A royal blue velvet gown with diamonds dripping from her ears on the stairway of a Miami mansion, a classic gown with a sweetheart neckline and gold panels that swept around her slim body, a dramatic black gown that kissed her sexy Latina curves and created a perfect hourglass before exploding into a sea of white. Those were only a few of the dresses worn by Gloria Estefan in her cover shoot for Ocean Drive Magazine, where she opened up about moving to Miami, working with husband Emilio Estefan, being a grandmother, and her new album "The Standards."
It's impossible to believe the Cuban-born singer is about to turn 56 in Sept. 1, because she has the energy of a teenager. Estefan has never stopped working. She is always involved either in other artists' projects, helping her Miami community, being a wife, mother and grandmother, and making her own music, this time, with a new album of standard classics that has always been a long-held dream for this Latin music icon.
"This genre really is the first music that I ever listened to in my life and is something that I've sung forever," said Estefan to Ocean Drive. "I had the opportunity with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to do tracks on their duet albums, but I always wanted to do a standards record of my own." Not only that, but every song in the album has a special meaning for this living legend. "I chose them all because they had something particular to do in my life." she said.
For example, "The Day You Say You Love Me," which comes as the emotional centerpiece of "The Standards," is an English-language translation by Estefan herself of the 1935 Carlos Gardel tango classic "El Día Que Me Quieras," and was the Estefan's wedding song from a day of roller-coaster emotions. "We never planned to have a reception, because my dad was very ill. We went to see him in the hospital after the church service in my wedding gown, and it was actually one of the few moments he recognized me in the last four years of his life. Then we went home to supposedly have a champagne toast and cut the cake, and our friends threw us a surprise reception in our home."
The magazine also discussed her Cuban heritage with the singer. "We grew up with our parents thinking that eventually we would go back. This was the thought process for many, many years-they planted us here, but they watered us with Cuban sun and fed us with Cuban food, and made sure that our culture wasn't diluted in our family life," Gloria said, adding that growing up in Miami at the beginning wasn't easy, but she eventually grew along with the city who's become her home.
"We arrived in May of 1959. I remember going with my mom looking for a place to rent and her being very upset about reading signs that said 'No Cubans.' My dad actually got a job parking cars when he first came from Cuba," she revealed, however, she feels lucky to be where she is. "I've kind of grown up along with Miami, and Emilio and I are very fortunate to feel a part of the growth of this city. If anybody's anywhere in the world and they say they're from Miami, they ask them if they know me! We really live in paradise."
Speaking of Emilio, the two will be celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in Sept. 2, and although they are one of the most important power couples from the music industry (move over, Jay-Z and Beyoncé! The Estefans are the originals!) it's not always easy working together, and she doesn't really recommend it to others.
"It's not something I would recommend to most people. Emilio and I have in our relationship certain things that really make this work: Number one, there are no egos involved. We're very different personality-wise, but in the things that count-values, morals, business-we rarely disagree. But I wouldn't tell everyone, 'Hey, do this,' because it's tough. You have to learn where the manager stops and my husband begins."
Clearly that dynamic works for them, as Gloria keeps looking better than ever and happier with each passing year, and Emilio is always by her side. And although Gloria decided to go a little bit more "classic" in a 180 from her latest album "Miss Little Havana," her youthful spirit, combined with timeless songs, will make her album "The Standards" a true must-have when it releases on Sept. 10. Big month ahead for our Gloria!
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