Emilio Estefan to tout ‘the economic power of Latinos’ in the U.S. in new national role with L’ATTITUDE
Emilio Estefan says it with a tinge of modesty but with the assurance of someone who’s heard the words “You’re Crazy!” several times and yet has seen his ideas succeed.
“I’ve worked in 49 events at the White House. For a kid who played the accordion for $5 to be able to eat a sandwich, I believe this has been a dream,” said Estefan, who aside from his work at the White House received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, the highest U.S. award for outstanding civilians.
The Cuban American producer and businessman, nominated for 42 Grammys and winner of 19, was so daring and persevering that he jumped into the English language music business with Latin rhythms, bought hotels, opened restaurants and bet on singers that no one else believed could become stars.
He is also the force behind the career of his wife Gloria Estefan, who has sold more than 150 million records, and a key figure in the success of artists like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Mark Anthony and Shakira.
And now Estefan, 66, is adding his experience as a musical producer and businessman to L’ATTITUDE, a high-profile event that focuses on new economic tendencies and the contributions of Hispanics to the United States’ development and expansion.
“When we decided to make the crossover from English to Spanish and record Mi Tierra, they told us we were crazy,” Esteban recalled. He’s heard that phrase every time he decided to run a risk, like when his wife, already a success singing in English, recorded new tunes in her native Spanish. He heard it again when they decided to put their lives on Broadway with the show On Your Feet!, which has been running for six years in New York and several other cities around the world.
The series of conferences titled L’ATTITUDE, to be held this year in San Diego Sept. 24-27, brings together presidents and executive directors of major companies and leading art and culture figures who serve as examples to future entrepreneurs while at the same time updating the data available on the participation of Hispanics in the U.S. economy.
“In general, the political power of Latinos is very strong, but their economic power is even more impressive,” said Estefan, who has now become a partner in L’ATTITUDE after being one of the most important guests at the gathering last year.
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L’ATTITUDE’s website says Latinos account for a $2.3 trillion chunk of the U.S. gross domestic product. In the last decade, they created 4.3 million new companies and their businesses employ 3 million people. This year, their purchasing power hit $1.7 trillion.
“If there is a secret that I want to share with young entrepreneurs, it is the dream of doing; the start is the prettiest thing that any human being has. I would also like to tell them that they have to plan things, that they have to be sure of what they want to achieve,” he said.
Among Latinos who have created jobs is Estefan, born in Santiago de Cuba, whose Estefan Enterprises and other service and hospitality businesses have 2,000 employees.
One of the keys to the success of his enterprises is being respectful and thankful for the people he works with, said Estefan, who added that he sometimes employs several generations of the same family.
A positive attitude and a passion for work keep him busy.
“I never waste time on anything negative. I wake up giving thanks to God that I live in freedom, that Gloria was able to walk again after the accident,” said Estefan, referring to the car crash that nearly killed his wife when a truck crashed with the bus carrying her team during a performance tour in 1990.
Estefan just completed a record with the legendary reggae band The Wailers, whose oldest members accompanied Bob Marley in the 1960s. He’s also working these days with Farruko, Ally Brooke from Fifth Harmony — the Miami group that once included Camila Cabello as a member — and just finished a song with Andrea Bocelli.
A new project with Gloria Estefan is also keeping him busy. A compilation of her biggest hits with Brazilian rhythms, an accent on percussion and some of that country’s musical stars, like Carlinhos Brown, will hit the market in June, he revealed.
During the meetings of L’ATTITUDE with young people who want to know more about his successes, Estefan has shared advice he learned from top Hispanic artists like Celia Cruz and Israel López, known simply as “Cachao.”
“I told them that my roots are Cuban, and I am proud of them. But I also feel Latino. That’s why my studio has been a Latin American embassy,” he said, adding that “since one lives in a free country, one can reach any goal.”
For their part, L’ATTITUDE founders Solomon “Sol” Trujillo and Gary Acosta highlighted the advantages of having Estefan join a platform designed to bring together leaders of various U.S. economic sectors to spread the word on the importance of Latinos in driving the country’s growth, and their influence in sports, entertainment and culture.
“Emilio is an ideal addition to our L’ATTITUDE family,” said Trujillo. “We want to expose the worlds of business, politics, finance, and entertainment to the talent and criticality of the U.S. Latino cohort and he has demonstrated leadership in all those areas.”
Estefan, summing up, said the most important thing for him is to leave a legacy, because “you can’t take the money with you.”
“My father won the lottery 27 times, but he died owning one suit. I would give him a Rolex, and he would later give it away,” he said. “The most important thing is the memories that you leave with people.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 6:30 AM.
