GLORIA Estefan’s background is about as Latin American as they get. Growing up in Cuba, her father was the bodyguard of President Fulgencio Batista. But, during the Cuban Revolution, her family fled to Miami.

Desperate to learn English, she turned to an unusual source for help – Gerry Marsden. Listening to his records, she gradually learnt to sing along.

“One of my all-time favourite songs is Ferry Across the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers,” says Gloria. “When I was a little girl my mother would take me to the laundromat and that song would play on the radio. To this day, whenever I hear the song, it takes me back to that time and I always remember the scent of laundromat.” (more…)

MIAMI (Billboard) – For the first time in its young, nine-year history, the Latin Recording Academy and its board of trustees is honoring a woman as its Person of the Year, Gloria Estefan.

With a career that spans more than three decades and 70 million-plus albums sold, Estefan is the original Latin crossover international star. First as lead singer of Miami Sound Machine and later as a soloist, Estefan has achieved success in two languages.

During a break from her European tour, Estefan spoke with Billboard about what it means to be Latin today.

Q: You are touring arenas, in front of tens of thousands of people. Of course, you’ve done this most of your life. Is there a routine you follow right before taking the stage?

Gloria Estefan: I try to open all my chakras and I think of all my points of communication. I do a prayer that everything comes out the best it can, and we exchange energy. I imagine a point in the top of my head, in my hands, in my solar plexus. (more…)