‘I was totally out of my comfort zone:’ Gloria Estefan talks early years
.JPG "Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan waving during an Inter Miami game at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 30, 2023.")
Sure, Gloria Estefan’s a superstar now. But perfection takes practice.
In a new interview with NPR, the 68-year-old Havana native revealed that the woman fans see on stage is a far cry from the newbie first starting out in the music industry.
While not exactly shy, Estefan (nee Fajardo) said it was hard to come out of her shell early in her career fronting the Miami Latin Boys, founded by her husband Emilio Estefan in the 1970s (and later renamed Miami Sound Machine).
“I don’t like being the center of attention,“ admitted Estefan, whose Tiny Desk concert airs Monday on NPR. “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 explained she did that just by taking all types of dance classes, including modern dance, and also practiced public speaking.
“It knew that it would just kind of help me deal with that situation,” said the mother of two, adding she took her sweet time to let her talent marinate. “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.”
On Monday, the “Queen of Latin Pop” better get ready to be the center of attention again. She’ll get a huge public honor the same day her Tiny Desk show goes live.
Miami Beach will hold a ceremony to name 13th Street and Ocean Drive in South Beach after her, the same street as her Cardozo Hotel.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM.
