Miami Sound Machine

Miami Sound Machine is one of the Latin groups that most successfully broke into the anglophone market in the 1980s. The group was formed in 1975 by keyboardist and accordionist Emilio Estefan, Jr. under the name Miami Latin Boys; it adopted its later name after inviting singer Gloria Fajardo and her cousin Merci Navarro (also credited as Mercy Murciano), whose performance impressed them.

After a first album in 1977, the group signed with CBS and recorded several albums in Spanish. Their international breakthrough came with their first English-language album, Eyes of Innocence (1984), and its dance hit single Dr. Beat. The following album, Primitive Love (1986), contained the hit Conga!, the first song to chart simultaneously on Billboard’s pop, Latin, soul and dance charts. Other hits such as Bad Boy and Words Get in the Way followed, bringing lead singer Gloria Estefan (who married Emilio Estefan, Jr. in 1978) to the forefront.

The band’s lineup changed frequently: original members left, including Merci Navarro Murciano in 1982, and guitarist Wesley B. Wright and bassist Juan Marcos Avila in 1985. Emilio Estefan, Jr. stopped performing to focus on management, production and songwriting for the group.

After a serious bus accident in 1990 that injured Gloria Estefan, the group paused for a year before returning with an album centered on Latin roots, Mi Tierra (1993), which won a Grammy; this was followed by another award-winning album, Abriendo Puertas (1995). From 1989, albums were credited solely to Gloria Estefan as a solo artist, without mention of Miami Sound Machine.

Among the many musicians who were part of the group are Jorge Casas, Clay Ostwald, Randall Barlow, Rafael Padilla, Ed Calle, John DeFaria, Carlos Oliva and Raul Murciano.