Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES • SPRING 2017 • sai-national.org 24 G L O R I A E S T E FA N Gloria Estefan was initiated as an Honorary Member in March by the Sigma Chi Chapter at the University of Miami. Estefan became one of the first mainstream Hispanic artists to crossover between Spanish and English language music. e Cuban-American lead singer of Miami Sound Machine has had numerous chart topping hits, such as "Conga," "Rhythm is Gonna Get You," and "Anything for You," selling more than 100 million records worldwide. Miami Sound Machine's first North American hit was from the band's first English album, Eyes of Innocence in 1984. e single "Dr. Beat" went to the top of the charts and inspired group members to write songs in English. e popular dance song "Conga" became the first single to simultaneously crack Billboard's pop, dance, and Latin charts. Gloria Estefan has an impressive number of awards and achievements that showcase her contributions to music throughout the world. She has been awarded numerous Latin Grammy Awards, including Person of the Year in 2008. She has been nominated for more than 60 awards, including American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Grammy Awards, World Music Awards, and Billboard Latin Music Awards. She won the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album twice (1994, 1996), and Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album (2001). She was the recipient of the American Billboard Award's Songwriter of the Year in 1989 and had the Billboard Music Video of the Year for "Everlasting Love" in 1995. She is an inductee to the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Estefan's achievements span well beyond music. In 1997, she founded the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which focuses its efforts on promoting education, health, and cultural development, with major contributions to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and various animal causes. She has written children's books, including 2005's e Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog, and a cookbook titled Estefan Kitchen, which features traditional Cuban recipes. She was the recipient of the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award and the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame Award. Gloria and her husband Emilio were also recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, for their monumental contributions to American and Latin music. eir life together was adapted into the 2015 Broadway musical On Your Feet, which won both a eatre World Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award, and is set for a 31-city national tour this fall. Estefan will headline the Arts for All Gala at Hall St. Helena during the Festival Napa Valley in July, benefiting Napa County Public School arts education and affordable community programming. DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS HONORARY MEMBER a woman who achieved international distinction in the music profession & who is not an initiated member of SAI Gloria Estefan, center, was initiated as an Honoray Member in March by the Sigma Chi Chapter at the University of Miami.

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