The awards, the success, all the ‘number ones’, or the thousands of records sold worldwide don’t really matter. In the end, the only thing that matters is love. Feeling loved, supported, protected, and cared for, and in the Estefan household, there is an abundance of that. Happiness fills their family life, and it’s not a marketing gimmick or a common Latin tradition. Quite the opposite, this family is genuinely close, making them stronger, as it hasn’t always been easy.
It wasn’t like in most movies that follow a hero’s or a heroine’s journey, neither at the beginning nor at the end when they reach the top. This family has learned to get ahead and turn weaknesses into strengths through effort and love. It’s a long story that the Estefans are grateful for today, for which each of them, from the oldest to the youngest, has had their voice heard and played an essential part in a literal sense since the family just recorded a Christmas album.
They went into the studio last July and August when Sasha – the ten-year-old eldest son of Nayib Estefan and Lara Coppola – was on vacation from school and was able to serve as the album’s associate producer. Now, just a few days away from ringing in the new year and eating the twelve grapes, this newfound gratitude for Christmas comes to light.
Thankful is the single from a compilation of all-time Christmas classics performed by the family. The song features Gloria Estefan, the grandmother, Emily Estefan, the daughter, and Sasha Estefan, the youngest of the family. Emilio Estefan, the grandfather, the renowned producer of stars like Shakira, JLo or Ricky Martin, also joined them, singing for the first time. Is there something a grandson cannot get their grandparents to do?
“I have fulfilled a dream,” the Cuban star told HOLA! USA in New York, minutes before joining the iconic Thanksgiving Parade. She explained that the new album reflects what happens around their table on Christmas Eve. Every family member sings and is grateful for the fortune of this past year while wishing the best for the next one.
