Gloria Estefan Says This 1984 Dance Hit Is One of the Most Important Songs of Her Career

Miami Sound Machine was already having success with their Spanish music before they turned their focus to the United States. Led by Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio Estefan Jr., Miami Sound Machine started by releasing several Spanish albums, which were well received.

But in 1984, Miami Sound Machine turned their focus to a more global audience, with Eyes Of Innocence. Their first fully English record, Eyes Of Innocence did not become a massive success.

Fortunately, with their second English record, Primitive Love, Miami Sound Machine found international success, thanks to “Conga”, the first single from the record. Enrique E. Garcia is the sole writer of the dance tune, which became Miami Sound Machine’s first No. 1 single.

“If I had to take everything into consideration, [the truly essential song] would have to be ‘Conga,’” Estefan says. “First, because I don’t think I can get away with not performing that song in some shape or form.”

Not only did “Conga” become crucial to her live shows, but without it, Estefan doubts she would have ever released Mi Tierra, a solo Spanish album that became a massive international success.

“It started the possibility of Mi Tierra happening,” she says. “Not only did it talk about a specific rhythm of my homeland [Cuba], it talked about being Latino, and the celebratory nature of dance. It was very musically forward in that it mixed a funk bassline and a two-four beat on the drums. And the Latin percussion. It was something that really put us on the map. And even though it’s a frivolous and fun song, it talks about who we are as immigrants in this land.” 

Why Gloria Estefan Says “Conga” Is So Important To Her

“Conga” says in part, “Come on, shake your body, baby / Do the conga / I know you can’t control yourself any longer / Feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger / Don’t you fight it ’til you’ve tried it / Do the conga beat.”

Miami Sound Machine, and by extension, Estefan, already had a large fan base before “Conga”. But it wasn’t until “Conga’ was being played on dance floors all over the world that Estefan felt she had arrived as a singer.

“When ‘Conga’ crossed charts in Billboard, I thought, ‘OK, they’re getting it. They’re understanding what we have believed all along could happen,” Estefan says.

Estefan launched her solo career with Cuts Both Ways in 1989. She continues to perform “Conga” during her live shows. “Conga” was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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