Gloria Estefan

Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan, known mostly as Gloria Estefan (born September 1, 1957) is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. She is known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop". Estefan has won multiple Grammy Awards. The singer was a member of Miami Sound Machine in the 1980s. She is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide."Celebrity Counsel For Miami GuitarTown Gloria Estefan Autographs Gibson Les Paul Sculpture 'Gateway to the Americas'" , Miami GuitarTown, Gibson Guitar Corporation, March 17, 2009 Currently, she is the most successful crossover performer in Latin music. In 1999, Estefan collaborated with NSYNC on the single "Music of My Heart"—a song featured in the film Music of the Heart in which she also appeared. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard chart and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Early life
She was born Gloria Fajardo on September 1, 1957, in Havana, Cuba. As a toddler, Estefan fled Cuba with her family when Communist dictator Fidel Castro rose to power. Her father, Jose Manuel Fajardo, had been a Cuban soldier and bodyguard of former President Fulgencio Batista. Her maternal grandfather, Leonardo García, immigrated to Cuba from Pola de Siero, Asturias, Spain. He married Gloria's maternal grandmother in Pola de Siero, Asturias, Spain. Her maternal grandmother is originally from Logroño, Spain.

After coming to the United States, Fajardo was recruited into the 2506 Brigade, a Central Intelligence Agency-funded band of Cuban refugees that was involved in the unsuccessful 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. After President John F. Kennedy negotiated the release of the captured soldiers, Fajardo rejoined his family. He eventually joined the U.S. Army and served for two years in Vietnam.

As a child Estefan liked to write poetry, and though she took classical guitar lessons, she found them tedious. She had no idea that she would some day become a popular music star, but music played a very important role for her as a teenager.

After her father's return from Vietnam, he was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis, possibly as a result of having been exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange while serving in the army. Estefan's mother, who had been a teacher in Cuba, worked to support the family during the day and attended school at night. Young Gloria was left to take care of her father and younger sister. She had little social life, and because she felt the weight of such responsibilities she turned to music as a release.

"When my father was ill, music was my escape," Estefan told Washington Post reporter Richard Harrington. "I would lock myself up in my room for hours and just sing. I wouldn't cry—I refused to cry...Music was the only way I had to just let go, so I sang for fun and for emotional catharsis."

Estefan said in an interview, that she is not affiliated with any political party.

Discography
Albums discography
Studio albums
 Release date Title1984Eyes of Innocence1985Primitive Love 1987Let It Loose / Anything for You1989Cuts Both Ways1991Into The Light1993Mi Tierra1994Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me1995Abriendo Puertas1996Destiny1998gloria!2000Alma Caribeña2003Unwrapped200790 Millas2011Miss Little Havana

Filmography
 Film Year Film Role Notes1999Music of the HeartIsabel VazquezDebut acting performance2000Little AngelitaVoice NarratorAnimated Short FilmFor Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval StoryEmiliaTelevision film2003Famous: The Making of UnwrappedHerselfAlbum documentary200790 Millas DocumentaryHerselfAlbum documentary2008Marley & MeHerselfCameo appearance2009G-ForceJuárezVoice in the Latin-American version of the filmG-Force review. "GLORIA ESTEFAN MÉXICO"  Gloria Estefan Mexico web site (in Spanish)2010Recording: The History Of Recorded MusicHerselfDocumentary Television Year Title Role Notes1986Club Med - One episode1989Postcard From Miami with Clive JamesHerself One episode1993The Hypnotic World of Paul McKennaHerself2000FrasierMariaOne episode: "Something About Dr. Mary"2005A Capitol FourthHerself2009Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-ListHerselfOne episode: "Rosie and Gloria and Griffin... Oh My!"2010The Marriage RefHerselfOne episode2011The X FactorHerselfCameo Miami Auditions2012GleeMrs. Maribel LopezEpisode: "Goodbye"

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) .
 Noelle's Treasure Tale: A New Magically Mysterious Adventure (2006)
 Estefan's Kitchen (2008)

References

Category:1957 births
Category:Living people
Category:American pop musicians
Category:Grammy Award winners
Category:Singers from Havana
Category:Singers from Miami
Category:Latin Grammy Award winners
Category:Anti-communists
Category:Singer-songwriters from Florida
Category:Musicians from Havana