October, 1999
KIDD: I was hoping to get a break before we talked to Gloria.
KELLY: Yeah, I've got to go to the bathroom.
KIDD: I know, I do too ... Gloria?
GLORIA: Yes?
KIDD: Hi good morning this is Kidd Kradick on KISS.
GLORIA: Hi how are you?
KIDD: Listen, we got to go to the bathroom.
KELLY: Oh Kidd, we can hold it!
GLORIA: No...Go for it!
KIDD: We had so many people on all at once...and...
KELLY: You are not going to put her on hold!
KIDD: That's ok, we'll hold it...
GLORIA: that's ok, Go...
KELLY: No Gloria we will never do that to you!
GLORIA: I'll have this visual of you guys crossing your legs... (everyone laughing)
KIDD: Gloria Estefan is on and you can talk to Gloria by calling us at (telephone #) Gloria, one of the first days I worked on this radio station happened to coincide with your car accident.
GLORIA: Oh boy...
KELLY: Your Bus accident.
KIDD: and I can't tell you the outpouring of love that I saw being on the radio for you, it was amazing, I'd never seen anything like it and haven't seen anything like it since.
GLORIA: Yeah, I tell you I was very lucky, it was like being at your own funeral, and believe me I felt those prayers and people's good wishes and I used them in my recuperation... channeled them in, and quite honestly; however, I wouldn't want to go through that again and I wouldn't change it because it gave me an amazing way and an enriching way to live my life and enjoy every second, everything I am doing and people gave me a beautiful example of love is all about, unconditional, so it was great.
KIDD: I can imagine the opportunity of what you said about going to your own funeral, that's an opportunity that nobody has...
GLORIA: That's exactly right, and I tell you I will always be very grateful to everyone for all the support they gave me and I felt it like a physical energy around me...so it was very important for me to feel that.
KIDD: Now are you in an airplane right now?
GLORIA: No, I'm actually sitting outside here on the beach, uh we workout every morning after I drop off the baby to school...and I got to workout since I'm going later on this afternoon up to New York to do this thing with Celine, I got to take advantage of the few days I can workout.
KIDD: Now this is your daughter your talking about?
GLORIA: Yeah, she's already in school.
KELLY: Yeah, the oldest one is out of school.
GLORIA: He's out of school, he's out of the house, he's uh living in LA...shooting film.
KIDD: But the little one...you say is just like you?
GLORIA: She's mini me, I call her. (everyone is laughing)
GLORIA: Yeah she's like a little clone...
KIDD: What is it about her that reminds her of you?
GLORIA: Well, physically she's exactly like me, she see's pictures of me when I was a baby and she's confused...herself saying, "when did you take this picture of me mommy", and the same personality, she's kind of shy like I used to be, and uh she's very mature...uh just a lot...
KELLY: Loves music?
GLORIA: loves music but is kind of shy so I never push her into anything, so we'll be sitting there ... she's coloring and she'll be like writing little things in her head...lyrics and songs, but the minute she knows your listening she'll stop...
KELLY: ahhh, they're so cute.
KIDD: You know you have had such a full life, I mean when you think about the things you've done, and I don't mean the accomplishments, I mean some of the tragedies that you've been through...
GLORIA: Yeah, everybody has them it's just that when you in the public eye everybody finds out about them...
KELLY: it get's magnified.
GLORIA: that's what life's about.
KIDD: but your High's have been so high much higher than a normal person and your lows have been lower than most people.
GLORIA: Yeah, but I think if you were to ask people they've gone through some serious things in their life, but that's what it's about...we're here to experience and to learn and grow and I've been very fortunate, the outcome of most of these things, and you just keep going day by day and just keep enjoying every bit of this life that we're sharing now.
KIDD: I heard you talking about watching the old video's (Gloria laughs) because you are just revered by people like Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.
GLORIA: Oh, that's nice of you.
KIDD: you are just revered by them but then you say you go back and look at conga you look at the MSM stuff.
KELLY: I bet that bad, bad, bad, bad boys video make you wince!
GLORIA: Oh God so many things that's happening...which one did you see the cat one, or the one..
KELLY: the cat one.
KIDD: I like that big hair!
GLORIA: Oh...everybody suffered from big hair in the 80's...I don't know if anything is salvageable from that time period, I don't know...the 70's had some nice stuff that we still use, but the 80's, boy whoa! and in the new movie that I'm in is 80's fashion boy that was hard enough...that was the hardest thing in the movie having to wear the clothes...
KIDD: What year is the movie set it?
GLORIA: It starts in 1985...so it's right in the mid 80's then 10 years go by, so thankfully we go back to 95, but that movie is not a big fashion movie...it's all about teacher's in the intercity and uh, so the fashion really reflects that.
KIDD: and it's called Music to my heart?
GLORIA: The movie is Music of the Heart and the song is called Music of my heart...the title of the movie came from the song that Diane Warren wrote, a good friend of mine, who wrote it inspired by a teacher that was really instrumental in her life and helped her along. But I guess for the movie instead of music of my heart, it would make people wonder who's heart, so they just put music of the heart.
KIDD: This is Jennifer with Gloria Estefan, go ahead Jennifer...
JENNIFER: I was wondering, how did you get together with N-Sync and make music of my heart?
GLORIA: N-Sync was a great choice...we wanted someone to show the perspective of the student, you know looking for the younger artist, and we figured they have such lush beautiful harmonies that we called and invited them to be a part of this...they were on tour, they said yes, and David Foster went out to them...they did all the vocal arrangements for their parts and them David came to me and I tried some different things with them and it ended up to be a great collaboration, and of course all my young nieces and friends called me when they found out and said, (laughing)"Oh, I hear your going to do a video..."
KIDD: Oh and all of a sudden your big time...huh? ( laughing)
GLORIA: Yeah, and even Emily, who never goes to these because she gets bored, she says, "mommy, I want to go see N-Sync", so she went and took a picture and everything, it was really cute!
KIDD: So this is another one of those high tech collaborations where you guys were never in the same room together...
GLORIA: Well, we were when we did the video, we met...but, you know it's impossible really to have 6 people singing simultaneously, so it worked out the best way, and before if we didn't have this technology, it would have been impossible to achieve it, because they were on tour, and it would have been impossible, so, I'm glad for the technology...
KIDD: This is Myra with Gloria Estefan, go ahead...
MYRA: What is your secret to having a long and successful happy marriage?
GLORIA: Oooooo yes, we've been together 23 years, married for 21 now, I've been with him longer than I've been without him, I tell him...so it's an amazing thing...you know there is no secret...I think the first crucial thing is to be in love with each other deeply... uh, you both have to want to stay married...there's a lot of communication and a lot of hard work involved to make it work, you don't just sit back, and say ok, I'm married and this is it... try to keep it fresh for each other and always think of yourselves as lovers first and not keep that by the wayside...
KIDD: I have to tell you, I spied on you for a good 5-10 minutes backstage at the AMA a few years ago...
KELLY: Your gonna scare her...
GLORIA: uh-oh..
KIDD: I was just kind of watching this...Kelly do you remember this, when we were watching Gloria and Emilio?
KELLY: I don't remember.
KIDD: I was backstage, and your husband was by your side and when the last person walked away, he gave you this kiss on the neck, and you turned to him and you guys had this moment...
GLORIA: We still have those moments, and we still hold hands, and we are still very much that way...
KIDD: I thought my gosh they have been married for 20 years and that's so cool that you have managed to preserve that.
GLORIA: Well, if you don't preserve that then your in trouble and those are the most beautiful relationships, that the more time goes by it should be deeper and more wonderful and easier and that's the way it's been...we work hard at it though.
KIDD: We are talking to Gloria Estefan here on KISSFM and her new movie is called Music of the Heart...and when does it come out Gloria?
GLORIA: It opens wide on October 29th and we'll be up in NY during the premiere on the 26th...I'm threw with my first on screen scene with Meryl Streep, can you believe that? I'm spoiled now! Oh by the way, it's a small role so nobody go for popcorn or go to the bathroom or anything...everybody sit tight!
KIDD: How many scenes are you in?
GLORIA: I'm in quite a few scene's...there's a big scene with Meryl, which is the main scene you see in the trailer's, there's a scene in the school room, one in the brownstone, and a lot of reaction shots in the audience and stuff, but still, looking at the movie poster and trailer you'd think it is more, but I honestly wanted this to be a small role to start and when I heard it was Meryl Streep, I would have done it for just one scene, just to be with her in one scene...it was incredible...
KIDD: You've been waiting a long time to do a movie, there was some talk that you might have the lead role in Evita, what happened with that?
GLORIA: Yeah, I was actually offered that role with Oliver Stone...I was very thankful, he was very supportive...he said, you could do this, you could do this, but quite honestly right now, at this point of my life I only do the things I enjoy and to take the pressure on of being the lead in a movie the first time out, that's just too much, I wouldn't have enjoyed that, plus it's a musical...2 hours long, I wanted to do something different from what I do and controversial figure...it just wasn't right...I think Madonna did a spectacular job with that movie, she really wanted it and it was surprising to me it was really a well done movie, the cinematography was beautiful so I was really happy for her.
KIDD: You know who was surprising to me in the movie was Antonio, he was amazing in that movie.
GLORIA: Yes Antonio is great he does the singing himself, he really is an amazing talent...plus a cutie ..I might add.
KIDD: you guys hang out a lot down there?
GLORIA: Well, whenever he is in town we certainly do hang out, and he's a wonderful and loving guy, great family man and very very big talent.
KELLY: I don't love him anymore now that he is married...
GLORIA: Well...W-W-Why?
KELLY: I'm just jealous.
GLORIA: Well, they have to have a life too!
KELLY: no...(laughing)
GLORIA: What do you mean no? (laughing) That's selfish...don't you have a relationship there?
KELLY: I do, but he understands my Antonio obsession...
GLORIA: Oh...I see, so that means if I could hook you up with meeting him you wouldn't meet him because you don't like him anymore?
KELLY: Yes that's right...it's my silent protest. (laughing)
GLORIA: LOL...just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't read the menu.
KELLY: that's right! I have a question, you said your going to do something with Celine...I don't know what your talking about...
GLORIA: We're doing a TV special, a Celine TV special it's coming out for the holidays and we're filming it at Radio City music hall on Thursday...N-Sync..I'm going to sing with them...then I'm going to do a duet with Celine at the end of the show and she's got a big show planned so, I'm gonna be a part of that.
KIDD: So you have to pretend it's Christmas.
GLORIA: Well, it's easy to pretend, it's already close enough to Christmas...Christmas is getting every year starts earlier, now it's even before Halloween. I'll enjoy it, it's the last Christmas of the millennium...depends on how you look at it.
KIDD: Gloria, you are so tied in, who have you had over your house lately?
GLORIA: Well, we have a big dinner with Madeline Albright over here, yeah that was a thrilling night, we had a big political discussion, it was a blast I had all these different Cuban friends with all different opinions and she really wanted to hear that... And I had a birthday party and we had all kinds of celeb's over that day, what can I tell you...Julio Iglesias, Jennifer's been by the house... Jennifer lopez, Ricky's been by the house, because I interviewed him for, ummm...I believe it was Interview magazine, everybody...we know everybody down here, so when we have a party, they all come...Carlos Ponce, Jon Secada...all those guys...
KIDD: Now Madonna and Sylvester Stallone are both down there right?
GLORIA: Yeah, I was at Madonna's home recently, uhhh...we were visiting with Lola cuz her and Emily are freinds...we see each other every once and a while but everybody's schedule is so killer that's it's few and far between...that I can tell ya.
KIDD: Yeah you can live right next door and never see each other.
GLORIA: That's right, Rosie is my neighbor and she was here all summer and I only saw her a couple of times...
KELLY: Are you really good friends with her because I know you filled in for her on her show when she had to be out.
GLORIA: Yeaaaah...I love Rosie, she's an incredible talent...so dedicated, I'm on the board of her foundation and as a matter of fact we've done a duet that's gonna come out for Christmas an album that she put together for her charity for her foundation and it's the first time I've been able to record one of my parodies...It's called "Gonna eat for Christmas"..it was a blast, it's like a comedy routine, you know Rosie, she's like amazing, so we were really able to have a blast with that.
KIDD: Let's get one more call before you have to go...Lisa..you get the last word with Gloria Estefan...go ahead.
LISA: Oh thank you so much...Hi Gloria!
GLORIA: Hi!
LISA: I first want to say you are just a tremendous inspiration, I think to all females whether they are in the entertainment business or not...
GLORIA: Oh thank you very much that is very sweet...
LISA: I have a daughter that is going through a really rough time right now, and she's going to have surgery Friday morning...Is there anything you can tell me that can give her hope in overcoming these obstacles.
GLORIA: Of course I can, obviously this is based on my personal experience, and is obviously the only way you can give advice. All I can tell you is to make sure she is very proactive in her recovery that before she goes in there she goes in with a very positive attitude you know, a little meditation is good... open herself up to her own healing...from my accident I have realized we all have incredible amazing powers of self healing, and it doesn't mean you leave God out of picture, obviously whatever God you believe in, I firmly believe we are a piece of God and we were given that opportunity to be able to be very very active in our own healing process... it's gonna take a lot of hard work, she can't give up, a lot of discipline and therapy after the surgery, but most of all make her realize she is very instrumental in her recovery and the attitude she has is crucial, and of course the family support is very important, keep a positive attitude, that's all I can tell you and really really think to yourself, I'm gonna be fine, I'm gonna do it, and I'm gonna be great.
KIDD: Lisa, is she listening now?
LISA: I just dropped her off at school, she's a dancer...
KIDD: How about if we have Gloria give her a personal message, and I'll tape it and you can give it to her?
LISA: Oh my god!
GLORIA: What's her name?
LISA: Ashley
GLORIA: Well Ashley, this is Gloria Estefan, and I know your gonna be in for a little tough time, but you know what, all these tough times show us how strong we are, they give us more confidence, they give us an amazing ability to go forward in life, and overcome obstacles and whatever you do you're a dancer, you know how much control you have over your body, don't give that up even in the healing process it all has to do with you and how you approach this, it's gonna take hard work and rehab, whatever it is, but you stick with it and you're gonna see you have a lot of control over your body, don't give that up.
LISA: (shaking) Thank you so much...
GLORIA: My pleasure, and you hang in there too, she's gonna need you there most of all.
LISA: (shaking) Thank you so much...
KELLY: Don't hang up Lisa, so we can get you that tape...
GLORIA: Take care.
KELLY: Well Gloria, you are so sweet, I know we kept you long that you wanted.
GLORIA: It was my pleasure.
KIDD: Thanks so much it was really great talking to you.
GLORIA: Nice talking to you, now you can go to the bathroom.
KIDD & KELLY: Ok, thanks Gloria.
GLORIA: Bye.
They begin to play music of my heart, and decide to play the song after a commercial break.