Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan (birth name Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo, born September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba), is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, who began her career as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine, in 1975, and crossed over to mainstream popular success with English-speaking audiences with the international hit singles, Dr. Beat (1984) and Conga (1986).

Early years

Cuban-born, Estefan's family moved to Miami, Florida when she was 16 months old, following the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Estefan's father, Jose Fajardo, was captured in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion that failed to overthrow the new communist government established by Fidel Castro. Her father was held as a prisoner until an exchange was arranged by then-President John F. Kennedy.

Related Topics:
Cuban - Miami - Florida - Cuban Revolution - 1959 - Bay of Pigs - Fidel Castro - John F. Kennedy

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Estefan's father also served as an officer in the United States Army in Vietnam, where he is suspected of having been poisoned by Agent Orange, a defoliant used extensively during the Vietnam war. He contracted multiple sclerosis, and was nursed by a young Estefan for many years. He died in 1980.

Related Topics:
Vietnam - Agent Orange - Defoliant - Vietnam war - Multiple sclerosis - 1980

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Gloria Fajardo became romantically involved with the Miami Sound Machine's band leader, Emilio Estefan, in 1976. She and Emilio married on September 2, 1978. They have two children: Nayib (born September 2, 1980) and Emily Marie (born December 5, 1994).

Related Topics:
Emilio Estefan - 1976 - September 2 - 1978 - 1980 - December 5 - 1994

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Estefan was raised primarily in Miami (though she accompanied her mother, father and younger sister, Becky, to several military bases in the 1960s during her father's military service). While attending the University of Miami, she worked as a Spanish and French translator at Miami International Airport's Customs Department. Estefan graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in communications and psychology (with a minor in French), and is a prominent advocate for the university.

Related Topics:
1960s - University of Miami - Miami International Airport - Psychology

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