90 Millas (90 Miles) is the tenth studio release by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on September 17, 2007 by SonyBMG. This album is a recall to Estefan's ultimate tribute to her Cuban roots album Mi Tierra (1993). The albums contains a selection of various Cuban rhythms mixed with Latin-American contemporary pop, thought the main influence being the Cuban sound behind every track. Thought it's considered the second part to her Mi Tierra album, this album it's more focused on inspirational and fun songs, as "Mi Tierra" was more a romantic and love album.

The album commercially and critically acclaimed as one of her best Latin releases, was supported with a massive promotion throughout the world. The album also made the first appearance of Estefan in the Billboard charts within the Top 40, after being absent of it since Unwrapped (2003). The album debuted at #25 in the Billboard 200 chart and a became on Estefan's third number-one album on the Top Latin Albums chart of Billboard magazine. She was also honored with some awards like two Latin Grammy Awards including for "Best Traditional Tropical Album" and "Best Tropical Song" for "Píntame De Colores", she also received two Billboard Latin Music Awards and was awarded with the BMI Icon Of The Year recipient.

Three singles were released from this album, which the last two went onto being only promotional singles at Latin-radio stations. "No Llores", crowned as Gloria's 14th number-one at the Latin Songs chart. It was followed by "Me Odio", a top 40 danzón on the Latin charts and finally the Latin-Grammy award winning song, "Píntame De Colores".

Album information

The album, with 14 brand new tracks, is a tribute to the music of her native Cuba. Despite having lived there only 2 years of her life, she holds her heritage close to her, and along with Mi Tierra, 90 Millas is her love letter to the people of Cuba, and her beloved country.Cohen, Jonathan @ Billboard.com — June 15, 2007

Santana was not the only guest on the whole album, but there were also a list of full Cuban and Latin-American legends of traditional Latin music such as: Andy García, Jose Feliciano, Cachao, La India, Candido Camero, Sheila E., Johnny Pacheco, Papo Lucca, Sal Cuevas, Giovanni Hidalgo, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D'Rivera, Nelson Gonzalez, Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros, Generoso Jimenez, Luis Enrique, and Orestes Vilato.

The album's worldwide release occurred on September 17, 2007. The release included Spain but did not include the United States and Japan, where it was released until September 18, 2007. The track listing was different according to some places, the European version and the Limited Edition Package (which was released exclusively in United States and United Kingdom) have two bonus tracks "Vueltas Da la Vida" and "No Llores" (Featuring Wisin Y Yandel) meanwhile the Japanese release features "Vueltas Da la Vida" and "Al Verte Partir", a track exclusive to this version.

The first single, "No Llores," features a collaboration between Carlos Santana, Jose Feliciano, and Sheila E.. Estefan had mentioned Santana and Feliciano as pioneers of Latin music in the 60s and 70s, and that having them collaborate with her on "No Llores" is "a thrill and a privilege." This song includes a lot of Latin-Rhythms and it can be described as a modernization on a typical Cuban danzón. The single was released at American radio-stations on June 18, 2007, while the single was released digitally on iTunes that Tuesday June 19, 2007. The single in its physical format was scheduled for Europe only release on August 23, 2007, a week before the album release, but at last moment, the release was canceled for unknown reasons. A second single was released, "Me Odio". This single was released as a promotional single only to the United States, meanwhile at Europe was released the single "Píntame De Colores", which this one, later was released as a promotional single also at the States.

The inclusion of Carlos Santana as one of the artists contributing to 90 Millas stirred a controversy among a tiny minority of the Cuban exile community in the U.S., who alleged Mr. Santana was sympathetic to the Fidel Castro regime and Che Guevara because he had worn a t-shirt featuring Guevara's image created by Jim Fitzpatrick .

Emilio and Estefan issued a joint statement at the end of March, 2007, addressing the controversy:

"For the past 32 years of our career our position against the Castro regime has been crystal clear . . . we have expressed our disagreement with the Cuban dictatorship and have spoken worldwide of the pain of the Cuban people. We have never nor would we ever collaborate with anyone who supports the Cuban dictatorship or Che Guevara. This should be apparently clear due to our trajectory".

For the end of the year, 90 Millas made it onto the "Billboard Year-End Charts" at the Billboard Top Latin Albums at #28 and at the Top Tropical Albums at #4. On April, 2008 Estefan was the winner of two Billboard Latin Music Awards beating other artists such as Olga Tañon and Fanny Lú in the race for the "Tropical Album Of The Year — Female" and "Tropical Airplay Song Of The Year" for "No Llores".

For the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 ceremony, Estefan received a lot of nominations on September 2008. Firstly, Gloria was selected as the "Persona Del Año" (Person of the Year), the first time this awards is given to a female artist. Secondly, Estefan received three nominations for her effort on this album and receive the award for "Best Traditional Tropical Album" and "Best Tropical Song" for "Píntame De Colores". She also received a nomination to the "Best Music Video - Long Form", but she lost out to Julieta Venegas's MTV Unplugged video concert.

For 2008 Billboard Year-End charts, the album featured on two charts, at the position number seven in the Top Tropical Albums and number fifty-nine at Top Latin Albums. Also Gloria featured at number seven as Top Tropical Albums Artisthttphttphttp.

US Southernmost.jpgthumbThe southernmost point of Continental USA in Key West

Additional information

* The album is named "90 Millas" because that is the distance in miles between the island of Cuba and Key West.

* It's her fourth Spanish album outside of the original Miami Sound Machine. The other three are: Mi Tierra, Abriendo Puertas and Alma Caribeña.

* In an interview held in New York, Gloria mentioned that she felt Celia Cruz's spirit and presence while recording the songs for the record. Gloria lamented Celia's death as having her be a part of 90 Millas would have been very special to both of them.

* Of all the Latin albums of Gloria, this one it has been the most successful in the U.S. Billboard Top 200, this one peaked at number twenty-five, the others: Mi Tierra (#27), Abriendo Puertas (#67) and Alma Caribeña (#50).

Critical reception

Jason Birchmeier from Billboard commented that "ever since Gloria Estefan split from Miami Sound Machine in 1989 to go solo, her best efforts tended to be her Spanish-language ones, and her fourth such album, 90 Millas, is no exception. In fact, it might be her best overall effort -- regardless of language -- since Mi Tierra (1993), which was her first to be sung entirely in Spanish and an instant, best-selling classic. In a couple ways, 90 Millas is a follow-up to Mi Tierra".

Tijana Illich from about.com said "Gloria Estefan's 4th Spanish-language album is her best, not surprising when you consider the spectacular cast of musicians that join her on this homage to her native Cuba. 90 Millas takes Estefan back to her roots with lots of varied Afro-Cuban rhythms and genres, some pure in form, others mixed with her trademark pop sound. A must have for any fan of modern, Afro-Cuban music".

Commercial response

In the United States, 90 Millas debuted at number twenty-five on the Billboard 200, selling about 23,000 copies in its first week , Billboard.com, September 26, 2007.

Artist/Band Information

Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan (born September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer, songwriter and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop",httphttphttp she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide,, Miami GuitarTown, Gibson Guitar Corporation, March 17, 2009 26.5 million of those in the United States alone. She has won seven Grammy Awards, and is the most successful crossover performer in Latin music to date.

Early life

Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo was born September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba, to Jose and Gloria Fajardo. Her maternal grandfather, Leonardo Garcia, immigrated to Cuba from Pola de Siero, Asturias, Spain, where he married Gloria's maternal grandmother, originally from Logroño, Spain. Prior to the Cuban Revolution, her father was a Cuban soldier and a bodyguard to Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. The Fajardo family fled to Lafayette, Indiana as a result of the Cuban Revolution, eventually settling down in Miami, Florida. Shortly after they moved to the United States, Gloria's father joined the US military and fought in the Vietnam War, also having participated in the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Gloria attended St. Michael-Archangel School, IHM Sisters – Then and Now, January 2010, Sister Ann Christine Charron, IHM., who had mentored Gloria Estefan at St. Michael-Archangel School. and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami. Her father became ill after returning from Vietnam and her mother Gloria Fajardo took on all the work of caring for him and raising her daughters, Gloria and Becky, while working hard as school teacher for Dade County Public Schools. Gloria Estefan graduated from college in 1979 with a B.A. in psychology, with a minor in French, from the University of Miami., South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Florida When she was studying at university, she had worked as an English/Spanish/French translator at Miami International Airport Customs Department and, because of her language abilities, was once approached by the CIA as a possible employee., People magazine, March 4, 2009, People en Espanol, March 3, 2009. Estefan was raised Catholic.

Marriage

Gloriaestefan ahoy.jpgrightthumbGloria Estefan receiving flowers for her birthday at her show in the Ahoy Rotterdam, September 1, 2008

Gloria became romantically involved with the Miami Sound Machine's band leader, Emilio Estefan, in 1976. She and Emilio married on September 2, 1978. They have a son, Nayib (born September 2, 1980) and a daughter, Emily Marie (born December 5, 1994). The family lives in the Star Island section of Miami Beach, Florida., Celebrity Detective

Career in singing

Mid-1970s through the 1980s

Starting in 1977, the Miami Sound Machine with Gloria Fajardo began recording and releasing various albums, 45s, and 12"s on the Audiofon Records label in Miami. The first album from 1977 was entitled "Live Again Renacer" and was released with two different covers. After several more releases on the Audiofon label as well as the RCA Victor label and Miami Sound Machine's own label MSM Records, the band was signed to Discos CBS International and released several albums, 45s, and 12"s beginning with 1980s self-titled album "Miami Sound Machine". Growing in popularity in both the United States and around the world, the group would continue recording and issuing various works for Discos CBS International through 1985. In 1984, Miami Sound Machine released their first Epic/Columbia album, Eyes of Innocence, which contained the dance hit "Dr. Beat" as well as the ballad "I Need Your Love". Their more successful follow-up album Primitive Love was released in 1985 launching three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Conga" (U.S. #10), "Words Get In The Way” (U.S. #5), and "Bad Boy" (U.S. #8) became follow up hits in the U.S. and around the world. "Words Get in the Way" reached #1 on the US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, establishing that the group could perform pop ballads as successfully as dance tunes. The song "Hot Summer Nights" was also released that year and was part of the blockbuster movie Top Gun.

Their next album, 1987’s Let It Loose, went multi-platinum, with six million copies sold in the US. It featured the following hits: "Anything for You" (#1 Hot 100), "1, 2, 3" (#3 Hot 100), "Betcha Say That" (#36 Hot 100), "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" (#5 Hot 100), and "Can't Stay Away From You" (#6 Hot 100). "Can’t Stay Away From You," "Anything For You" and "1-2-3" were all #1 Adult Contemporary hits as well.

In 1988, Estefan took top billing and the band’s name changed to Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. Beginning in 1989, the group's name was dropped altogether. Estefan was credited as a solo artist, though the ever-changing line-up of Miami Sound Machine continues as her backing band to this day.

In 1989, after the worldwide chart success of single "Anything for You", her Let it Loose album was repackaged as Anything for You. It became the band's first UK #1 album, selling over a million copies. It was the biggest selling album of the year in The Netherlands, staying at #1 for 22 weeks. The album also took top honors in Australia and Canada, launching Estefan to superstar status.

1990s

1990: Cuts Both Ways, tour bus accident and surgery

In late 1989, she released her best-selling album to date, Cuts Both Ways. The album included the hit singles "Don't Wanna Lose You" (a Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit), "Oye mi Canto (Hear my Voice)", "Here We Are", "Cuts Both Ways" (#1 on the U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart) and "Get on Your Feet".

While touring in support of Cuts Both Ways on March 20, 1990, near Scranton, Pennsylvania, Estefan was critically injured, suffering a fractured spine when a speeding semi-truck crashed into her tour bus during a snowstorm. She was taken to Intensive Care Unit and the next day was flown by helicopter to New York City, where surgeons at the at NYU Langone Medical Center permanently implanted two titanium rods to stabilize her vertebral column. Her rehabilitation required almost a year of intensive physical therapy by Michael Klepper, but she achieved a complete recovery. She returned to an international tour ten months after the accident.

1991–1992: Into The Light and The Greatest Hits

Estefan returned to the charts with a concept album, Into the Light, in 1991. She performed "Coming Out of the Dark" for the first time on the American Music Awards in January 1991, receiving a standing ovation as she took the stage. "Coming Out of the Dark" reached #1 in the U.S. as a single a few months later. Other popular singles were "Seal Our Fate" and "Live for Loving You". The album peaked at number five on the Billboard album chart, becoming her highest debut; it also peaked at number two on the British albums chart. Eventually the album went platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US. The Into the Light World Tour covered 100 cities in five countries and was seen by more than 10 million people worldwide.

She followed up Into the Light with her first greatest-hits album, Gloria Estefan Greatest Hits. It was released in 1992, and included the U.S. hit ballads "Always Tomorrow" and "I See Your Smile" along with the international hit dance track "Go Away". Also in 1992, Estefan sang backup on fellow Cuban-American singer-songwriter Jon Secada's breakthrough single "Just Another Day". She spent much of 1992 in Miami, helping relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Andrew.

1993: Mi Tierra and Christmas Through Your Eyes

In 1993, Estefan released the album Mi Tierra, her first Spanish-language album. It peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard album chart and number eleven on the British album chart. The singles "Mi Tierra" and the romantic-tropical ballad "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" and "Mi Buen Amor", climbed to number-one on the "Hot Latin Tracks" chart in the United States. The album sold over eight million copies worldwide, went multiplatinum in Spain (15X) and platinum in the United States, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, Gold in Switzerland and Australia, and won a Grammy Award for "Best Tropical Latin Album".

That same year, Estefan released her first Christmas album, Christmas Through Your Eyes, the first album from Estefan to not be produced by her husband Emilio Estefan Jr. The collection included the singles "This Christmas" and "Silent Night".The album went Platinum in the United States.

Also in 1993, Estefan collaborated with Frank Sinatra on his album Duets with the song "Come Rain or Come Shine".

1994–1995: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me and Abriendo Puertas

Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me, a cover album of some of Estefan’s favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s, was released in 1994. "Turn the Beat Around", the first single and a remake of Vicki Sue Robinson’s 1976 discodeg classic, became another international hit, certified gold in the US. It also was used in the Sharon Stone movie The Specialist.

1995’s Spanish-language album Abriendo Puertas earned Estefan her second Grammy Award for "Best Tropical Latin Album". It spun off two #1 dance hits, "Abriendo Puertas" and "Tres Deseos", and two #1 Latin singles, "Abriendo Puertas" and "Más Allá".

In January 1995, the Miami Sound Machine performed at the Super Bowl XXIX halftime show, with Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle, and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, in a program entitled "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye", to promote the upcoming Disney theme park attraction.

1996–1997: Summer Olympics and Destiny

The platinum-selling album Destiny, released in 1996, featured "Reach", the official theme of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Estefan performed in the Summer Olympics closing ceremony, in front of an audience of two billion people worldwide, during which she performed the songs "Reach" and "You'll Be Mine (Party Time)".

On July 18, 1996, Estefan embarked on her Evolution World Tour (her first tour in five years), which covered the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Australia, South Africa and Asia.

1998: Back to dance: gloria!

Estefan rode the wave of the Disco revival in the U.S. during the late 1990s. On June 2, 1998, she released her eighth solo album, (twenty-first overall), gloria!. The album is highly influenced by Disco music, blended with Salsa music percussion and Latin flavour. To promote gloria!, she performed at the famed New York City discoteque Studio 54.

The album peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200. The album reached Gold certification. The single "Oye!" peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and the Hot Latin Tracks charts. The other major hit single releases were "Don't Let This Moment End", which peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Heaven's What I Feel", which peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1999: "Music of My Heart"

In 1999, Estefan performed a duet with *NSYNC on the single "Music Of My Heart", which was featured in a movie in which she also appeared, Music of the Heart. The song reached #2 on the Billboard chart and was nominated for an Academy Award. She also released a Latin hit with the Brazilian group So Pra Contrariar called "Santo Santo", sang with Luciano Pavarotti in "Pavarotti and Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo," released the benefit album “A Rosie Christmas,".

She also made a couple of sporting event appearances. The first event was a performance with Stevie Wonder at Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami. She also sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at game three of the 2003 World Series in Miami between the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees.

2000s

Greatest Hits Vol. II was released in 2001. It contained hits from 1993 to 2000, as well as three new songs and a remix of her first hit "Conga", retitled "Y-Tu-Conga". The song "Out of Nowhere" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category for Best Dance Recording; another song off the album, "You Can't Walk Away from Love", was featured in the movie Original Sin.

2003–2004: Unwrapped

In 2003, Estefan released Unwrapped, her first English-language CD in five years. To promote the CD, she toured Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. The video for the single "Hoy", had been filmed in Machu Picchu, Peru. "Hoy" and "Tu Fotografía" both reached #1 on Billboard’s Latin chart, and "I Wish You" reached the AC top 20.

On July 28, 2004, at the Trump Tower building, in a press conference hosted by Donald Trump, Estefan announced that her then-upcoming tour would be her final one. The Live & Re-Wrapped Tour, was produced by Clear Channel Entertainment. It began in Hidalgo, Texas on July 30, 2004, and played in 26 cities; it featured Estefan’s greatest hits, along with new material from Unwrapped. The final concert of the tour took place in Estefan's hometown of Miami on the weekend of October 9 and 10, in front of a sold-out crowd, despite having been delayed for two weeks by a hurricane.

2005: Mash-up hit with Mylo and the tributes

On April 7, 2005, Estefan participated in “Selena ¡VIVE!", the tribute concert for Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the "Queen of Tejano", who was murdered in March 1995 on the brink of her attempt to cross over as an English-language performer. Gloria performed "I Could Fall in Love", one of Selena's posthumously released crossover hits. Also that year, Estefan appeared on the soundtrack for the television series Desperate Housewives, singing a song titled "Young Hearts Run Free".

In late 2005, the club mash-up "Dr. Pressure" was released, which combined Mylo’s Number 19 hit "Drop The Pressure" with the Miami Sound Machine’s "Dr. Beat". It reached #3 on the UK singles chart and #1 on the Australian dance chart, providing Estefan with her first top 40 hit and commercial radio airplay since 1996.

2006: Compilations and the UK promo tour

GloriaEstefan.jpgright210pxthumbGloria Estefan performs at an event to celebrate the United Through Reading program aboard the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), September 14, 2006

In early 2006, Estefan performed in Los Angeles at a tribute to singer Dionne Warwick. Estefan sang "Walk On By", one of Warwick’s signature songs.

In October 2006, Sony released a 2-CD compilation The Essential Gloria Estefan, featuring her hits from 1984 to 2003, an made several radio and television appearances to promote The Essential Gloria Estefan including a December 9, 2006 appearance on ITV’s The X Factor.

Estefan also released two additional similar compilation albums that year for other markets. The Very Best of Gloria Estefan was released in Europe and Mexico, and was similar to The Essential Gloria Estefan, but also included as a bonus track "Dr. Pressure". This compilation was certified GOLD in Ireland. Oye Mi Canto!: Los Grandes Exitos, a collection of her Spanish-language hits was released in Spain. It included a bonus DVD, which included various music videos and television performances.

2008–2009 highlights

In 2008, Gloria appeared during the seventh season of American Idol, in the special charity episode "Idol Gives Back", performing her song "Get on Your Feet" along with Sheila E.. The performance was recorded and was released at the American iTunes store; the video of the performance reached the number twenty of the store's Top 100 videos, and the song became the most downloaded. Estefan became the headliner of the new venue of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Her three-day shows were sold out. She then headed to Canada to perform at the Casino Rama. In August, she started her "90 Millas World Tour". Gloria played concerts in London, Rotterdam, Belfast and Aruba. Gloria performed several concerts in Spain, specifically Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Tenerife. Two of these concerts, in Las Ventas, Spain, and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, were free to the public.

Back in the states, Gloria performed a special concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to raise funds for the Education of South Florida.http Gloria was a headliner for Bette Midler's "Annual Hulaween Gala" along with other special guests such as Kathy Griffin and a costume contest judged by Michael Kors. The event benefited the New York Restoration Project.http

During the Thanksgiving season, Gloria Estefan appeared on Rosie O' Donnell's television special Rosie Live! singing a duet with O'Donnell titled "Gonna Eat For Thanksgiving", an alternate version of "Gonna Eat For Christmas" from on O'Donnell's album A Rosie Christmas.

In 2009, Estefan announced plans for her "farewell tour" of Latin America and South America.http Estefan has explained that this tour is intended to be her last, so that she can spend more time with her daughter Emily.http Estefan also completed a 3 night concert series with Carole King entitled "She's Got a Friend" at the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The tour continued with a concert at Guadalajara in Mexico, as part of a program designed to improve tourism in Mexico,http and a series of appearances at music festivals throughout Europe, including headlining at the Summer Pops Music Festival in Liverpool on the 27th July 2009.http

This same year, Gloria opened the "In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina 2009" with "No Llores". Also, at the end, Estefan together with Jennifer Lopez, Thalía, Marc Anthony, José Feliciano, made a rendition to her Latin-classic, "Mi Tierra".

2010s

Gloria started out the new decade with a charity single: in March 2010, it was announced that she and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan Jr., would gather Latin artists to remake Michael Jackson's song "We Are The World", but sung in Spanish. The song, written by Estefan and approved by Quincy Jones, has been recorded and called "Somos El Mundo". It premiered during El Show de Cristina on March 1, 2010 retrieved March 2, 2010 and all the funds went to Haitian relief.httphttp

On March 24, 2010, Gloria led a march through the Calle Ocho in Miami to support Cuba's Las Damas De Blanco (Ladies in White).http Estefan did this to make people remember the movement's Havana march of 2003, where women protested on behalf of 75 victims of Castro's dictatorship.

Closer to the year's end, Gloria made part of a project for a benefit for the Urban Arts Partnership in New York on its 10th edition, 24 Hours Of Play In Broadway,http she made a special role in a play named I Think You'll Love This One, which was written by a 20-year-old winner of the Montblanc writers project, Elizabeth Cruz Cortes.http Her fellow actors were Elijah Wood, Diane Neal and Alicia Witt. Estefan's performance was praised by critics and by the director of the play.

Upcoming projects

Estefan is currently working on a new dance oriented studio album which is set for a 2011 release and is described by Estefan as a project in the vein of her 1998 hit album "Gloria!". She is collaborating with producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo from The Neptunes. She will also make a guest appearance on the forthcoming album by Sheila E.http

Career outside of singing

Film and television appearances

Estefan has appeared in two movies, Music of the Heart (1999) and For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000). Estefan made a cameo appearance with her husband in Marley & Me in 2008.

Estefan was cast to star as Connie Francis, a U.S. pop singer of the 1950s and early 1960s, in Who's Sorry Now?, based on Francis’ life. Filming supposedly began in late 2008, according to Parade Magazine (March 23, 2008). Estefan, in an interview with www.allheadlinenews.com, stated the film would be released in 2009. As of December 2009, the film has been dropped as Connie Francis had irreconcilable differences with Estefan over the film's writer. Francis wanted to hire writer Robert L. Freedman, who had written the Emmy Award winning mini-series Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. Estefan refused to consider him, which according to Francis ended the project collaboration.Daeida Magazine (December 2009) – Interview by: David Ybarra pg. 26

Estefan appeared in the ABC television special Elmopalooza, which aired February 20, 1998, in which she sang the song "Mambo, I, I, I." In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company’s program, American Idol as a guest mentor for the contestants' Latin week.

Books

Estefan has written two children's books: The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog (2005) and Noelle's Treasure Tale (2006). The latter book spent a week at #3 on the New York Times Bestseller list for children's books.

She also collaborated on a cookbook with her husband entitled Estefan Kitchen, which was published in 2008. It contains 60 traditional Cuban recipes.

Other business ventures

Cardozo-hotel-miami-beach.JPGthumbrightThe Cardozo hotel on Ocean Drive, in Miami Beach, Florida.

Gloria and Emilio Estefan own a number of business establishments, including seven Cuban-themed restaurants (). The restaurants are located in Miami; Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, part of the American Airlines Arena; Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney in Orlando; Mexico City; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They also own two hotels: the Costa d'Este in Vero Beach which opened in 2008, and The Cardozo in Miami Beach.

Gloria Estefan was appointed to the board of directors for Univision Communications Inc. in 2007, according to Hispanic Market Weekly. The Estefans' estimated net worth as of 2011 was approximately $700 million, according to an article in People En Espanol magazine.

In June 2009, Gloria Estefan and her husband bought a "very small" ownership stake in the Miami Dolphins., Sports Illustrated (via AP Miami), June 25, 2009, The Miami Herald, June 26, 2009"Estefans will acquire minority stake in Miami Dolphins", Miami Herald, June 23, 2009

Awards

In addition to her seven Grammys, Estefan has received a number of other awards. In May 1993, she received the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, which is the highest award that can be given to a naturalized U.S. citizen. She has won the Hispanic Heritage Award, an MTV Video Music Award, two cable television ACE Awards and the 1993 National Music Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year award. The singer is the recipient of the American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her husband, Emilio, a world-renowned music impresario, received a star adjacent to his wife’s on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.

Estefan holds an honorary doctoral degree in music from the University of Miami, awarded in 1993.http In 2002, Barry University in Miami bestowed upon her an honorary law degree. Along with her husband, Estefan received an honorary doctoral degree in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2007.http She also delivered the commencement address to the 2007 graduating class.

In 2002, she received the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Medallion of Excellence for Community Service. The singer was Musicares Person of the Year in 1994. Gloria also founded the Gloria Estefan Foundation whose goal is to help those with spinal cord injuries.

She has been honored twice by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1992, she served as a public member of the United States Delegation to the 47th General Assembly to the United Nations.

Estefan received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year award at the Latin Grammy Awards in November 2008 in recognition of her twenty-five year singing career. She is the first female singer to receive this award.http She also received a Latin Grammy for "Best Traditional Tropical Album" for 90 Millas, and a Latin Grammy for "Best Tropical Song" for her single, "Píntame De Colores". This marked the first occasion for Estefan to ever win a Grammy award for a song (either Latin or non-Latin).http

On March 12, 2009, Estefan was honored as a BMI Icon at the 16th annual BMI Latin Awards. Her catalog boasts 22 BMI Latin and Pop Awards, along with 11 BMI Million-Air Awards.

In April 2010, Gloria and her husband received a star in the "Walk Of Stars" in Las Vegas for their contribution to music industry.http

Discography

Albums discography

Studio albums

Singles discography

Filmography

Videography

* Video Exitos (1986) L.D.L Enterprises

* Homecoming Concert (1989) CMV

* Evolution (1990) CMV

* Coming Out Of The Dark (1991) SMV

* Into The Light World Tour (1992) SMV

* Everlasting Gloria! (1995) EMV

* The Evolution Tour Live In Miami (1996) EMV

* Don't Stop (1998) EMV

* Que siga la tradición (2001) EMV

* Live In Atlantis (2002) EMV

* Famous (2003) (Video journal about making-of Unwrapped LP; included in CD package)

* Live & Unwrapped (2004) EMV

Books

*The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog (2005) ISBN 0-06-082623-1.

*Noelle's Treasure Tale: A New Magically Mysterious Adventure (2006)

*Estefan's Kitchen (2008)

Tours

See also

*Best selling music artists

*List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

*List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

*Pop Latino

References