About Gloria Estefan
Grammy award-winning singer Gloria Estefan is an actress, songwriter, author of two New York Times best-selling children’s books, philanthropist, and humanitarian. One of the world’s most recognizable and beloved performers, she is the most successful Latin crossover artist in music history, per Billboard Magazine.
Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Gloria Estefan has garnered eight Grammy Awards and an Oscar nomination for her performance of the song “Music of My Heart.” She has received an American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and in 2023 she became the first Latina to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2015, President Obama honored Gloria Estefan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and in 2017, she was the first Cuban-American singer-songwriter to receive The Kennedy Center Honors.
On Your Feet!, the Broadway musical based on the lives and music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, received rave reviews and nominations for Tony Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Drama League Awards. The Estefans were executive producers of the show, the story of two people who — through an unwavering dedication to one another and their pursuit of the American dream — showcased their talent, music, and heritage to the world in a remarkable rise to global superstardom.
In 2020, Gloria Estefan’s Grammy-winning album, Brazil305, topped the charts worldwide while she served as one of three hosts for her four-time Emmy-nominated and Emmy-winning and GLAAD Award-nominated Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk: The Estefans. In 2021 she voiced the character Marta in the critically acclaimed animated film Vivo, with music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and released on Netflix.
In 2022, Gloria Estefan starred in Father of the Bride opposite Andy García, airing on HBO Max. The movie amassed HBO Max’s biggest audience for a streaming-only film and soared to the No. 1 title spot across HBO Max worldwide.
Upon her induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023, Gloria Estefan was recognized for the iconic songs that she has written, including “Anything for You,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Words Get In The Way,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” and “Let’s Get Loud,” among many others that have enriched and transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.
Gloria Estefan is also the founder of the Gloria Estefan Foundation, whose mission is to support charitable programs for disadvantaged children and empower young people through education and opportunity. The Foundation also supports spinal cord research through the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
Moderator
Briceyda Landaverde
Briceyda Landaverde, also known as Bri, is a reporter for NBC Connecticut, where she can be seen during the early evening weekly newscast. She has a passion for storytelling and connecting with the community, and she covers general assignments and contributes frequently on Connecticut in Color, a segment that highlights the diversity in our state. Her parents were born in El Salvador and later came to the United States in hopes of a better future. Their journey has always inspired Landaverde to cover stories regarding race, ethnicity, and gender.
The New York native started her career on Long Island as a photojournalist. She joined the NBC Connecticut team in June of 2022 as a bilingual reporter. Previously, she was a weekend morning anchor and reporter in Springfield, Mass., where she helped launch an online news update in Spanish.
Landaverde graduated from Stony Brook University where, as a student journalist, she traveled to Cuba, during the brief period when the travel ban was lifted, and reported on Wi-Fi accessibility on the island.