Quotes from Gloria Estefan

All I tell artists is, 'Do what you love. Never let anybody talk you into changing what your musical idea is just to try to get a hit, because you're chasing your tail that way. It's not going to happen, and if you're successful, you have to do it the rest of your life. Stay true to it and do it for the sake of the art.'

You want your fans to like what you do, because it's coming from your heart and soul. You write it, you produce this thing. It's like your baby.

Being Latin parents makes us extremely expressive with our affections.

You never know what life has in store for you, but I believe there are certain things one is meant to go through

To know that everything we say and do to this new little human being may have a profound effect on him or her is a daunting obligation.

We protect aspirin bottles in this country better than we protect guns from accidents by children.

Music has been so healing in my life, so the fact that my music could be that for someone else is the best gift of my whole career. People have told me that they got married to my music, divorced to my music, and played my music while they were having their baby.

Once you know the Romance languages, singing in those languages is so sexy and sensual. I do have a global audience, so why not?

I wanted to talk to very young kids about self-image and about being different and how that can be your strength, especially from the immigrant perspective.

Make sure everything you do you really like, because you have to sing it the rest of your life.

I only used my whole life one perfume, and it's Cartier's Les Must.

I was going to be a doctor, but I think my music allowed me to help more people than I could have done one-on-one as a psychologist. Just like other people's music really helped me.

My mom was an amazing singer and music was a big part of my life, so I grew up listening to Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini; I used to watch 'The Andy Williams Show' on TV. I was very musical, so I was watching stuff that most kids my age wouldn't be interested in.

I have had a life in which I have had to face every big fear, and it has not been pleasant.

When most artists walk offstage, they go to a lonely hotel room. I went home to my family. They were there before the show, during and after. It's been great. I never would have done it any other way. I wasn't gonna miss raising my kids. There was no way that was gonna happen.

I think we should all live the moment. But you also have to think ahead. You have to think, 'Am I going to be happy with this five, ten years from now? Is it going to let me evolve and grow, or am I going to grow to one day wish I had never done it?' Sometimes you just have to think a little bit ahead.

I'm very comfortable in my own skin now. I started just being myself more and more. For women, this happens as you get older. I loved my 40s - I thought they were fantastic. And I'm loving my 50s. I'm going to love everything because you're either older or dead!

There are certain realities we must speak of with our children that were not present when I was a child.

I gotta tell you, my nature is not to be the center of attention.

I hold 'Mi Tierra,' my first Spanish-language album, very close to me because that was all done in my native tongue and won me my first Grammy.

My family was musical on both sides. My father's family had a famous flautist and a classical pianist. My mother won a contest to be Shirley Temple's double - she was the diva of the family. At 8, I learned how to play guitar. I used to play songs from the '20s, '30s and '40s in the kitchen for my grandmother.

Music has been one of the most beautiful things in my life and will always be a very big part of who I am and what I do.

I spent my childhood alone, overweight and ugly, angry at everything, and knowing nothing of a life beyond this sadness.

I'm happy and I have a great life.