Gloria Estefan Statement – The Celestial Awards
GLOBAL SUPERSTAR GLORIA ESTEFAN’S PERSONAL STATEMENT
The importance of San Antonio, Carol Burnett, and the impact of Women in Film & Television San Antonio’s The Celestial Awards™
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, September 29, 2024 – Women in Film & Television San Antonio (WIFT SATX+) is proud to receive and publish the following personal statement from global superstar, wife, mother, philanthropist, Grammy Award-winning recording artist, actress, writer, first Latina to ever be inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame, and more. See more about Gloria Estefan below her statement regarding The Celestial Awards™ being held on November 12, 2024 at The Majestic Theatre in downtown San Antonio.
GLORIA ESTEFAN’S STATEMENT:
“It’s incredibly important that Women in Film & Television San Antonio’s The Celestial Awards are naming special recognitions after trailblazing women who have pushed boundaries in their respective fields thereby paving the way for the women of today,” said Gloria Estefan.
“San Antonio holds a very dear place in my heart for multiple reasons. My father was stationed there as a Second Lieutenant for the U.S. Army in 1963, and at Winston Elementary School I started the first grade and learned English. Soon after that my only sister, Rebecca, was born. I’ve toured there on many occasions and the audiences have always been receptive and wonderful and years later, The Majestic Theater, home of The Celestial Awards, hosted our musical — On Your Feet! — adding another San Antonio milestone to our lives,” said Gloria Estefan.
“‘The Carol Award’ is also of particular significance because, growing up, I would impatiently await the weekly broadcast of the ground-breaking The Carol Burnett Show where her songs, comedy skits, and warmth helped me shape my own dreams and reinforced the belief that women could be successful at whatever they set their minds to doing. That is why it is so important to tell the stories of underrepresented women whenever possible, their stories inspire new generations of women and they, in turn, can be role models for the women of the future,” said Gloria Estefan.
ABOUT GLORIA ESTEFAN
Gloria Estefan was born Gloria Fajardo on September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba. As a toddler Estefan fled Cuba with her family to the United States when Communist dictator Fidel Castro rose to power. In 1975 she met keyboardist Emilio Estefan, who led a band called the Miami Latin Boys. Estefan became the lead singer and the band was renamed the Miami Sound Machine, before going on to score several Top 10 hits in the 1980s and 1990s. She married Emilio Estefan in September of 1978. They have a son and daughter.
Estefan is one of the most successful crossover artists in Latin music history. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of the Top 100 greatest artists of all time by both VH1 and Billboard. Estefan’s record sales exceed 100 million worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female singers of all time. She is a singer, songwriter, actress and author of two New York Times best-selling children’s books. She has achieved 38 #1 hits across the Billboard charts in addition to a prolific career in stage, film and television.
In 1997 she founded the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which promotes education, health and cultural development. Both Gloria and Emilio worked on the autobiographical musical about their lives called On Your Feet! that debuted on Broadway in 2015. That same year they were both honored for their trailblazing contributions to music and Latin American culture with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
ABOUT WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION SAN ANTONIO AND WIFTI
Women in Film & Television San Antonio is the leading nonprofit membership organization chartered in 2023 for people working in or pursuing a professional career in the Media & Entertainment industry in San Antonio, the Hill Country, the Coastal Bend, and South Texas including partners and advocates of the organization. WIFT SATX+ is an official chapter of Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) that is a global network of more than 13,000 members and 70 partners and chapters located on six continents that for more than 50 years has been dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, video, media, entertainment, and other live performance and screen-based media. Visit www.wiftsanantonio.org and www.wifti.net for more information
To learn more about becoming a member, supporter, partner, and the programming slate including The Celestial Awards, visit WIFTSANANTONIO.ORG or email hello@wiftsanantonio.org