Gloria Estefan Research Paper

When Gloria Estefan was immortalized a few years ago with her own wax figure at Madame Tussaud's museum, the honor was yet another vote in favor of the Cuban singer/songwriter's lasting contributions to global pop culture.

Her wax figure is in the company of the museum's gallery of celebrities, but it's safe to say that Estefan is truly one of a kind. During the past 20 years--and through the sale of 70 million albums and singles combined--the enigmatic Estefan has broken the mold with her roster of hits in English and Spanish, conquering the pop, dance, Latin and AC charts.

With the Sept. 23 release of "Unwrapped," her first English-language album in five years, Estefan has returned to the spotlight.

"Gloria Estefan is one of just a handful of signature artists who inhabit their own realm in music and have the ability to transcend language, trends and genres to stir the emotions underlying the songs they sing." says Don

Enroute to a concert date in Syracuse, N.Y., Gloria was aboard her tour bus on a snowstorm-stalled Pennsylvania highway. A tractor trailer slammed into the bus, violently throwing the singer from her bunk to the floor. Her injuries required a four-hour surgery in which two 8 inch metal braces were inserted to stabilize a broken vertebrae. She received 400 stitches, resulting in a 14-inch scar. The pain was so intense that she could not sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time.

Her physical therapy was intensive and recovery slow, as she learned again to walk unaided, go to the bathroom, dress herself. By early 1991, she was ready to tell her story, with the song "Coming Out of the Dark," which she wrote with Emilio and Jon Secada as a thanks for the ongoing support and love of her fans. Its lyrics read: "Starting again is part of the plan/And 1'11 be so much stronger holding your hand/Step by step I'll make it through I know I can/Coming out of the dark, I finally can see the light now/It's shining on