October 11, 2023 • 22 mins
Gloria Estefan's career continued to thrive as she embarked on a successful solo career with albums like "Cuts Both Ways" and "Don't Wanna Lose You." A near-fatal bus accident threatened her career, but she made a remarkable recovery and returned to the stage, released multiple albums with chart-topping hits. Her contributions were recognized with various awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, proving that she will always be a legendary figure in the music industry.
Lilliana Vázquez and Joseph Carrillo are the hosts of Becoming an Icon with production support by Josie Meléndez, Daniela Sarquis, and Santiago Sierra of Sonoro Media in partnership with iHeart Radio's My Cultura Podcast network. If you want to support the podcast, please rate and review our show.
Follow Lilliana Vázquez on Instagram and Twitter @lillianavazquez
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Picture this. It's the eighties. The music is bumping from
the beaches of La to South Beach. The kids are
blasting music on their boomboxes.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I see the mihita wearing bandana's short shorts, no shirt,
all those sweaty bansitas.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh yo, exactly beautiful sun kissed people roller skating with
walkman's in their hands, moving their bodies to songs like
let It Loose, Give It Up, and.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
The ragm is gonna get you, The rhythm is gonna
get you, the rythm is gonna get you.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
To night Dun Dun.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
I feel like we sound just like them.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I mean seriously.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I'm your host, Lilianavoscaz.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And I'm Joseph Carrio And this is Becoming an Icon.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
A weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on
how today's most famous latinx have shaped pop culture.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
And given the world some extra level.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Sit back and get comfortable.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Because we are going in the only way we know how,
with buenos buenas, visas.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
And a lot of opinions, as we relive their greatest
achievements on our journey to find out what makes them
so iconic. The Miami Sound Machine returned to the studio
in early nineteen eighty seven with Jorge George Gasas on bass,
(01:36):
keyboardist Clay Oswald, and guitarist John Defadia. Kika Garcia was
the only remaining core member. Now that Gloria Stefan was
given top billing.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Henny, she hypnotized the fans I mean, the band's name
was changed to Gloria Es Stefan and the Miami Sound Machine.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
To capitalize on that ass.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
The album Let It Loose went multi platinum, with three
million copies sold in the US alone. The songs Can't
Stay Away from You, Anything for You, and one two
three were all top charting singles on the Adult Contemporary.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Hits Adult Contemporary That's Giving leg Warmers, shoulder Pads, and
perm Vibesa.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Don't Forget Success vibes Joseph because it also featured the
song anything for You, that did reach number one on
the Billboard Hot one hundred. This song was their very
first number one hit.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Gloria and you know what, My Blue The rhythm did get.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
To them, well, not all of them. Gloria had always
spoken out against the Castro regime, and all that success
gave her a big platform where people really listened to
what she had to say about it, and the Cuban government, well,
they weren't very happy about it. She was declared persona
non grata out, but that did not stop her or
(02:54):
her massive fame. In nineteen eighty nine, the group's name
was changed one last time. Glodia Stefan was now on
her own as a solo artist.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Hey listen, it happened to Selena justin Timberlake, Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
After the worldwide chart success of the single Anything for You,
her Let It Loose album was repackaged as Anything for You,
with only her name on it. The album included the
hit singles Don't Want to Lose You, Oyamikanto, Here we Are,
Cuts both Ways, and get on Your Feet. It was
her best selling album to date, and with so many
(03:30):
successful singles, she made writing look easy.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
In both English and in Spanish. It was like she
knew no boundaries and those curls on the cover of
the album were to die for. They were hydrated and bouncy.
It was like the Vo five commercials.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I love her with the curly hair. I think she
looks so beautiful, it's so youthful, and I love that
she wore her hair curly on the cover. Remember when
Mariah did that. It was such a big deal, too,
so good. Why was it such a big deal to
wear curly hair back then? Like, who cares?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
It just meant you were different and you can't be different.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I guess everybody wanted straight hair, and I'm like, no,
let these curly divas shine. With the success of the
album came a tour, and Glodia was on tour in
Pennsylvania when on March twentieth, nineteen ninety, a near fatal
accident almost stripped us and the rest of the world
(04:26):
of her amazing voice. There was a snowstorm and as
her bus hit the road that day, a semi truck
crashed into them.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Stop it, it was Emilio there, No, he was not.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Emilio was returning from a meeting with President George Bush
to discuss participation in an anti drugs campaign when he
found out that his wife's tour bus had been in
a major accident. She was critically injured with a fractured spine.
She was flown by helicopter the following day York City,
where she underwent surgery that included implanting two titanium rods.
(05:04):
To stabilize her vertebral column. Her rehab included almost a
year of intensive physical therapy, and she said there were
times when the pain was so bad I prayed I'd
pass out.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
My God, my body just aches imagining this. I know.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Thankfully she did make a complete recovery.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Okay, so hold on, what was happening to the Miami
Sound Machine all this time? Were they like still a
thing without Gladia?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Not quite. Emilil tried to create an offshoot Miami Sound
Machine with a completely different lineup, but without Gloria's signature
of vocals or any real connection to the original Miami
Sound Machine musicians. The new project failed to chart in
the United States.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I mean, what did he expect.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
The lead singer is a lead singer period, Like Honey
to the Bees, It's like this show.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm the Gloria, You're the sound machine.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
But I love you though I know you do, and yes,
my love, you are the Gloria. But now back to
the real Gloria. It was the early nineties when a
Stefan officially returned to the stage and to the charts.
Ten months after her accident. She performed Coming Out of
the Dark at the American Music Awards to a standing Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Coming out of the Dark. Did she be coming out
like the speed of light? Honey, that recovery?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
You said it earlier.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
She's Wolverine serious.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
The fans were thrilled to have her back. Coming Out
of the Dark reached number one in the US as
a single, and the album went double platinum in the
US one year after her recovery, as Stefan proved she
was back by performing in the Super Bowl twenty six halftime.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Show like an icon.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Baby, It's the early nineties, nineteen ninety two to be precise.
Gloria has just released Glodia Stefan's Greatest Hits, and the
album includes the US hit ballads Always Tomorrow and I
(07:08):
See You Smile, along with the international hit dance track
go Away.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Nineteen ninety two, So big Hair, Bigger Hoops. The Cold
War was officially over and Clinton is president. Like, what
a time to be alive.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I was little in nineteen ninety two. I mean not
just physically little. I was true physically little. I probably
in the same size today that I was in nineteen
ninety two.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
No joke, you guys, lid to really, but I was little.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I was twelve and I was in middle school, and
I definitely remember Gloria being the queen of pop in
my house. Oh have that playing? Was that the soundtrack
to your early nineties years?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
You know?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I'll say this, my parents didn't really like They grew
up with very different music, obviously, but I think at
this time my brother was older, so he was listening
to like Lisa Lobe and a little bit more like
alternative stuff like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Lisa Lobe. Something
was happening there because I wasn't listening to Gloria.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Then well, I think for me, I don't know that
I would have chosen Glodia. It's just that I never
had a choice. In the car, it was my mom.
My mom was like, what's the adult contemporary channel? One
oh two point one line? And so every time we
got in the car, if we were listening to that
type of music, it was that. And I will say
I think it was also a little bit interesting to
(08:30):
watch my mom loved Gloria in all of her Spanish
glory and then to also hoop on in English because
my mom didn't listen to a ton of English music.
I don't remember it at least Gloria was probably one
of the first times I remember my mom specifically listening
to call it pop adult contemporary music in ingles. Normally
(08:54):
she only listened to Spanish music. But my mom really
only listened to Spanish music until Gloria did her official crossover.
Isn't that crazy?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
She's the one person that gave like English Latin.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I don't know if that's true, right, I'm just saying
that for me, Like, she's the one person that it
sounded like Spanish but it.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Was English, So whatever that means.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It's just like, you know, I can see that your
mom would would go like that. I think even the
music of the nineties she had such a big influence
because like they sang music in English that sounded like Spanish.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
How could you do that? Is what I'm saying, Like.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
I think what you're getting at is that the soul
of the song feels connected to you in your native language.
Thank you, let me transfer.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
All of my Yeah, those were all of my words
for you, guys. That's what I meant to say.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
What he meant is this, the soul of the song
feels connected to him in his native language of Spanish.
And I think that same thing applied to other first
generation or immigrants that were enjoying Spanish music and all
of a sudden found themselves in cars with their children
listening to English music.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I love it because I wonder if they were, like,
bet do I know Inglass?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
They were probably know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Well, I think a lot of people, if you think
about singers, learn a new language by singing the songs, right,
you can learn a new language by singing songs. My
mom learned English by watching TV. So it was just
an extension of that. And you brought up a really
important part of the nineties that people have probably forgotten about.
Because I'm gonna call it. He was a one hit wonder,
(10:26):
John Sicata Sicata, So yes, the year is nineteen ninety two,
and Laura, with all of her success, her global thing,
all of the number one hits, saying back up for
fellow Cuban American John Sicata on just another day.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Just another day.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I feel so bad that he last or wherever he is, John,
we miss you. Do a revival song, do another day song.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And he, by the way, was just the first a
long line of musicians that the Stephans would go on
to help We've talked about that before with Shakira sitting
down for writing sessions with her for Ricky Martin. So
clearly this was something that was nay like, helping other
Latino succeed in the US was something that was innate
(11:17):
to them. It was natural. It's what they wanted to do.
They wanted to use their fame, not just to continue
to rack up number one hits and awards and of
course all the monies that comes with it, but to
help their fellow Cubans and their fellow Latinos. It's a
beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
There are good people out there. Yeah. Sicata had that
smooth voice.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I remember giving me a reason, give me a reason
because I I don't want.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
To say or stay I don't really remember.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Whatever that was was beautiful. I'm sorry, where's Joseph is?
Just the day?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Whatever? John sis Johnson?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
That was amazing And I don't want you to come
back to me. Stay exactly where you were and stay there.
Because after helping John Sicata reach US fame, Gloria released
her first Spanish language album, Meet Thiira as a solo artist.
It was an instant hit. It peaked at number twenty
seven on the Billboard Album Chart and number one on
(12:20):
the Top Latin Albums chart in the US. The singles Mitthieira,
the romantic tropical ballad Go and Me buen More all
climbed to number one on the Hot Latin.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Tracks Chartgallon is one of the most romantic songs ever.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Don't you think it's beautiful?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Will you sing that? No? I will not.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I will spare our listeners the pain and I will
not can be. And I also won't disrespect Clodia like that.
Nobody wants to hear me saying except my son, and
even then.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Take down, make look at you. I'm not going to
go more because I can't sing like her. I'm just
gonna say that one part. I mean, if someone dedicates
this song to you, it's like your lovers from other
lifetimes who.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Get to meet again. Don't you think it's like love
love love.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
It's like another type of love. It's like in another life,
love bringing itself into the present. Like it's what her
and Emelia have, It's what we all wish we had.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I want that.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
The album went on to sell over eight million copies worldwide,
and it went on to become multi platinum in Spain.
And in the US, and it earned the Grammy Award
for Best Tropical Latin Album.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And you forgot because she looks absolutely gorgeous with that
twenties haired you.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
It's vintage, it's classy, very Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It's giving Maria Felix or the Lords Delrio such.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
A good reference as Joseph Una Diva in the true
sense of the word.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You think Glodia would take a break given all her success,
but she didn't stop working for a second. After Midiira,
she released her first Christmas album.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
This was the first album Emilio didn't produce, and you
can tell. I mean it was good, but it's definitely
not Latino at all, like zero, no Satasa, no spice,
no cozy Latin vibes, and na this sena and it's.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
What are cozy Latin vibes? How do I get that
in my house?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
You know? They just exist?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Oh my god, you're so funny. I love you, and yes,
I agree with you. But This Christmas and Silent Night
did go platinum in the US, So while it might
not be your favorite Christmas album, but the singles This
Christmas and Silent Night went platinum in the US, so
it was liked by many. Did you know that almost
every year in the nineties she released an.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Album Wait for Real? That's like five hundred and eighty
six years.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
She remade disco hits from her past. She did another
Spanish album, I Mean this Woman didn't stop.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
She made the official theme of the nineteen ninety six
Atlanta Summer Olympics, Reach, which she would perform at the
Summer Olympics closing ceremony. I mean, can we all agree
you should become officially a Latin institution? Uh?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yes, we are all in agreement for sure. And after
the accident, it did take her five years to go
back on the road, but her comeback was for the
entire world to see. The Evolution World Tour covered the US, Canada, Europe,
Latin America, Australia and Asia. Wow.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Before the decade ended, she had released twenty one records
if we include the Miami Saw Machine ones.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
This woman was all whack whack, whack, whack whack Why.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
And just before the year two k she said goodbye
to the century by performing at the Super Bowl thirty
three halftime show. And yes, if you're keeping track, that
was her second appearance.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
This was a big deal. I mean she was on
the world's biggest stage twice. Not one Latino can say that.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
And just to give it some context for you guys.
Before her, the Latinos who had made it to the
halftime show were some performers from Up with the People
in the seventies and eighties, and Jordan Knight who is
Puerto Rican and of course a member of NKOTB. New
Kids on the Block for all of you youngins.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Yes, exactly, new Kids on the Block. You still have
the post strap, don't you. I do.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
And before this there was no big Latino star that
could have performed in the Super Bowl. Glordia paved the
way for I don't want to say it, so I'm
going to let you say.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
It, the Latin Explosion.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Glodia Stephan was the first Latina to be at the
center stage of the Super Bowl halftime show. Her reach
to stardom paved the way for so many Latino musicians.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Henny, she brought up spice and made that road slay in.
I mean to sing with the coolest boy band baby.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Bye Bye Bye.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
That's right, I forgot. Glodia performed with in sync on
the single Music of My Heart which is a song
featured in the film Music of the Heart, in which
she also appeared. This song peaked at number two on
the Billboard chart and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Did you watch Music of the Heart, because I have
to tell you I did not.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
It's, first of all, it's Meryl Streep, so yes I have.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Oh that would change my mind.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Though, yes, well it's a big deal. I mean, if
you're acting next to Meryl Streep, I don't know that
it matters what I think of your acting skills because
Meryll co signed you being in this film, so it's
her debut film as an actress, which is a big deal. Again, like,
if you're sharing the screen with Meryl Streep, I'm having
so much imposter syndrome. But Gloria actually is really good
(18:14):
in it. I mean, Meryl got an Oscar nomination for it,
and Glodia got a nomination for a song in it.
So it's good. It's not great, not my favorite.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
When it's also Gloria. I'll say this, she has been performing,
like not that you're an actor in a singer, but
she's been performing for a very long time that I
imagine she's able to go into a character, is what
I'll say that, not that this came easy, but for
her to be next to Meryl Streep, did it feel
to you? Did it look like she was acting or
were you like WHOA? I kind of believe this.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I felt like she was acting. But I think it's
hard to be on screen next to Meryl. And by
the way, it's also like Angela Bassett. I mean, it's
there's a lot of really good people in this film.
But I will say good for her, and by the way,
I love her and Father of the Bride.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Too, So I did see that one.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
It's very good. It's so I love her as an actress.
I say, go for it, Glodia, do all of those things.
I don't want to put people in a box. I'm
not putting her in a box. You go out and
do whatever makes your heart happy, and her success would continue.
In twenty eleven, she released a song produced by Pharrell Williams.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Can talk about being musically pluri potential, pop checked, belcanto, done,
jazz a.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
You got it, Oh, and of course don't forget acting, Joseph.
She also gave her voice to a song in the
Lynn Manuel Miranda movie Vivo and made cameos on Fraser
Niptuck Lee. And lastly, let's talk about our favorite Glodia movie,
Father of the Bride with Andy Garcia.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Really and like, is that all?
Speaker 1 (19:55):
It's Gloria. We're not done yet. Funds have made themselves
a household name, not only in music but everywhere. Glodia
and Emilio aren't just about the music. They own restaurants, hotels.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I heard she even wrote children's books.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Oh yeah, that's right. She authored two children's books, The
Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noel the Bulldog and Noel's Treasure Tale. FYI,
that last one is a New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
She is a She also wrote a cookbook called Estefan Kitchen.
Tell me how does she find time to do all
of this? Is she everything everywhere all at once?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I love that movie. And she's an icon. Joseph, you
know that sign or that meme that always says, like,
even Beyonce has twenty four hours in a day, it
doesn't matter. Those twenty four hours are exponentially better when
you're Beyonce or when you're someone like Gloria. They just
never stop. Simply put, she's an icon. Joseph of I
(21:00):
know it. You know it, our listeners know it. Even
Barack Obama knows it. He awarded the Stephans with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom in twenty fifteen and said this,
some worried they were two American for Latins and two
Latin for Americans. Turns out everybody just wanted to dance
and do the gunga.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Basically, she is topped everything like what's missing?
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Not a lot. But this year I will say she
also took another top honor and became the first Latina
inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. So as for
what's next for Santa Glodia, well that's a whole other episode.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
On the next Becoming an Icon.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Join us along with our very special guest to chat
more about the legacy of Gloria and Emilio Stefan, not
just in music, but also in our kamuni that Becoming
an Icon is presented by Sonoo and Iheart's Michael Duda
podcast network. Listen to Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app,
(22:16):
Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast
Picture this. It's the eighties. The music is bumping from
the beaches of La to South Beach. The kids are
blasting music on their boomboxes.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I see the mihita wearing bandana's short shorts, no shirt,
all those sweaty bansitas.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh yo, exactly beautiful sun kissed people roller skating with
walkman's in their hands, moving their bodies to songs like
let It Loose, Give It Up, and.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
The ragm is gonna get you, The rhythm is gonna
get you, the rythm is gonna get you.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
To night Dun Dun.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
I feel like we sound just like them.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I mean seriously.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I'm your host, Lilianavoscaz.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And I'm Joseph Carrio And this is Becoming an Icon.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
A weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on
how today's most famous latinx have shaped pop culture.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
And given the world some extra level.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Sit back and get comfortable.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Because we are going in the only way we know how,
with buenos buenas, visas.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
And a lot of opinions, as we relive their greatest
achievements on our journey to find out what makes them
so iconic. The Miami Sound Machine returned to the studio
in early nineteen eighty seven with Jorge George Gasas on bass,
(01:36):
keyboardist Clay Oswald, and guitarist John Defadia. Kika Garcia was
the only remaining core member. Now that Gloria Stefan was
given top billing.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Henny, she hypnotized the fans I mean, the band's name
was changed to Gloria Es Stefan and the Miami Sound Machine.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
To capitalize on that ass.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
The album Let It Loose went multi platinum, with three
million copies sold in the US alone. The songs Can't
Stay Away from You, Anything for You, and one two
three were all top charting singles on the Adult Contemporary.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Hits Adult Contemporary That's Giving leg Warmers, shoulder Pads, and
perm Vibesa.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Don't Forget Success vibes Joseph because it also featured the
song anything for You, that did reach number one on
the Billboard Hot one hundred. This song was their very
first number one hit.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Gloria and you know what, My Blue The rhythm did get.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
To them, well, not all of them. Gloria had always
spoken out against the Castro regime, and all that success
gave her a big platform where people really listened to
what she had to say about it, and the Cuban government, well,
they weren't very happy about it. She was declared persona
non grata out, but that did not stop her or
(02:54):
her massive fame. In nineteen eighty nine, the group's name
was changed one last time. Glodia Stefan was now on
her own as a solo artist.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Hey listen, it happened to Selena justin Timberlake, Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
After the worldwide chart success of the single Anything for You,
her Let It Loose album was repackaged as Anything for You,
with only her name on it. The album included the
hit singles Don't Want to Lose You, Oyamikanto, Here we Are,
Cuts both Ways, and get on Your Feet. It was
her best selling album to date, and with so many
(03:30):
successful singles, she made writing look easy.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
In both English and in Spanish. It was like she
knew no boundaries and those curls on the cover of
the album were to die for. They were hydrated and bouncy.
It was like the Vo five commercials.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I love her with the curly hair. I think she
looks so beautiful, it's so youthful, and I love that
she wore her hair curly on the cover. Remember when
Mariah did that. It was such a big deal, too,
so good. Why was it such a big deal to
wear curly hair back then? Like, who cares?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
It just meant you were different and you can't be different.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I guess everybody wanted straight hair, and I'm like, no,
let these curly divas shine. With the success of the
album came a tour, and Glodia was on tour in
Pennsylvania when on March twentieth, nineteen ninety, a near fatal
accident almost stripped us and the rest of the world
(04:26):
of her amazing voice. There was a snowstorm and as
her bus hit the road that day, a semi truck
crashed into them.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Stop it, it was Emilio there, No, he was not.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Emilio was returning from a meeting with President George Bush
to discuss participation in an anti drugs campaign when he
found out that his wife's tour bus had been in
a major accident. She was critically injured with a fractured spine.
She was flown by helicopter the following day York City,
where she underwent surgery that included implanting two titanium rods.
(05:04):
To stabilize her vertebral column. Her rehab included almost a
year of intensive physical therapy, and she said there were
times when the pain was so bad I prayed I'd
pass out.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
My God, my body just aches imagining this. I know.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Thankfully she did make a complete recovery.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Okay, so hold on, what was happening to the Miami
Sound Machine all this time? Were they like still a
thing without Gladia?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Not quite. Emilil tried to create an offshoot Miami Sound
Machine with a completely different lineup, but without Gloria's signature
of vocals or any real connection to the original Miami
Sound Machine musicians. The new project failed to chart in
the United States.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I mean, what did he expect.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
The lead singer is a lead singer period, Like Honey
to the Bees, It's like this show.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm the Gloria, You're the sound machine.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
But I love you though I know you do, and yes,
my love, you are the Gloria. But now back to
the real Gloria. It was the early nineties when a
Stefan officially returned to the stage and to the charts.
Ten months after her accident. She performed Coming Out of
the Dark at the American Music Awards to a standing Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Coming out of the Dark. Did she be coming out
like the speed of light? Honey, that recovery?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
You said it earlier.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
She's Wolverine serious.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
The fans were thrilled to have her back. Coming Out
of the Dark reached number one in the US as
a single, and the album went double platinum in the
US one year after her recovery, as Stefan proved she
was back by performing in the Super Bowl twenty six halftime.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Show like an icon.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Baby, It's the early nineties, nineteen ninety two to be precise.
Gloria has just released Glodia Stefan's Greatest Hits, and the
album includes the US hit ballads Always Tomorrow and I
(07:08):
See You Smile, along with the international hit dance track
go Away.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Nineteen ninety two, So big Hair, Bigger Hoops. The Cold
War was officially over and Clinton is president. Like, what
a time to be alive.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I was little in nineteen ninety two. I mean not
just physically little. I was true physically little. I probably
in the same size today that I was in nineteen
ninety two.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
No joke, you guys, lid to really, but I was little.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I was twelve and I was in middle school, and
I definitely remember Gloria being the queen of pop in
my house. Oh have that playing? Was that the soundtrack
to your early nineties years?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
You know?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I'll say this, my parents didn't really like They grew
up with very different music, obviously, but I think at
this time my brother was older, so he was listening
to like Lisa Lobe and a little bit more like
alternative stuff like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Lisa Lobe. Something
was happening there because I wasn't listening to Gloria.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Then well, I think for me, I don't know that
I would have chosen Glodia. It's just that I never
had a choice. In the car, it was my mom.
My mom was like, what's the adult contemporary channel? One
oh two point one line? And so every time we
got in the car, if we were listening to that
type of music, it was that. And I will say
I think it was also a little bit interesting to
(08:30):
watch my mom loved Gloria in all of her Spanish
glory and then to also hoop on in English because
my mom didn't listen to a ton of English music.
I don't remember it at least Gloria was probably one
of the first times I remember my mom specifically listening
to call it pop adult contemporary music in ingles. Normally
(08:54):
she only listened to Spanish music. But my mom really
only listened to Spanish music until Gloria did her official crossover.
Isn't that crazy?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
She's the one person that gave like English Latin.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I don't know if that's true, right, I'm just saying
that for me, Like, she's the one person that it
sounded like Spanish but it.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Was English, So whatever that means.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It's just like, you know, I can see that your
mom would would go like that. I think even the
music of the nineties she had such a big influence
because like they sang music in English that sounded like Spanish.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
How could you do that? Is what I'm saying, Like.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
I think what you're getting at is that the soul
of the song feels connected to you in your native language.
Thank you, let me transfer.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
All of my Yeah, those were all of my words
for you, guys. That's what I meant to say.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
What he meant is this, the soul of the song
feels connected to him in his native language of Spanish.
And I think that same thing applied to other first
generation or immigrants that were enjoying Spanish music and all
of a sudden found themselves in cars with their children
listening to English music.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I love it because I wonder if they were, like,
bet do I know Inglass?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
They were probably know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Well, I think a lot of people, if you think
about singers, learn a new language by singing the songs, right,
you can learn a new language by singing songs. My
mom learned English by watching TV. So it was just
an extension of that. And you brought up a really
important part of the nineties that people have probably forgotten about.
Because I'm gonna call it. He was a one hit wonder,
(10:26):
John Sicata Sicata, So yes, the year is nineteen ninety two,
and Laura, with all of her success, her global thing,
all of the number one hits, saying back up for
fellow Cuban American John Sicata on just another day.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Just another day.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I feel so bad that he last or wherever he is, John,
we miss you. Do a revival song, do another day song.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And he, by the way, was just the first a
long line of musicians that the Stephans would go on
to help We've talked about that before with Shakira sitting
down for writing sessions with her for Ricky Martin. So
clearly this was something that was nay like, helping other
Latino succeed in the US was something that was innate
(11:17):
to them. It was natural. It's what they wanted to do.
They wanted to use their fame, not just to continue
to rack up number one hits and awards and of
course all the monies that comes with it, but to
help their fellow Cubans and their fellow Latinos. It's a
beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
There are good people out there. Yeah. Sicata had that
smooth voice.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I remember giving me a reason, give me a reason
because I I don't want.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
To say or stay I don't really remember.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Whatever that was was beautiful. I'm sorry, where's Joseph is?
Just the day?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Whatever? John sis Johnson?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
That was amazing And I don't want you to come
back to me. Stay exactly where you were and stay there.
Because after helping John Sicata reach US fame, Gloria released
her first Spanish language album, Meet Thiira as a solo artist.
It was an instant hit. It peaked at number twenty
seven on the Billboard Album Chart and number one on
(12:20):
the Top Latin Albums chart in the US. The singles Mitthieira,
the romantic tropical ballad Go and Me buen More all
climbed to number one on the Hot Latin.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Tracks Chartgallon is one of the most romantic songs ever.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Don't you think it's beautiful?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Will you sing that? No? I will not.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I will spare our listeners the pain and I will
not can be. And I also won't disrespect Clodia like that.
Nobody wants to hear me saying except my son, and
even then.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Take down, make look at you. I'm not going to
go more because I can't sing like her. I'm just
gonna say that one part. I mean, if someone dedicates
this song to you, it's like your lovers from other
lifetimes who.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Get to meet again. Don't you think it's like love
love love.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
It's like another type of love. It's like in another life,
love bringing itself into the present. Like it's what her
and Emelia have, It's what we all wish we had.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I want that.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
The album went on to sell over eight million copies worldwide,
and it went on to become multi platinum in Spain.
And in the US, and it earned the Grammy Award
for Best Tropical Latin Album.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And you forgot because she looks absolutely gorgeous with that
twenties haired you.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
It's vintage, it's classy, very Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It's giving Maria Felix or the Lords Delrio such.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
A good reference as Joseph Una Diva in the true
sense of the word.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You think Glodia would take a break given all her success,
but she didn't stop working for a second. After Midiira,
she released her first Christmas album.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
This was the first album Emilio didn't produce, and you
can tell. I mean it was good, but it's definitely
not Latino at all, like zero, no Satasa, no spice,
no cozy Latin vibes, and na this sena and it's.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
What are cozy Latin vibes? How do I get that
in my house?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
You know? They just exist?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Oh my god, you're so funny. I love you, and yes,
I agree with you. But This Christmas and Silent Night
did go platinum in the US, So while it might
not be your favorite Christmas album, but the singles This
Christmas and Silent Night went platinum in the US, so
it was liked by many. Did you know that almost
every year in the nineties she released an.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Album Wait for Real? That's like five hundred and eighty
six years.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
She remade disco hits from her past. She did another
Spanish album, I Mean this Woman didn't stop.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
She made the official theme of the nineteen ninety six
Atlanta Summer Olympics, Reach, which she would perform at the
Summer Olympics closing ceremony. I mean, can we all agree
you should become officially a Latin institution? Uh?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yes, we are all in agreement for sure. And after
the accident, it did take her five years to go
back on the road, but her comeback was for the
entire world to see. The Evolution World Tour covered the US, Canada, Europe,
Latin America, Australia and Asia. Wow.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Before the decade ended, she had released twenty one records
if we include the Miami Saw Machine ones.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
This woman was all whack whack, whack, whack whack Why.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
And just before the year two k she said goodbye
to the century by performing at the Super Bowl thirty
three halftime show. And yes, if you're keeping track, that
was her second appearance.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
This was a big deal. I mean she was on
the world's biggest stage twice. Not one Latino can say that.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
And just to give it some context for you guys.
Before her, the Latinos who had made it to the
halftime show were some performers from Up with the People
in the seventies and eighties, and Jordan Knight who is
Puerto Rican and of course a member of NKOTB. New
Kids on the Block for all of you youngins.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Yes, exactly, new Kids on the Block. You still have
the post strap, don't you. I do.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
And before this there was no big Latino star that
could have performed in the Super Bowl. Glordia paved the
way for I don't want to say it, so I'm
going to let you say.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
It, the Latin Explosion.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Glodia Stephan was the first Latina to be at the
center stage of the Super Bowl halftime show. Her reach
to stardom paved the way for so many Latino musicians.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Henny, she brought up spice and made that road slay in.
I mean to sing with the coolest boy band baby.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Bye Bye Bye.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
That's right, I forgot. Glodia performed with in sync on
the single Music of My Heart which is a song
featured in the film Music of the Heart, in which
she also appeared. This song peaked at number two on
the Billboard chart and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Did you watch Music of the Heart, because I have
to tell you I did not.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
It's, first of all, it's Meryl Streep, so yes I have.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Oh that would change my mind.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Though, yes, well it's a big deal. I mean, if
you're acting next to Meryl Streep, I don't know that
it matters what I think of your acting skills because
Meryll co signed you being in this film, so it's
her debut film as an actress, which is a big deal. Again, like,
if you're sharing the screen with Meryl Streep, I'm having
so much imposter syndrome. But Gloria actually is really good
(18:14):
in it. I mean, Meryl got an Oscar nomination for it,
and Glodia got a nomination for a song in it.
So it's good. It's not great, not my favorite.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
When it's also Gloria. I'll say this, she has been performing,
like not that you're an actor in a singer, but
she's been performing for a very long time that I
imagine she's able to go into a character, is what
I'll say that, not that this came easy, but for
her to be next to Meryl Streep, did it feel
to you? Did it look like she was acting or
were you like WHOA? I kind of believe this.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I felt like she was acting. But I think it's
hard to be on screen next to Meryl. And by
the way, it's also like Angela Bassett. I mean, it's
there's a lot of really good people in this film.
But I will say good for her, and by the way,
I love her and Father of the Bride.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Too, So I did see that one.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
It's very good. It's so I love her as an actress.
I say, go for it, Glodia, do all of those things.
I don't want to put people in a box. I'm
not putting her in a box. You go out and
do whatever makes your heart happy, and her success would continue.
In twenty eleven, she released a song produced by Pharrell Williams.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Can talk about being musically pluri potential, pop checked, belcanto, done,
jazz a.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
You got it, Oh, and of course don't forget acting, Joseph.
She also gave her voice to a song in the
Lynn Manuel Miranda movie Vivo and made cameos on Fraser
Niptuck Lee. And lastly, let's talk about our favorite Glodia movie,
Father of the Bride with Andy Garcia.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Really and like, is that all?
Speaker 1 (19:55):
It's Gloria. We're not done yet. Funds have made themselves
a household name, not only in music but everywhere. Glodia
and Emilio aren't just about the music. They own restaurants, hotels.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I heard she even wrote children's books.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Oh yeah, that's right. She authored two children's books, The
Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noel the Bulldog and Noel's Treasure Tale. FYI,
that last one is a New York Times bestseller.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
She is a She also wrote a cookbook called Estefan Kitchen.
Tell me how does she find time to do all
of this? Is she everything everywhere all at once?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I love that movie. And she's an icon. Joseph, you
know that sign or that meme that always says, like,
even Beyonce has twenty four hours in a day, it
doesn't matter. Those twenty four hours are exponentially better when
you're Beyonce or when you're someone like Gloria. They just
never stop. Simply put, she's an icon. Joseph of I
(21:00):
know it. You know it, our listeners know it. Even
Barack Obama knows it. He awarded the Stephans with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom in twenty fifteen and said this,
some worried they were two American for Latins and two
Latin for Americans. Turns out everybody just wanted to dance
and do the gunga.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Basically, she is topped everything like what's missing?
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Not a lot. But this year I will say she
also took another top honor and became the first Latina
inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. So as for
what's next for Santa Glodia, well that's a whole other episode.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
On the next Becoming an Icon.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Join us along with our very special guest to chat
more about the legacy of Gloria and Emilio Stefan, not
just in music, but also in our kamuni that Becoming
an Icon is presented by Sonoo and Iheart's Michael Duda
podcast network. Listen to Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app,
(22:16):
Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast
Hosts And Creators
Lilliana Vazquez
Joseph Carrillo
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