(CNN) — Gloria Estefan continues to open doors for Hispanic artists: this Wednesday it was announced that the Cuban singer, actress and songwriter will enter the United States Songwriters Hall of Fame.
She is the first Hispanic composer to enter the prestigious club.
The organization includes artists 20 years after their first commercial success. For Gloria Estefan, that hit that catapulted her to world fame was “Conga” (1985) with the Miami Sound Machine group.
This is not the first time that Estefan has received the nomination, according to what the singer told the American morning show “CBS Mornings”.
“I have been nominated before. There are a huge number of composers who deserve it and getting here is a dream,” Estefan told CBS.
Regarding the historic mark of being the first Hispanic to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Estefan took it with grace. “Being the first of something at this age is fantastic,” the interpreter told CBS, adding that “we were told no by many at the beginning of our career.”
Estefan will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Sade Adu AKA Sade, Glen Ballard, Calvin Broadus Jr. AKA Snoop Dogg, Jeff Lynne, Teddy Riley, and Liz Rose.
For Nile Rodgers, president of the Hall of Fame, the group of 2023 represents “the diversity and unity between genders, ethnicities and genders.”
The Songwriters Hall of Fame honors the legacy and contributions “of songwriters in all genres of music, while developing and nurturing the next generation of songwriters through Master Sessions, songwriting forums, scholarships, and digital initiatives.” says the organization on its website.
Artists like Bob Dylan, Carole King, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Elvis Costello, among others, are part of the list.
Some of Gloria Estefan’s achievements
In her more than 40-year career, Gloria Estefan has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
He has three Grammy Awards and five Latin Grammy Awards. In 2008, she became the first of two women to be awarded the Person of the Year award by the Latin Recording Academy.
In 2015, she and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama. This is the highest honor a civilian can receive in the United States.
That same year, Billboard magazine included Estefan on its list of the 30 most influential Latino artists in music history.
The singer is also part of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and was recognized by the Kennedy Center in 2017.
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