Gloria Estefan discusses the strong African roots of Cuban music and performs Miami Sound Machine’s first hit single, “Conga.”
TRANSCRIPT
Gloria Estefan: For me, it took a long time even to learn about the different kinds of music of Cuba.
How it came about, the incredible African root that was at the base of all of it.
♪ Come shake your body baby do that conga ♪ ♪ I know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ Come on shake your body baby do the conga ♪ ♪ I know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ GE: Then years later, during Miami Sound Machines party band days, we realized that the conga could still carry the power of the African beat.
At the end of the night there was always this medley of old Cuban congas.
They were hundreds of years old, some of them, and people would throw off their clothes and their shoes and it was a free-for-all at the end of every night. Which was really the seed that made us write the song 'Conga' years later. When we wrote 'Conga' we knew it was going to be a hit because we were playing at our gigs before we even recorded it and people were reacting as if it was a hit.
♪ Everybody gather round now let your body feel the heat don't you worry ♪ [In Portuguese] ♪ Ole! Ole! Ole! Arriba con la samba! ♪ ♪ Everybody gather 'round now Let your body feel the heat ♪ ♪ Don't you worry if you can't dance ♪ Let the music move your feet ♪ ♪ It's the rhythm of la isla And like sugarcane, so sweet ♪ ♪ If you want to do the samba ♪ ♪ You've got to listen to the beat ♪ ♪ Come on, shake your body baby, do the samba ♪ ♪ I know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ Feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger ♪ ♪ Don't you fight it till you've tried it do the samba beat ♪ ♪ Feel the fire of desire As you dance the night away ♪ ♪ 'Cus tonight we're gonna party ♪ Till we see the break of day ♪ Better get yourself together And hold on to what you got ♪ ♪ Once the music hit your system ♪ There's no way you're gonna stop ♪ ♪ Stop stop stop ♪ Come on, shake your body baby, do the samba ♪ ♪ I know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ Feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger ♪ ♪ Don't you fight it till you've tried it do the samba beat ♪ ♪ Come on, shake your body baby, do the samba ♪ ♪ I know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ Feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger ♪ ♪ Don't you fight it till you've tried it do the samba beat ♪ ♪ Come on, shake your body baby, do the samba ♪ ♪ I know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ Feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger ♪ ♪ Don't you fight it till you've tried it do the samba beat ♪ ['Conga' ends]
