused more on the creative end.

"I would love to produce music. I love being behind the camera. I have some ideas for a show that I would love to do. You know we are growing very much with television in some aspect of our business.

"Emilio's (her husband) got several pilots that are going to be aired in the fall and a show that's already been picked up, 'Rosas de America,' so he has a lot of shows on his plate. I envision getting behind the camera.

"I've always been hands-on with our own stuff when we produce shows. I'd love to write music for other artists, I've done it a couple of times. 'Let's Get Loud' I did for Jennifer Lopez. But I'd love to just have time to write more for other artists."

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