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| Gloria Estefan covers Ocean Drive Magazine. Image: ANDREW ECCLES |
Gloria Estefan graces the cover of Ocean Drive magazine’s September 2013 Fall Fashion issue. While preparing to release a new album of standards on September 10, Estefan sat down with the glossy to discuss music, the struggles of growing up Cuban in Miami, the challenges of working with her husband (who she celebrates 35 years with on September 2) and much more!
On her upcoming album, The Standards which gets released on September 10
This genre really is the first music that I ever listened to in my life and is something that I’ve sung forever. 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.
On being brought up CubanWe 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.
On growing up along with Miami
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…
So 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.
On celebrating her 35th Anniversary on Sept 2 and her husband being her manager[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.”
On daughter, Emily, preparing to leave the nest to study music at Berklee College of Music in Boston
She’s the best musician of all of us. She lives and breathes music, she plays drums, piano, everything you can imagine…
I’m practically in a fetal position, because we’re very close—it’s gonna hurt. I will make it as happy for her as possible. But it’s hard, it’s my baby—thank God I have the grandbaby, let’s put it that way.
