Gloria Estefan’s “Raíces” Is a Musical Tribute to Her Family

Gloria Estefan, the iconic Cuban American singer-songwriter, is widely recognized as the Queen of Latin Pop. Alongside her husband of 45 years, music producer Emilio Estefan, she has released more than 20 albums and sold over 200 million records worldwide. Together, the Estefans have not only broken barriers by fusing Latin rhythms with English lyrics at a time when no one was doing that, but they've also paved the way for future generations of Latin music artists — all while proudly and unapologetically celebrating their culture and their heritage.

Gloria was the first Latina inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the couple is often credited with helping transform Miami into a thriving cultural hub for Latin music. Born in Cuba and united in Miami when Gloria was just 17 and Emilio 22, the Estefans have built a decades-long, groundbreaking career — and a beautiful family that includes son Nayib and his 11-year-old son, Sasha Estefan-Coppola, who has also taken an interest in music; and daughter Emily, who is a singer and songwriter herself.

Despite all her accomplishments, Gloria considers her marriage and family her greatest successes. Her latest album, “Raíces,” released May 29, is a heartfelt tribute to her husband, her heritage, and the legacy they've built together. In this exclusive interview with PS, Gloria opened up about how she's always kept family at the center of it all.

“I love my family, and they're my happiness. I'm a mother above all things,” she says, a warm smile on her face. “From the time I was a child, I read baby books, and I never thought about getting married or that part of it. But I knew I wanted to be a mother.”

While some couples struggle to mix business with love, Gloria credits working closely with Emilio for keeping their marriage strong and their family close.

“Being with Emilio really helped that, because that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder' is a bunch of BS. It can work for a little while in spurts, keep the spark alive, but with extended periods of time, you have to move on,” she says. “Your soul needs love and care, and [distance] tends to break things apart.”

At the “Raíces” listening party at the Sony offices earlier this month, the couple shared that Emilio wrote a majority of the songs on the new album. Gloria, though, wrote a song dedicated to her love and appreciation for Emilio, who was the one to push her to become a solo artist after they met in 1975 at a music jam session before starting their band, Miami Sound Machine.

“He made it happen. I would not be doing this if I had not met Emilio Estefan. I simply wouldn't be,” she says. “I met him and I started in his band, and he saw stuff in me before I knew it was there. . . . Separately, he would've been successful. I would have been successful doing what I wanted to do, but it never would've been this.”

“I would not be doing this if I had not met Emilio Estefan. I simply wouldn't be.”

Not only did Emilio encourage Gloria to step into the spotlight, but he was also a deeply hands-on father, according to Gloria, often backstage with the kids while she performed. She says his calm, even-keeled nature and sharp sense of humor have helped them weather some of life's toughest storms.

“He makes me laugh all the time, and that is really important,” she says. “The only time he gets upset or in a bad mood is when he hasn't slept for a long time.”

Everything about the album is an ode to family and culture, including its cover, which features Gloria wearing a classic 1950s-esque navy blue polka-dot dress, seated next to a family photo. And the album is entirely in Spanish — in fact, it's the first fully Spanish-language album she has put out in 18 years, since “90 Millas,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in 2007. In many ways, “Raíces” feels like Gloria's legacy album. Every track is either a tribute to her family or a celebration of her culture — fitting for a project titled raíces, which means “roots” in Spanish. The album includes salsa tracks, contributing to the genre's resurgence through artists like Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro.

Regarding the legacy Gloria hopes to leave behind: “For me, love is the only legacy,” she says. “We wanted to put some joy into the world with songs like ‘La Vecina,' [and] we wanted to put some thought-provoking things or reminders that we all have things that unite us and that we share.”

Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.