Emilio Estefan is an acclaimed musician, producer, and songwriter. A multi-Grammy award-winning artist, he chatted at the red carpet event of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Emilio is the husband of Latin music super Gloria Estefan, who was a 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and made history as the first Latina to achieve this feat.
Initially, he came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine.
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The induction ceremony was held on Thursday, June 15, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan.
On being a part of the the Songwriters Hall of Fame festivities, Emilio said, “It feels incredible. It’s an incredible day, not only for Gloria but also for minorities and people that come from other countries. We live in the best country in the whole world, and we have all of these opportunities to show who we are.”
“At the time when we started it was difficult because they didn’t believe in our vision and our sound. They told us that it would never work, and we proved them wrong. Today is a celebration, especially for the American Dream,” Emilio added.
Emilio’s songwriting process
When asked how songs come to him, Emilio responded, “I’m a songwriter. I’ve had 40 No. 1 songs. My songs come from experience. I think it’s the emotions… what you see and what you hear. Even when I wrote ‘Coming out of the Dark’ with Gloria, I always looked for something positive. Percussion always brings everybody together. We are very blessed.”
‘On Your Feet!’ on Broadway
A Tony-nominated Broadway musical, “On Your Feet!” is based on the lives and music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. They both served as executive producers.
Emilio opened up about actor and singer Ektor Rivera, who portrayed him on the Broadway stage. “Ektor is so great. I love him,” he exclaimed.
In return, Ektor Rivera remarked that it was a “fantastic experience to play a Cuban-American,” and “to tell that story every night.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Emilio responded, “I was happy when I was poor and hustling, I am happy now. I didn’t change, that’s success.”
To learn more about veteran musician and producer Emilio Estefan, check out his official website.
