MIAMI (AP) — Gloria Estefan says her mother, Gloria Fajardo, has died at age 88.
The Grammy Award-winning singer announced the death on her Instagram account Wednesday.
Estefan says her mother died Tuesday. She didn’t give a cause of death, but in previous Instagram posts, family members said Fajardo had been in the hospital for more than a month.
Fajardo was a Cuban teacher who fled with her husband to the United States in 1959 and settled in Miami when Fidel Castro rose to power and Estefan was only a toddler.
Fajardo received a standing ovation at one of her last public appearances, the February debut concert of Gloria Estefan’s daughter.
In addition to Estefan, Fajardo is survived by a second daughter, Estefan’s two children, and Estefan’s grandson.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.