Raíces (Gloria Estefan album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Crescent Moon Studios
- Criteria Recording Studios
- L. Austin Weeks Center For Recording And Performance
| Raíces | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 28, 2025 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Language | Spanish | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Emilio Estefan Jr. | |||
| Gloria Estefan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Raíces | ||||
| ||||
Raíces (Latin American Spanish: [raˈises], lit. 'Roots') is the sixteenth studio album by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan, released on May 28, 2025, by Crescent Moon Records and Sony Music Latin.[1][2] Described by Estefan as a follow-up to her landmark 1993 Spanish-language debut Mi Tierra, it is her first Spanish-language album in 18 years, following 90 Millas released in 2007.[1]
The concept for Raíces emerged a couple of years before its release when Emilio Estefan presented Gloria Estefan with the title track "Raíces". Gloria, who was simultaneously working on songs for the upcoming Broadway musical Basura with her daughter Emily Estefan, initially hesitated due to her focus on that project. However, recognizing the milestone of the fiftieth career of her music anniversary, she expressed interest in returning to tropical music in Spanish.[1]
The album was produced by Estefan's husband Emilio Estefan Jr., who was also involved in most of its songwriting. Gloria contributed fewer songs, penning only "Mi Niño Bello (Para Sasha)", a lullaby dedicated to her grandson Sasha inspired by the classic Cuban lullaby "Drume Negrita."[1] The album includes two English-lyrics tracks, "My Beautiful Boy (For Sasha)" and "How Will You Be Remembered," the latter is the English version of "Cuando el Tiempo Nos Castiga", originally recorded by Jon Secada in 2001.[1]
Critical reception
Writing for Entertainment Focus, journalist Pip Ellwood-Hughes praised Raíces, describing it as "a timeless album of the kind only Estefan is capable of making."[3] He specifically praised the use of live instruments on the record, commenting that it "adds to the authenticity of the project and it’s so refreshing at a time when most music is generated on a computer;" he mentioned "Chirriqui Chirri," "Te Juro," "Cuando el Tiempo Nos Castiga," "Agua Dulce," and "Mi Niño Bello (Para Sasha)" as standouts.[3]
In 2026, the album won Best Tropical Latin Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.[4]
Commercial performance
Raíces failed to enter the Billboard 200, but peaked at number 9 on the Tropical Albums chart, selling over 1,000 album-equivalent units in the United States.[5]
