The word ‘legend’ is thrown around a lot these days and often applied to people who haven’t earned the status. That’s definitely not the case when it comes to Gloria Estefan, who has enjoyed a career that’s spanned 6 decades (and counting). Rising to prominence as part of the Miami Sound Machine, Estefan’s career exploded with the release of the band’s 10th album ‘Let It Loose’ in 1987. The album was rebranded in some parts of the world as ‘Anything For You’ and it paved the way for Estefan’s hugely successful solo career. While Estefan has released a number of albums over the past 12 years – ‘The Standards’ (2012), ‘Brazil305’ (2020) and ‘Estefan Family Christmas’ (2022) – she hasn’t released a full album of original material since 2011’s criminally underrated ‘Miss Little Havana’.
Furthermore, she hasn’t released a fully Spanish-language album since 2007’s ’90 Millas’. That’s all changed this week though with the release of ‘Raíces’ (‘Roots’), which sees Estefan embarking on a personal journey for her 30th studio album. The 13-track collection arrives as Estefan celebrates 50 years in music and it finds her paying tribute to the music that shaped her. Ahead of the album’s release, Estefan has treated fans to previews in the shape of the title track and ‘La Vecina (No Sé Na’)’ – ‘The Neighbour (I Don’t Know Anything)’ in English. The two songs are sonically very different, with ‘Raíces’ a gorgeous mid-tempo number and ‘La Vecina (No Sé Na’)’ an uptempo playful song. They encapsulate the different sides of Estefan’s abilities perfectly and set the tone for the rest of the record.
Something to note about the album is the Estefan has worked with her husband and longtime collaborator Emilio Estefan, and the instrumentation was all recorded live. That adds to the authenticity of the project and it’s so refreshing at a time when most music is generated on a computer. You can hear the magic Estefan’s approach brings on songs such as ‘Yo Quiero Ser’ (‘I Want To Be’), a song with a steady beat and a gentle lilt that’s perfect to dance to, and the stunning ‘Cómo Pasó’, which takes me back to some of Estefan’s Spanish music from the 90s.
A highlight on the record is the energetic ‘Chirriqui Chirri’, which is Estefan at her party-starting best. The swaying beat of ‘Te Juro’ (‘I Swear’) is driven by Estefan’s powerful and distinctive voice. She has a way of wrapping her voice around the song’s melody, drawing out key moments with her unmatched vibrato and pulling you in with her warm tone. For those fans who love a good ballad, the dreamy ‘Cuando el Tiempo Nos Castiga’ (‘When Time Punishes Us’) will become a favourite. It’s classic and pure bliss. The Tropical rhythm of ‘Agua Dulce’ (‘Fresh Water’) provides another standout moment, and if you can stop your foot tapping while listening to it, you’re doing better than me!
At the tail end of the album is ‘Mi Niño Bella (Para Sasha)’, a song dedicated to Estefan’s grandson. The sweet moment is also included in English so you’ve got both versions to listen to. The final moment is the English-language ‘How Will You Be Remembered’, a reflection on the passing of time and the desire to do it all over again and make some changes along the way.
‘Raíces’ is a timeless album of the kind only Estefan is capable of making. With such a rich catalogue of music, Estefan has paved the way for so many artists including the likes of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. It was Estefan that brought Spanish music into the mainstream through her own music, and she’s rightfully respected for that. ‘Raíces’ is the album that her fans have been waiting for and it’s a real pleasure to hear original Spanish-language music again from Estefan. This is the kind of record that will take you through the summer and beyond, so turn up the volume and let yourself get lost.
Track list: 1. Raíces 2. Yo Quiero Ser 3. La Vecina (No Sé Na’) 4. Cómo Pasó 5. Tan Iguales y Tan Diferentes 6. Chirriqui Chirri 7. Te Juro 8. Cuando el Tiempo Nos Castiga 9. Agua Dulce 10. Mi Niño Bella (Para Sasha) 11. Tú y Yo 12. My Beautiful Boy (for Sasha) 13. How Will You Be Remembered Record label: Crescent Moon Records / Sony Music Latin Release date: 28th May 2025 Buy ‘Raíces’ now
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