(Live via phone from her gym in Miami)
September 29, 1999
DJs: New K-BIG 104. With the best variety of the 80's, 90's and today! 7:41 Coming up next we talk to Gloria Estefan!!! Stay with us!
"Music Of The Heart" is played.
DJs: Is that a pretty song or what? It's awesome!.... The New K-BIG 104. With the best variety of the 80's, 90's and today! Gloria Estefan with Nsync and the "Music Of My Heart." Ladies and gentlemen, we're just thrilled to have with us live on the telephone (it really is live on the telephone, most of the time we're just lying to ya) singer, songwriter, and soon to be Hollywood starlet.... Gloria Estefan!!!!!
GE: (laughs)...."Hello!"
DJs: Hi! Gloria!.. gloria!... gloria!
GE: (laughs)
DJs: Hey thanks for calling us today!
GE: My pleasure... Are you auditioning there? I'll call Emilio if you like!
DJs: (laugh) Ok, Rick what do you mean soon to be starlet?... (yeah hello!) She's like... she's Gigantic!!!
GE: "oh my god"
DJs: Well no, I'm talking about, I'm talking about "Hollywood Star." I'm talking Hollywood...About her first movie here! And, and, to think you that started your acting debut with Meryl Streep...
GE: "i know"
DJs: ...and Angela Bassett. How scarry is that?
GE: "Well, it was it was actually wonderful. Ah... she was the nicest person Meryl. Ah... she said she was a big fan of mine. She made me totally comfortable. And it was really an amazing learning experience just to watch her on the set. Angel as well. Really a consummate professional. Super nice people.
DJs: she has really big muscles.
GE: "They were incredible"
DJs: so when does the movie come out?
GE: "The movie comes out October 29th, and uh... I think the Premiere is gonna be in New York on the 26th!"
DJs: Ooh! I bet you can't wait!!! ("that's today, that's today")
GE: "Yeah, I'm thrilled!!! And uh..." (pauses, was interrupted)
DJs: No it's not!... She said on Oc.. (oh! October 29th, I'm sorry! It's September 29th)
GE: Yeah!
DJs: so have you already picked out your outfit, you know... that you're >gonna wear to the big Premiere?
GE: Uh.. (laughs...) Kind of... Uh... You know, I'm doing so many things right now that uh... that's in uh, that's the last thing on my mind! Plus I'm, I really, believe it or not, I must be missing some female gene or hormone. I hate to try on clothes. I hate all that stuff, so... Thank God for my husband, who knows my body very well and my tastes. And uh...
DJs: "OH" (they laugh) He can pick out your outfits???
GE: My husband used to have a clothing business, so he's really into the whole, he knows very well about fashion and we work with stylists as well of course!
DJs: "Wow!" Your relationship is like the opposite of most! Because usually the woman has to dress the man, not the dressing the woman
GE: "I know...no?" (laughs)
DJs: (they laugh) Your husband is sexy Gloria.
GE: "But he's the one that changes like five times before we go out!" (laughs!)
DJs: "WOW!"... Was Emilio directing you, when he did.. Was he allowed on the movie set, when you were ah filming for the movie?
GE: Well of course he was allowed, but you know what, he didn't wanna go! He really did not want to go! He said that he didn't want people thinking that just co's he's you know, my manager, that he was gonna be there and uh... you know, I.. I was fine, and he didn't wanna do it, he didn't feel comfortable. They.. I had to drag his butt on the set a couple of times just so he could see, but then he left right away! So... he's cool! He's a very cool guy! He knows what he's doing!
DJs: The new movie is called "Music Of My Heart." And you're playing a music teacher in this movie.
GE: Actually no!... Actually I'm playing...
DJs: a friend
GE: ... A teacher!... A second grade teacher!...
DJs: got it!
GE: ...in Spanish Harlem. Ah... Meryl Streep plays ah... Roberta, who is the Violin teacher. And it's a true story! It's, it actually happened! And as a matter of fact, when we were doing the scenes at Carnegie Hall with Isaac Stern and Itsop Pearlman, who were, in the uh true life uh concert that they did to get funding for this program that got cut out of the public school. And she's been doing this for ten years. We got the program reinstated when we were shooting the last scenes of the movie. The Chancellor of Schools came by and he told her what does it take and he did it! So, uh, it was a great thing! And I play the first teacher that gives her kinda moral support when she comes into the school.
DJs: Have you always wanted to do the acting side?
GE: You know what, I've, I've really always wanted to venture into that Arena. I've been preparing for quite a while. And I was just waiting for the right thing, because I carry a lot of baggage from *this* career.
DJs: (chuckle)
GE: And uh...
DJs: Really...
GE: You better believe it! This is a craft. This is not at all like what I do! What I do is just be me on the stage...
DJs: right
GE: ...and uh, and uh... This is try.. I have to convince people that it's not me.. uh, and that I'm somebody else! They have to forget that I'm who I am!
DJs: So it's actually twice as hard for you!?!
GE: Yeah... It's it's a little more difficult I think, because they come in with preconceived ideas and an a very strong image of who you are. And actors usually should be like a blank slate.
DJs: Ah I just can't believe that you actually started with Meryl Streep! Isn't that great!
GE: Neither could I, believe me!
DJs: You talk about pressure!...
GE: That's the main reason... It wasn't pressure, it really was wonderful. She made things very easy!
DJs: WOW! You know what's weird? You know who directed this movie is Wes Craven. He's the guy that did all the Freddy Krugar movies!!!
GE: Exactly! I'm a big horror buff! And when I heard Wes was doing... When I first heard about this movie it was called "50 Violins" and Madonna was starring in it.
DJs: I heard about that!
GE: And uh... I used to think...uh I thought to myself... Wow! Wes Crave "50 Violins" he must be slitting people's throats with a Horse hair bow or something, I don't know.
DJs: (laughing) Hey Gloria!
GE: Yeeaah?
DJs: on the movie Soundtrack, is your big hit with Nsync... the one we just played
GE: Yeeeeaaaahhh!
DJs: I know... (who's the cutest?) I know they're very talented and very young. Did you at anytime working with Nsync tell them to behave or ask them to take a time out, or threaten to have to spank them or anything like that?
GE: Oh! Please!... I'm worse than they are!
DJs: Ah ha!
GE: I think that they were pretty shocked. They didn't know what to expect! Please... I've been hanging around with guys for 20 years on the road! MY sense of humor is probably as sick! or more warped than theirs!!!
DJs: (lauging) we know how that is!
GE: They were so surprised!!
DJs: You know the p, you know the pa.. when you were last here in the studio and you were, I don't know if you realized, but you were twisting paper clips?!?
GE: Oh yeah
DJs: Ok.. well we saved them and we put them on ebay and we got a thousand dollars each for 'em!
GE: You gotta be kidding!!!
DJs: Of course I am! (laughing)
GE: Oh..My...!
DJs: But I was gonna ask you for like your wads of paper! (laughing)
GE: (laughs) Sheesh, something at least with a name on it! I don't even know who twisted those clips for god's sake!
DJs: But they'll believe anything!
GE: Yeah, well... especially if you're lying to them all the time like you say!
DJs: How about the Latin craze that you hear Ricky Martin, and Jennifer on the radio, and Mark Anthony, and Mambo #5, with Lou Vega. Maybe it's time for another conga or something!
GE: Yeah man... It's no surprise to me, I mean... We we got the uh.. like ten years ago, wave of that. And... but if you go back... I mean, think of Desi Arnaz. It's one of the most popular TV shows in the history of television.
DJs: that's true
GE: And this guy was singing Babalu every week, you know...
DJs: "babalu"
GE: ...or something of that nature! And you had Santana, you had Feliciano, so we've enjoyed I think ah... Latin music waves in and through out! And now it's just more part of the mainstream and world music is coming. And I'm thrilled! I think it's great! The more the merrier!!!
DJs: So can we expect to see you in other movies as well?
GE: I certainly hope so! I'm looking at several scripts now. I mean, I'm always gonna keep the criteria for the parts I do. Which makes it difficult that scripts are very few and far between, that are, that are good enough to take the kind of risk that I take, you know, every time I... I do something like that, co's I have a different career and ah, but I'm certainly in the plans of even producing our own feature films. We have a whole... uh television and movie company that we've opened and we'll be working with a TV movie next week! Not that I'm in it... We're producing it. And then we'll be producing a feature film, which uh... I'm writing the screenplay with a good friend of mine and uh... A nice role for me there! Ah.. I'd rather not do, you know... carrying the picture type leading roles, because it's just a lot of pressure. And I wanna... The only thing I do now is for enjoyment sake. So I'll keeping doing that.
DJs: Well I just gotta say... No wonder you don't have time to like... go shopping and try on clothes and stuff (yeah), co's your always doing something else!
GE: (laughs) Yeah, but fun stuff that I like! So uh, it it's a great way to make a living, at things that you enjoy! That's the best thing there is!
DJs: I never had music teachers that looked like you! or Meryl Streep... okay.
GE: (laughs)
DJs: (laugh) How true is the movie?... C'mon Gloria! "No!.. Mine stuffed her bra"
GE: Neither did mine! I'll tell you the truth!
DJs: (laugh)
GE: It was uh... And they wouldn't let us play, all the stuff we wanted to play. I wanted to play the drums and all the boys got those. And I wanted to play sax and they got those, so I ended up with the Clarinet.
DJs: sh, should we applaud extra loud at the end of the movie when they roll your screen credit?
GE: Hey! why not?!?! I'll take it! I'll sure take it! I'll tell ya this... The movie came back from the test audiences at second highest uh rated movie from Miramax. Second to "Good Will Hunting." So that's uh...
DJs: Wow! Wow!
GE: ...really good news.
DJs: Well that's gotta make you feel good!
GE: And my character came up really well.
DJs: It's one of those feel good movies like um "Mr. Holland's Opus" and those...
GE: Yeah, that's a...
DJs: like, like yeah, it's like one of those!
GE: ...that's a good movie! Nah now, my role is small now, everybody make sure...
DJs: that's ok. YOU'RE small.
GE: ...that you don't go to the bathroom or anything during the movie!
DJs: How tall are you Gloria? (two feet tall)
GE: Uh... For real? You wanna know the truth?
DJs: For real! Yeah!
GE: Ugh!... In or out of shoes?
DJs: OUT!... (laughing) Out of shoes! Out of shoes
GE: Uh... 5' 1" and 3/4"
DJs: (gasp!) you're just... Oh! that's not so bad! May the 4th be with you!
GE: (laughs)
DJs: You know that's about... I think Madonna's about that size too!
GE: Yeah, we're about the same, same height.
DJs: (yeah) How's the Miami Sound Machine.
GE: We're a lot of little people. We look taller on TV for some reason.
DJs: Shirly has one more question for you. Yeah, how's the Miami Sound Machine?
GE: They're great!
DJs: Are they good? ok!
GE: Actually... They're cutting their own record!
DJs: Co's I'm worried about them (laughing).
GE: They're cutting their own record!
DJs: Yeah, well we don't hear about them anymore Gloria. I mean...
GE: They always tour with me. It's just my name.
DJs: (ok) You're not Diana Ross & the Supremes.
GE: I'm the only original member of Miami Sound Machine...
DJs: ok
GE: ...so they're not upset.
DJs: oh, ok!
GE: But they're doing... They're doing an album that's coming out nex...uh, I think by December or early next year! It's just them, and it's really hot! uh, really musical and they'll have some guest singers in it, and... So they're doing their thing!
DJs: All the luck in your new movie which opens October 29th...
GE: Thank You very much!
DJs: "Music Of My Heart" Gloria Estefan, you are awesome!
GE: Thank You very much!
DJs: Thank You sooo much!
GE: Thanks everybody!!!
DJs: Hold on just a second Gloria co's we got a couple of thi.. I wanna ask you for more paper clips ok?
GE: (she laughs!) ok!?!
End of interview........but.....
During the next hour, the station has what they call the "8 o'clock, all request hour." So 15min into the hour they answer the phone line to take a request. So the caller who wasn't asked her name, requests "Music Of The Heart" sounding as if she isn't quite sure if this is the correct title. Remember "Maria" from Live By Request??? Well... Gloria strikes again!!! They caught her!!! She was calling to request it! lol! So I called the station right away and requested it too! Just to see if they really would play it since they had just played it at the beginning of the interview. Anyway, they didn't play it. And then at 23 minutes into the hour they answer another call. Here is the transcript of that call:
DJs: The new K-BIG 104. It's the 8 o'clock all request hour. Hello! who's this?
Caller: (in a raspy voice) Hi! uh, I'd like to request "Conga?" by Gloria Estefan?
DJs: It's her again!... Gloria! Gloria...hunny.
Caller/GE: (laughs)
DJs: You only get 10 cents per spin...We love you Gloria, but c'mon!
GE: This song is... is very special to me and I... and I wanted to hear it... What can I tell ya! I'm sorry!
DJs: Like we tell our listeners... "We'll see what we can do!" (laugh)
GE: (laughs) I promise I won't call anymore... no more!
DJs: Bye sweetheart! Alright thank you so much okay!?! (laugh)
GE: Alright!
DJs: Alright, talk to you soon!
GE: (laughs) Buh bye!
DJs: Bye bye!
Gloria's request was granted