Destination Jam: Top 5 Gloria Estefan songs that embody the spirit of Latin-pop fusion she helped pioneer
Everyone's favorite 'Conga queen', Gloria Estefan, has returned to reclaim her throne seven years since her last release. And her latest album, 'Brazil305', is a gorgeous reminder of exactly why she was awarded that title by her adoring fans in the first place. The album is a collection of songs, both old and new, that celebrate Estefan's Cuban roots and serve as an ode to her people. But most of all, it's the perfect walk down memory lane that lets all of Estefan's relive her most magical and iconic songs, all reimagined with some extra Brazilian flare.
So go on and break out your dancing shoes, because it's time to samba! Here are five of the best tracks from the album, and arguably, five of Estefan's greatest songs ever.
'Samba'
It's impossible to remain in your seat the moment when the iconic lyrics of Estefan's massive 1985 hit 'Conga', remixed and rechristened as 'Samba', start blaring out from the speakers. Lines such as "Come on, shake your body baby, do the Samba / I know you can't control yourself any longer / Feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger / Don't you fight it till you've tried it do the Samba beat" have the power to make anyone groove along. With 'Samba', Estefan took her track to even greater heights, and now, with her latest album 'Brazil305', she's ready to set fire to the dance floor yet again with one of her greatest hits ever.
'Rhythm Is Gonna Get You'
Released in 1987 as the lead single of Estefan's album 'Let It Loose', 'Rhythm Is Gonna Get You' went on to be a massive success for the singer and collaborators, Miami Sound Machine. Interestingly enough, the song failed to chart when it first dropped as well as when it was reissued in 1988, but when Estefan's next few singles saw success, her team saw the potential for giving the song one more shot. 'Rhythm Is Gonna Get You' was reissued once more later in 1988, and it became a hit, as it was featured in Wheel of Fortune promos and was also sampled in the 1989 Bollywood film 'Tridev'. It has since built up quite a legacy, with the Library of Congress selecting it for preservation in 2018.
'Con los Años Que Me Quedan'
While Estefan is most known for her dance songs, she has just as much of an impressive catalog of romantic ballads. 'Con los Años Que Me Quedan' ('With the Years I Have Left') stands out as one of her best. The 1993 track was a single off her 'Mi Tierra' album and was inspired by Estefan's relationship with Emilio Estefan Jr, who helped pen the stunning number. The track would become Estefan's second consecutive number 1 single on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, achieving several other chart positions worldwide. A second English version was also released that performed just as well.
'Get On Your Feet'
By 1989, Estefan had already earned herself a name as an artiste who put out some of the best dance anthems. 'Get on Your Feet', off the singer's 'Cuts Both Ways' albums would be one of many bops the singer put out over the years. Of course, its most famous iteration would have to be from the viral video 'Steve Ballmer Going Crazy' featuring former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer dancing to the track at the company's 25th-anniversary event back in 2000. But it does manage to stand on its own, too!
'Mi Tierra'
On 'Brazil305', this track occupies a special place. It isn't just a reimagined version of one of Estefan's best songs, it also happens to be one she seems to be singing directly to her Cuban family, friends, and fans. The song, which translates to 'My Homeland', was first released in 1993 as a tribute to Estefan's homeland, Cuba. The song released to widespread acclaim, landing Estefan at number one on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. It additionally became the singer's first Spanish single to reach the top five of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, and her first number one in Spain. And to top all of that, the song was also played as a wake-up call for NASA astronaut José Hernández while he was aboard a space shuttle mission.
The song's seemingly intense yearning for a homeland far away earned it the love of people across the diaspora who connected deeply with it. The success of 'Mi Tierra' would go on to lay the groundwork for future Latin-American and Hispanic artistes.
Destination Jam is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained and grooving up top in lieu of feeling drained and losing the plot. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!