Icon Week: Gloria and Emilio Estefan, power couple of the Latino world
They made being Latino cool before it was cool, and they kept on going with a legacy that helped pave the way for Latinos in…
Emilio Estefan and Gloria Estefan sit backstage during the “On Your Feet” casting at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center on September 21, 2014. Their legacy paved the way for generations of Latino artists to make it in the states. We salute them during our Hispanic Heritage Month Icon Week.(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images)
They made being Latino cool before it was cool, and they kept on going with a legacy that helped pave the way for Latinos in the arts in the United States–and the world. That’s why VOXXI honors Gloria and Emilio Estefan of Hispanic Heritage Month’s Icon Week.
Producer and singer Emilio Estefan has made a solid mark for himself in the entertainment business, making him an important figure in the international music scene.
The Cuban-American is a 19-time Grammy Award winner who first stepped into the music scene when he became a member of Miami Sound Machine, the same place where he met his wife Gloria Estefan.
SEE ALSO: Gloria Estefan congas her way to Broadway
Gloria and Emilio have created a musical empire worth over $700 million and have spread their knowledge to other Latin artists.
Emilio, with the help of his wife, has mentored and paved the way for several Latin artists throughout his career, including Shakira, Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias.
Emilio has produced many televised events such as The Latin Grammys. Nuestra Navidad, and several HBO and Showtime productions.
Gloria Estefan and her fight for Shakira
Gloria was recently on Oprah’s Next Chapter where Estefan spoke about how they have helped musicians take their first steps into fame.
Out of all the artists mentioned, Shakira seemed to be one that made Gloria proud.
She went into detail about how much she had to fight to help Shakira establish herself as an artist.
“They wanted her just to throw a couple of songs in English on a Latin record and I fought hard,” Estefan told Billboard.
“An American audience is not gonna get a record that’s mostly Spanish because there’s a couple of English cuts on it. They’re gonna want to hear the whole thing. This is gonna work. I fought hard for her. Fought hard. And she sold like 13 million of that album.”
The power couple have surprised us all with how much they have accomplished since the start of their careers and as long as they keep working together; aspiring Latino artists will hopefully be lucky enough to get a touch of their magic talent.
For those die hard fans, you can look forward to “On Your Feet,” the musical about Gloria and Emilio’s life.
SEE ALSO: Inspirational quotes by Gloria Estefan
