Gloria Estefan is having a Miami street named after her. The Miami icon, who's been a resident of the state for decades and one of the major proponents of Latin music in the US, will have a street named after her in Miami Beach, an area she's resided in for most of her life.
Next Monday, the city will be hosting a ceremony to rename 13th Street in South Beach under Gloria Estefan's name. It's a meaningful location for Estefan and her husband, Emilio Estefan, who own The Hotel Cardozo on the corner of Ocean Drive and 13th Street.
"Gloria Estefan is a true Miami Beach treasure,” said Steven Meiner, the Mayor of Miami Beach. "She and Emilio have not only shaped the soundtrack of our lives with their iconic music, but they’ve also invested deeply in our community as proud Miami Beach business owners and caretakers of the historic Cardozo Hotel on Ocean Drive."
"Their legacy is woven into the very fabric of our city.”
The effort of renaming the street was championed by Laura Dominguez, the Miami Beach Commissioner. “Gloria embodies the American dream,” she said. “She came from Cuba and found tremendous success in Miami Beach, where she raised a beautiful family with the love of her life.”
For her part, Estefan has shared the news on her social media, celebrating the moment with her followers.
Estefan opens up about the start of her career
Estefan and her music will soon be featured on NPR's Tiny Desk series, an occasion where the singer and musician will likely perform some of her biggest hits for a small audience.
In an interview with the outlet, Estefan opened up about the start of her career, including her discomfort with serving as the "leading man" of the band.
“I don’t like being the center of attention,“ she said, referring to the Miami Latin Boys, the original name of Miami Sound Machine, the band that Estefan led for years. “So I truly had to get used to being the frontman in the band. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone.”
Estefan revealed that she took all forms of dance lessons to develop the right mindset for the gig. “It knew that it would just kind of help me deal with that situation,” she said. “I was able to do it slowly. Before we hit it big, I had a good 10 years to be able to perform for all kinds of audiences.”