Leslie Grace to Perform Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Leslie Grace can’t control herself any longer…

The 30-year-old Dominican American singer & actress will perform at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame gala, which is presented jointly by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.

Taking place on Friday, May 16 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, the site of the first Grammy Awards ceremony in 1959, the event will feature performances that pay tribute to the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame inducted recordings, which were revealed on February 13.

Grace, a former Latin Grammy nominee will deliver Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine’s 1985 breakthrough hit, “Conga.”

Released in September 1985, the festive recording was Miami Sound Machine’s first Billboard Hot 100 hit.

“Conga,” which was written by Miami Sound Machine drummer Enrique Garcia,was the first single from the group’s second English-language album, Primitive Love.

Gloria Estefan assumed star billing in 1987 with the similarly infectious “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You.” She and husband Emilio received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2019. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame four years later. She won her fourth Grammy on February 2 for best global music performance as a featured artist on Sheila E.’s “Bemba Colorá.”

Returning as host is CBS News journalist Anthony Mason.

The show will be produced by Ken Ehrlich, alongside Ron Basile, Lindsay Saunders Carl and Lynne Sheridan.

This year’s additions to the Grammy Hall of Fame meet the main requirements – they exhibit “qualitative or historical significance” and are at least 25 years old. Eligible artist(s), producer(s), engineer(s), and mixer(s) of these 13 recordings will receive a certificate from the Recording Academy.

The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy’s national trustees in 1973. Inducted recordings are selected annually by a member committee drawn from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the academy’s national board of trustees. Counting the 13 new titles in 2025, the Grammy Hall of Fame totals 1,165 inducted recordings.

The full list of past inducted recordings can be found here.

The Grammy Hall of Fame Gala serves as a fundraiser to support the Grammy Museum’s national education programs. It includes a cocktail reception, dinner, and concert program. Tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets are $1,250. For more information, visit this site.

An online auction is currently underway, featuring a collection of guitars signed by such artists as Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Chris Martin, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars. They are also auctioning off platinum tickets to the 68th Grammy Awards and more.

Gloria Estefan to Receive Legend Award at Billboard Latin Women in Music Event

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is set to receive a legendary recognition…

The 66-year-old Cuban superstar will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music event, which will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9:00 pm ET.

The special will also stream simultaneously on the Telemundo app and Peacock.

Estefan will be honored with the Legend Award, which is given to outstanding artists who have left a “unique and immeasurable legacy and have significantly impacted the industry throughout their careers with their musical work.”

The “Conga” and “Mi Tierra” hitmaker is renowned globally as a multi-talented singer and composer, celebrated for seamlessly blending her Cuban roots with mainstream music and paving the way for Latin musicians in the global arena. Billboard has hailed her as the most successful Latin “crossover” artist ever, underscoring her transformative impact on music and culture.

She has sold more than 100 million records. Her many honors include three Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2019, the latter award in tandem with her husband Emilio Estefan.

Meanwhile, Ángela Aguilar will also be honored with the Musical Dynasty Award.

The title is given to artists who “keep a familial artistic legacy alive and honor the musical dynasty to which they belong.”

The Mexican singer is part of the esteemed Aguilar family, and, at 20 years old, she has carved out her own successful career with her talent while preserving the traditions of her family heritage.

With various hits under her belt, such as “Dime Como Quieres” with Christian Nodal at No. 8 on Hot Latin Songs and three No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, the Grammy-nominated singer is a force to be reckoned with. She was also featured in Billboard’s 21 under 21 in 2022 and 2023.

This celebration, which highlights the efforts of Latin women musicians who are “proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry,” will see the Cuban-American superstar receive the Legend title and the regional Mexican music star the Musical Dynasty honor.

Other Latin Women in Music recipients include Kany García, who will be given the Spirit of Change Award, and Ana Bárbara with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In the coming weeks, additional honorees will be announced for the second annual Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, hosted by actress Jacqueline Bracamontes.

Gloria Estefan to Star in “Father of the Bride” Reboot

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is circling the mother of a role…

The 63-year-old Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman is in talks to star opposite Andy Garcia in Warner Bros. and Plan B’s Cuban-American reboot of the Father of the Bride films.

Directed by Gaz Alazraki, the film is being penned by Matt Lopez. Estefan would play Garcia’s wife, with Adria Arjona tapped to play the bride-to-be.

The film will tell the story of a father coming to grips with his daughter’s upcoming wedding through the prism of multiple relationships within a big, sprawling Cuban-American family. It will be more of a rom-com than previous versions of film. While this will mark the third iteration of the story, sources say this will be more in the vein of the original Spencer Tracy film and not the Steve Martin franchise from the 1990s.

WB execs thought it was a long shot that Estefan would be interested, but between Lopez’s script and Garcia’s and Alazraki’s involvement, the opportunity for Estefan was simply too hard to pass up.

“A resounding YES was my answer to the invitation to join my good friend, the incredibly talented Andy Garcia, for this new and wonderfully warm and funny incarnation of the classic, Father of the Bride! I’ve been a fan of director Gaz Alazraki since I saw his record-breaking comedy Nosotros Los Nobles and can’t wait to experience how he brings this amazing script by Matt Lopez to life,” Estefan said.

Estefan’s music has people running to the dance floor for decades going all the way back to when she was the lead singer of Miami Sound Machine and “Conga” hit the airwaves in 1985. Since then her musical library could rival any singer in the world, and Hollywood has been no stranger to using her music in dozens of movies. Estefan has rarely made the jump to the big screen herself, with this only being the third time she has acted in a movie. She made her acting debut opposite Meryl Streep in 1999’s Music of the Heart, also providing the Oscar-nominated song of the same title. Most recently she appeared in Kenny Ortega’s A Change of Heart.

Leslie Grace Teams Up with Meek Mill for Bacardi’s Remake of Gloria Estefan’s Iconic Song “Conga”

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Leslie Grace is letting her body do the conga…

The 26-year-old Dominican American singer-songwriter has joined voiced with rapper Meek Mill to release a reimagining of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s smash hit single “Conga.”

The new version, which gives the ‘80s party banger a rhythmic-pop-urban twist, is part of Bacardi‘s “Conga Feat. You” campaign that launched in November.

“Bacardi presented this amazing plan, where they wanted me to recreate ‘Conga,’” Leslie Grace tells Billboard. “I couldn’t believe it was possible but they assured me that both Gloria and Emilio [Estefan] were on board. They wanted to entrust me with this project and I couldn’t pass on the opportunity.”

Calling the process “innovative,” Grace explained that the project originally began at the end of 2019 but was put on pause because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“I went into the studio pre-Covid with Boi-1da. We immediately hit it off. I had written the first verse and the pre onto a loop he had sent me,” she notes. “Everything else was basically done remotely. Meek Mill jumped on the track later on after listening to the structure we built.”

The Estefans were also part of the process “every step of the way.”

Grace adds: “Everyone was really focused on maintaining the essence of this iconic track. Having their support and suggestions was beautiful. They approved every single thing on the project. This was really a labor of love and really intentional every step of the way with the original creators involved.”

“Conga” was the first Billboard Hot 100 hit for Gloria and Miami Sound Machine, peaking at No. 10 in February 1986. The song also hit No. 1 on Dance Singles Sales for one week in November 1985, and No. 7 on Dance Club Songs. The new version, at the helm of Grace, Mill, and Boi-1da, marks the first and only official remake of the original Latin dance classic in over 30 years.

“I’m a nineties baby, my generation grew up with ‘Conga’ and I grew up listening and dancing to the song in my living room,” Grace recounts. “Gloria is an inspiration to me. She’s one of the first artists I saw singing in both languages. I feel so honored and blessed to do this with Boi-1da and Meek Mill.”

Gloria Estefan Releases Samba-Flavored Album “Brazil305,” Featuring 14 Reimagined Classics

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan’s changing things up…

The 62-year-old Cuban Grammy-winning singer has released her first album in seven years, the vibrant, samba-flavored Brazil305.

The 18-track Sony Music Latin release will transport listeners not only to the South American country, while giving them a trip to the past.

The album, an homage to Brazil and samba instrumentation, features 14 reimagined versions of Estefan’s classic songs, including a new rendition of her hit “Mi Tierra,” a song dedicated to her native Cuba and to immigrants the world over coping with departing from their homeland.

BRAZIL305, bringing together Brazil and Miami’s 305 area code, the set kicks off with a bang with a new version, titled “Samba,” of her global, seminal 1985 hit “Conga,” which takes a life of its own now with Brazilian rhythms.

Other re-imagined versions of Estefan’s timeless hits included in the concept album are “Get On Your Feet” and “Ayer.”

The first single from the album, “Cuando Hay Amor,” penned by Nicolás Tovar, Emilio Estefan and Andrea López, stands out with a message of unity and a celebration of love.

“I really wanted an original song as the first single,” Estefan previously told Billboard.

BRAZIL305 was produced by Estefan, Emilio and Afo Verde, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Latin Iberia, and was recorded between Brazil and Miami.

Gloria & Emilio Estefan: First Hispanic Musicians to Receive the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria and Emilio Estefan have earned an extra special prize…

The 61-year-old Cuban singer and her 65-year-old Cuban producer husband will receive this year’s Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

The Estefans usher in two firsts for the prize: This year marks the first time it has been awarded to a married couple and the first time it’s awarded to musicians/songwriters of Hispanic descent.

“Emilio and Gloria Estefan… are the creative force behind the popularity of music steeped in the Latino culture,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “This dynamic couple’s professional and personal journey truly mirrors the American dream and we are so pleased to honor their musical legacy.”

Married since 1978, the Estefans catapulted to global fame in 1985 with Miami Sound Machine, creating a unique sound that blended Latin and pop rhythms that pulsed through hits including “Conga,” “Turn the Beat Around,” “Get on Your Feet” and “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You.”

The Estefans were each named BMI’s songwriter of the year and between them have garnered 26 Grammys. Their life story and music were showcased in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical On Your Feet!, which they executive produced. In addition to their musical talents, they are also successful entrepreneurs, philanthropists and humanitarians.

Gloria is having a banner year of acknowledgment by the vaunted cultural institutions of the nation’s capital. This past December, Gloria was inducted into the Kennedy Center Honors. She also was part of the ensemble who last year feted 2017’s Gershwin Prize tribute to Tony Bennett.

The Estefans will receive the prize at an all-star tribute concert in March in Washington, D.C., that will later be aired on PBS.

Estefan Nominated for 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan has the write stuff…

The 59-year-old Cuban singer and former Miami Sound Machine vocalist has been nominated for the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The Songwriters Hall announced the list of nominees Thursday, a day ahead of its official announcement. Other nominees that could be inducted next year are Jay Z, George Michael, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Vince Gill, Babyface, Max Martin, Kool & the Gang and more.

Estefan, a seven-time Grammy winner, found breakthrough success with her group’s 1985 single “Conga,” which made her a worldwide name.

She’s written several of the Spanish and English songs she’s performed, including “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Anything for You,” “1-2-3” and “Oye Mi Canto.”

Estefan has also written/co-written hits for other artists, including Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever,” Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” and Jon Secada’s “Angel.”

Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and two performing songwriters until December 16. Five songwriters, or songwriting groups, will be officially inducted at a gala in New York on June 15, 2017.

Other performing nominees include Cat Stevens, Sly Stone, Chicago, Jeff Lynne and David Gates.

Non-performing nominees are Kenny Nolan, Randy Goodrum, Tony Macaulay, William “Mickey” Stevenson, Allee Willis, Maury Yeston, Paul Overstreet and the songwriting duos Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, and Steve Barri and the late P.F. Sloan, who died last year.

Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years.

Broadway Cast Recording of “On Your Feet!,” Feat. Villafañe, to be Released in April

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe will have you on your feet, even if you’re nowhere near the Great White Way…

The original Broadway cast recording of On Your Feet!, the musical based on Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s life and starring the Cuban/Salvadoran-American actress and singer will be released on April 29 via Masterworks Broadway.

The album, which features Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s classic tracks in a new light, was recorded live at the Broadway Marquis Theatre and produced by the Estefans.

The musical chronicles the Estefan’s journey to stardom and features a string of hits like “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “1-2-3,” “Get On Your Feet,” “Mi Tierra,” “Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” and “Reach.”

Following the family tradition, it also includes an original song, “If I Never Got To Tell You,” written by Gloria and her daughter Emily Estefan.

The live album also features the musical’s orchestra, which includes several members of The Miami Sound Machine.

On Your Feet!, which premiered last November, features Villafañe in the role of Gloria and Josh Segarra as Emilio Estefan.

Villafane & Her “On Your Feet!” Cast Members Dazzle at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafane knows how to get you on your feet!

The Cuban/Salvadoran-American actress and singer wowed audiences, both on the streets and at home, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Villafane, the star of Broadway’s On Your Feet! — the biotuner about the courtship and rise to superstardom of the Miami Sound Machine’s Gloria and Emilio Estefan — led off NBC’s coverage of the iconic holiday parade.

Villafane, starring as Gloria, and the cast sang a medley of songs that included “Conga” and “Turn The Beat Around.”

“We are going to be opening the Thanksgiving Day Parade which is like bucket list item No. 1,” Villafañe told Fox News Latino before the parade. “I’m still that girl who puts on Christmas pajamas that watches the whole parade start-to-finish and I’m 26.

The lively opening number was followed by performances by the cast of fellow Broadway musicals Finding Neverland, Fiddler on the Roof and The King and I.

Estefan’s Broadway Musical On Your Feet to Open in November

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is ready to get you on your feet! this fall.

The 56-year-old Cuban singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur and her music producer husband Emilio Estefan’s previously announced Broadway musical On Your Feet! is slated to premiere on Thursday, November 5 at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.

Based on the life of the Latin music power couple, the show’s preview performances will kick off October 5, 2015.

On Your Feet! will tell the story of the Estefan’s rise to stardom, set to the long list of hits performed by Gloria Estefan both as a soloist and as part of Miami Sound Machine, including “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and “Mi Tierra,” plus new music.

In a departure from other major Broadway productions, the show is launching an international casting search dubbed “Reach Gloria” (#ReachGloria on Twitter) that will allow performers around the world to submit audition videos online at the production’s website. The casting search is open to all roles, from the leads to the dancers.

In addition, open casting calls will take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami Sept. 21 and another at Pearl Studios in New York on Sept. 9.

Searching for acts in Miami, said Gloria Estefan in a statement, was key.

“Our own journey together started in Miami, a city that has been such an inspiration to us both, and it only felt right that the city be a cornerstone of our search for the next generation of bright talent,” she said.

On Your Feet! will be directed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo.

It’s produced by James L. Nederlander and Estefan Enterprises in partnership with Bernie Yuman.

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