CUBAN-BORN singer Gloria Estefan will be given her Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts this Monday by Spanish culture minister José Guirão when she visits Madrid with her husband Emilio.
Described as the 'Mother of Latin Pop', Gloria has been a global household name since the 1980s, singing mostly in English and Spanish but also with one-off tracks in Portuguese, infusing her tracks with influences from her family's native Cuba, which she left when she was just two months old to move to Miami.
Discovered by Emilio Estefan, who later became her husband as well as her manager, Gloria has gone on to win seven Grammy Awards, earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the US Liberty Medal, and a place in the list of the best-selling musical artists in history with over 100 million records shifted worldwide.
She was chosen for this year's Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in Spain, but for reasons beyond her control was unable to attend the awards ceremony at Málaga's Pompidou Museum in February, presided by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
At her express wish, she will receive the medal in person in Madrid after the weekend.
