WASHINGTON, D.C. – Gloria Estefan remembers during her breakthrough years with Miami Sound Machine in the mid-’80s, she was among only a handful of female pop singers.

“There was Madonna … Cyndi Lauper … you could count them,” Estefan says.

The market for Latina singers was even smaller – save for Celia Cruz, a worldwide sensation who managed to make an indelible mark yet fell short of breakthrough stardom. Then Estefan and producer whiz husband Emilio transformed the mainstreaming of Latin music with early pop smashes "Dr. Beat," "Conga," "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" and "Bad Boy."

Now, fierce females such as Karol G and Rosalía are following the path etched by Estefan’s musical heirs Jennifer Lopez and Shakira and storming the crossover charts. And Estefan couldn’t be more delighted by their success.

“Their music is very different (than mine) and they’re doing their own thing. But I am very proud that they can do that thing,” says Estefan, who has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. “When I came up, it was wonderful that I had Emilio because women in the industry, at some point, someone was going to do something not nice. Now there is real female power coming in through music. They still have to fight for it – it’s still not equal – but I can see so much more happening.”

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RIAA honors Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Sebastián Yatra

Estefan, 66, is sitting in a conference room on Tuesday at the Recording Industry Association of America headquarters in Washington, D.C., with Emilio, her partner in all things professional and personal (they just celebrated 45 years of marriage).

In June, the always-busy Estefan became the first Latina inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognition she appreciates because it showcases the longevity and intense work that have anchored her career.

"You have to have a certain number of years that you’ve been around to even be nominated and also be a songwriter," she says. "It wasn’t a fertile ground for Hispanic women all those decades."

In a couple of hours, Gloria and Emilio will be feted by the RIAA with awards for Icon and Industry Trailblazer, respectively. Burgeoning superstar Sebastián Yatra is also being honored as Artist of the Year, as well as Sony Music Latin executive vice president and COO Maria Fernandez as Executive of the Year and Congresswomen María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) as Policymaker of the Year recipients.

The RIAA chose to spotlight Latin music following a breakthrough 2022, which, according to its research, surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time, with similar growth expected for 2023.

Sebastián Yatra vows to ‘treat people kindly’

Down the hall from the Estefans, the soft-spoken Yatra is cheerfully recounting his recent exhibition match at the U.S. Open with hotshot tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, a fan of the Colombian singer’s smash, “Vagabundo.” Fortunately for Yatra, he had recently befriended Rafael Nadal, who invited him to his tennis academy in Spain for some training prior to the match.

“Three months ago I couldn’t even hit the ball. Now I’m starting to play a little better,” Yatra says, smiling as he talks about winning the doubles match against Francis Tiafoe and NBA star Jimmy Butler.

Intensifying his tennis prowess is an apt analogy for Yatra’s career, which hit a crescendo the past year with the 78-date tour behind his “Dharma” album – he was surprised at the ceremony with a plaque celebrating the album as 5x Latin Platinum – and a performance on the Oscars of “Dos Oruguitas,” from “Encanto.”

“That was the first time a full Spanish song was sung by a Spanish person (on the awards). It shows the evolution of Latin music and it’s so much more on a global scale now,” he says. “I was the original person who sang the song and I got to sing it in front of billions of people.”

Though Yatra, 28, has been touring for almost a decade – he played 221 shows in 2017 – he acknowledges learning much from Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin when he joined them for a tour in 2021.

“They represented so much for me growing up and when you go on tour and see their routine and how nice they are to everybody, that means something,” Yatra says. “There is a lot of luck involved, but it’s also about being prepared and doing things right and treating people kindly.”

Yatra, who won two Latin Grammys in 2022, is nominated this year for best pop song (“Contigo”), but he demurs about his chances of winning.

“Shakira is in (that category) with ‘Bzrp Music Sessions,’ so let’s see what goes on there,” he says with a laugh. “But it makes me mega-proud. … Your heart starts to beat fast when they’re about to announce the winner and if you win, amazing. But if not, you applaud and are happy for whoever won this year, because, you know, it’s a long life.”

The future of Latin music meets legacy

During the ceremony, RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier pronounced Yatra “the future of Latin music.”

It was clear that Yatra, sitting to the side with the Estefans, was eager to hop on stage and perform a trio of bilingual hits with the backing of a guitarist and pianist. He sat on a stool and closed his eyes to unleash the impassioned ballad, “Un Año” and his “Encanto” hit, “Dos Oruguitas” before bouncing up and down a few times to stir excitement for “Tacones Rojos.”

Yatra worked the 20-foot stage with the same enthusiasm as he would an arena, bopping into the crowd of about 200 and squeezing his way to Gloria Estefan to wrap her in a hug.

At the close of the event, Emilio Estefan, 70, assumed his favorite place behind the congas for a performance of a medley of Gloria’s songs from their Tony-nominated musical, “On Your Feet," which is still touring the world.

Upon receiving his Icon award, Emilio turned reflective as he recalled the early days of their career when record executives pressed the couple to change their sound and the name of their group.

“We never changed,” he said. “I want to leave my kids a legacy of pride.”

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