Miami Shoot Magazine

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Cover Stories, Culture, Entertainment, Film, MSM Online, Music, The Issue

Gloria & Emilio Estefan: Making History Over & Over Again

By Gisel Habibnejad The world knows them as the trailblazing power couple of Latin music; however, Miami knows Gloria and Emilio Estefan on a much deeper level. It has even been said that the Grammy Award winners have influenced a generation of artists, with more generations to come. They paved their own well-documented path by immersing themselves into their careers, and as a result, music that withstands the test of time and still echoes in modern-day music. Gloria Estefan was born in Havana, Cuba and fled from the island as a little girl and would eventually pursue a life that would make her parents proud. As a result, she proceeded to earn a higher level of education at the University of Miami, through which she earned a BA in psychology. With a firm education, she then pursued her lifelong dream of a professional career in music. Consequently, she joined Miami Sound Machine through which she met Emilio Estefan and became romantically involved in 1976. Two years later, the couple married and officially began their path as the influential powerhouse the world knows them as today. Just four years shy of officially being credited as a solo artist, the “Conga” singer won her first Grammy Award in the category of Best Tropical Latin Album for Mi Tierra–this would be the first of the three awards she won for the same category in the years to follow. Mi Tierra holds a special place in Gloria’s heart as it paved the way for her solo career, winning several accolades awarded by Billboard, the Grammy Awards, and even earning the first Diamond album in Spain. In addition, it sold over 100 million records worldwide. Not to mention, her lively performances and concerts that literally make you want to “get on your feet” from start to finish. Among their many achievements collectively, Gloria and Emilio have earned stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award by the ALMA and Premio Lo Nuestro Musical Latina, induction into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, a spot on Billboard’s Top 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time, Latin Grammy Awards, and a Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Last November, they received the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by President Barack Obama. Gloria shared her appreciation of the special moment, “We really do love this country and we respect it. To have been given the opportunity to live our lives the way we have and to be able to follow our dreams and work hard… it’s been phenomenal.” And while, they were recognized by the country on this day, Emilio never forgets to acknowledge his beloved city, “Today we were thinking about Miami. Thinking about the Latino community and saying that we are proud. We never left Miami, we never changed our name and I think that’s an important thing to recognize.” Not many people can say they performed at the Olympics and at the Superbowl twice—Gloria has done both. In fact, her hit single “Reach” became the anthem for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. The Estefans have always been adamant on using their fame to be involved and bring awareness to political affairs. In 2010, Gloria famously led Las Damas de Blanco march down Calle Ocho in support of the opposition movement in Cuba. Las Damas de Blanco is a group of wives and relatives of imprisoned dissidents who attend mass on Sundays wearing white followed by silently walking down the streets of Cuba. Emilio’s contributions include producing phenomenal musical events at the White House and being appointed by President George W. Bush to the Committee on the Arts and Humanities in 2002. In 2013, he also became the AARP Life Reimagined Ambassador. And in 2014, Commissioner Jean Monestime appointed him as Miami-Dade Special Ambassador. They went on to conquer other facets of the industry, such as Gloria becoming a board of director for Univision Communications Inc. Staying true to his producer role, Emilio produced and directed his first full-length film in 2008 called 90 Millas. He has also produced multiple Latin Grammy Awards shows. As if it weren’t enough, they are also best-selling authors. Gloria has published children’s books and cookbooks; Emilio published his second book in 2011, The Exile Experience: A Journey to Freedom in collaboration with Alberto Montaner and Carlos Pintado—the powerful book is made up of testimonials from different generations of exiles. Throughout his career, he has received honorary doctoral degrees from Barry University, the University of Miami, Berklee College of Music, and Florida International University. Their latest conquest involves music, dancing, and Broadway. Fans can now experience a biographical look into the lives of these trailblazing artists as individuals and as a family. On Your Feet debuted in November 2015 starring Ana Villafane as Gloria and Josh Segarra as Emilio and directed by Jerry Mitchell. The homage comes to life with “Conga” at the end of the first act, when audience members are encouraged to join the Conga line as part of choreographer Sergio Trujillo’s plan. The show includes flashy costumes designed by ESosa accompanied with electrifying performances of their hits, such as “1-2-3” and “Get On Your Feet.” Variety magazine raves: “Newcomer Ana Villafane is a knockout in the leading role, the dazzling centerpiece of this flashy, splashy spectacle helmed by Jerry Mitchell.” “I hope we can inspire a different generation, to make them think about how lucky we are to live in the United States and to be able to achieve the American Dream,” Gloria proudly shares about the show. “We want to give so much back to this country.” Presently, they continue to defy the odds by actively working on creating the National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, D.C. They also became the first Cuban-Americans to buy minor ownership stake of an NFL team through the Miami Dolphins. Locally, however, you can find the Estefans at one of their many locations of

Culinary, Culture, MSM Online, The Issue

A Preview of the 15th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival

By Justina Coronel Photography Courtesy of Getty Images The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (SOBEWFF) invites all food connoisseurs to the 15th Anniversary celebration in Miami Beach during February 24 – 28, 2016. From fan favorites to new and exciting vendors, more than 80 events will span between Miami-Dade and Broward counties. As if there weren’t already a variety of tastes to discover, here are a few new venues to experience during the Festival. “Exploring Israel Dinner hosted by Ashley Christensen, Alon Shaya, Michael Solomonov, and Zak Stern” is hosting the Festival’s first kosher dinner at Rok Family Shul – Chabad Downtown Jewish Center on Thursday, February 25th. Christensen, Shaya, and Solomonov will bring new innovations and discoveries from a recent Israel tour and are joined by South Florida’s own, Zak the Baker. They will present this Glatt kosher experience and unique taste to guests. “CroquetaMania hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten” will host this iconic Cuban snack during a late-night party in the trendy Miami Design District. The local food authority of Burger Beast organized 15 of South Florida’s best to present a creative twist on this classic recipe. “Sweet 15: A Dessert Party hosted by Duff Goldman” will take place at Miami’s iconic, The Villa, Casa Casuarina, to celebrate the Festival’s 15th anniversary by having a dozen of the nation’s top pastry chefs to whip up some delicious desserts. And if this wasn’t enough of a huge bite of some of the venues already, the returning classics will have guests craving for even more. “Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid and Sons hosted by Rachael Ray” has been a festival favorite for ten years by bringing the country’s leading burger-making beasts together to compete for your taste buds on Friday, February 26th. “Meatopia Presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon” will present for the second time on Saturday, February 27th. Renowned food writer, Josh Ozersky, created this vision that will feature a carnivorous’ dream of meaty dishes from more than 25 chefs. “LUCKY CHOPSTICKS: An Asian Night Market” will close out SOBEWFF. Award-winning TV personality and chef Andrew Zimmern will host this special event of Asian bites from sushi to dumplings by a collection of chefs. Since all the proceeds go to the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the Festival has raised more than $22 million to date; and with a simple bite, guests can make these students’ future bright. In September 2015, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the third year in a row; now this is a mouth-watering event, in which you must go! For more information, please visit www.sobefest.com Click here to view this post in the MSM January/February 2016 digital issue

Business, News & Entertainment, The Issue

Words of Wisdom with Mike Fernandez

By Ernesto Poblacion Mike Fernandez is best known for his entrepreneurial ventures around Miami. However, most of us forget to acknowledge where he came from and how he became one of the most successful men in the Magic City. Inspiring, tearjerking, and motivating are just a few words to describe the journey that humbled him. In Humbled by the Journey: Life Lessons For My Family…And Yours, Fernandez allows outsiders to take a sneak peek of his life growing up and the moments which changed his life. The book launched in January 2015, but had already pre-sold 20,000 copies. Ironically enough, it was actually an idea planted by his wife, Constance, who encouraged him to write a book about his success and tribulations for his children, grandchildren, and those who follow to read and learn his life lessons. While his business ventures have developed him into a high profile figure in our city, his philanthropic work is what sets him apart from all the others. Humbled by the Journey: Life Lessons For My Family…And Yours shares his intimate life challenges and triumphs through a 508- mile pilgrimage from France to Spain for which he will be partaking in for the third time this May. The walk raises money for Miami Children’s Hospital. Fernandez moved to Miami in 1975, and having not known anyone here, was forced to pave his own path to success. Thankfully, he is grateful to those who showed him encouragement, “Miami is full of people who have gone through what every new arrival is going through and if you ask for help or advice, you may be surprised as to how many people will go out of their way to help you.” Humbled by the Journey: Life Lessons For My Family… And Yours proves to be a lesson handbook for those inter- ested in the entrepreneurial field. “Failure is a necessary companion on the road to success,” says Fernandez when asked to give advice to those who fail time and time again. “I encourage all entrepreneurs to push themselves to the point of failure, and to always learn from it. The road to success is not linear and we must be ready to constantly adjust to market forces and customer demands.” One of those roadblocks may be racial or ethnic discrimination in a world where some find them- selves constantly having to prove their validity in the business world while pursuing their dreams. Fernandez was born in Cuba and moved to the United States when he was twelve years old. He offered his best ad- vice to those still facing this social issue, “You have a choice, you have the option of allowing someone the power over you to put you down or you can take the high road and use their words as a vehicle to motivate you to do better.” In January, The Related Group celebrated Fernandez’s condominium purchases in The Residences at Park Grove. He was excited to share his new neighbors will consist of close friends while his views will include the spectacular skyline and city lights Miami is made of. While he and his family will be living in Coconut Grove, which he described as one of Miami’s most sophisticated and interesting locations, you can find him enjoying Biscayne Bay or hiking somewhere in Spain with his loved ones. When asked what are the most important lessons readers can take away from his book, Fernandez simply replied: “Life and business are not as complicated as books and theory would lead you to believe. Life is about listening to your instincts and core values and business is about the smallest details because by focusing on the micro, the macro is almost guaranteed.” Well said, Fernandez, well said. Click here to view post on the 2015 March/April issue. 

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