"Mi Tierra"
Single by Gloria Estefan
from the album Mi Tierra
Released1993
StudioCrescent Moon Studios, Miami, Florida
GenreSon montuno
Length4:38
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Gloria Estefan singles chronology
"Go Away"
(1993)		 "Mi Tierra"
(1993)		 "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan"
(1993)
Music video
"Mi Tierra" on YouTube

"Mi Tierra" (transl. "My Homeland")[1] is a song by Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan, from her third studio album of the same name (1993). It was written by Estefano and the artist, with her husband Emilio Estefan, Jorge Casas, and Clay Ostwald handling the production. The song was released as the lead single from the album in 1993 by Epic Records. It is a son montuno track in which the singer narrates longing for her homeland. The song received positive reactions from music critics, who praised its arrangement.

"Mi Tierra" received the Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical Song of the Year in 1994, Tropical/Salsa Song of the Year at the 1994 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 1995 BMI Latin Awards. Commercially, the song topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States and ranked on several European countries' listings. The accompanying music video was directed by Alberto Tolot and features Gloria Estefan performing the song along with several musicians in the background. The song has been covered live by Ednita Nazario and Víctor Manuelle, respectively.

Background and composition

In January 1993, Gloria Estefan announced that she was working on a Spanish-language album titled Mi Tierra.[2] The artist had wanted to record a Spanish-language album reflecting her Cuban heritage since the beginning of her musical career.[3] Before recording in English, Estefan and her band performed at Latin nightclubs;[4] she also remembered her grandmother teaching her old Cuban songs. Music had an important role in Estefan's family; her paternal grandmother was a poet, and an uncle played the flute in a salsa band.[3] The singer's desire to record an album in Spanish was also influenced by her son Nayib; she wanted him to recognize his Cuban heritage.[4]

Mi Tierra was produced by Gloria's husband, Emilio Estefan, and fellow Miami Sound Machine members Clay Ostwald and Jorge Casas.[5] Recording took place at the Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida.[1] Colombian musician Estefano composed four of the album's songs, including the title track, which he co-wrote with Estefan.[6] Musically, "Mi Tierra" is a "straightforward hard-montuno strut celebrating love and longing for the old country".[7] Estefan noted that the song could apply to any immigrant, "the song wasn't just for a Cuban",[8] citing Estefano's Colombian origin. "[S]o for him it meant something else. We wanted something that could catch the feeling of nostalgia felt by every Hispanic immigrant, no matter where he comes from", she added.[9]

Critical reception and accolades

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis called the song as "anthemic" and referred to it as one of the album's "happy upbeat songs".[6] Larry Flick from Billboard called the song "genius". Of the club remix, he said it is "effectively reconstructed for her newly rediscovered club following. Track tempers the original song's kinetic percussion and Glo's fierce singing with a wriggling deep-house groove and ambient keyboards."[10] The Daily Vault's Mark Millan called the song "intoxicating".[11] Anne Hurley from Entertainment Weekly stated that "moods flow from intense yearning" and it is a "meditation on longing for one's homeland".[12] The Miami Herald reviewer Mario Tarradell felt that Estefan "rips through the fierce beat of the title track".[13] In an otherwise negative review of the album, "Mi Tierra" was the only track that The Morning Call critic Clarence Elie-Rivera enjoyed, calling it an "upbeat dance tune".[14]

Chuck Campbell of the Knoxville News Sentinel called "Mi Tierra" a "poignant" song that gives a "provocative look at the Cuban motherland from an expatriate standpoint".[15] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton noted, "It is the first time she has ever charted a single sung in Spanish, which may restrict its appeal somewhat."[16] Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five stars, adding that "the older occasional singles buyer will be lured to this by its traditional Latin-drenched original mix, while dance fans will skip it for Tommy Musto and Pablo Flores' muscular house mixes. Regular Estefan fans are more likely to give it a miss altogether."[17] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette critic Betsy Kline referred it as one of the album's three best tracks.[18] Tim Jeffery from the Record Mirror Dance Update described the song as "a nice summery Latin number".[19]

At the 6th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 1994, "Mi Tierra" won Tropical Song of the Year.[20] In the same year, it was the Tropical/Salsa Song of the Year at the inaugural Billboard Latin Music Awards.[21] The song was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 1995 BMI Latin Awards.[22]

Promotion and commercial performance

"Mi Tierra" was as released as the album's lead single in 1993 by Epic Records.[23] The accompanying music video was directed by Alberto Tolot and features Estefan performing the song in a nightclub along with several musicians in the background.[24][25] A re-recording of the song was included on her 14th studio album Brazil305 (2020) and incorporates Brazilian music.[26] Estefan performed the track live at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards in 1994, where she also won the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album for Mi Tierra.[27]

As part of the Latin Recording Academy tribute to Estefan, who was presented with the Person of the Year accolade in 2008, Puerto Rican singer Ednita Nazario sung a live cover version of "Mi Tierra".[28] On the following day, Estefan performed it on the 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony along with "No Llores" and "Oye Mi Canto".[29] Ten years later, she was honored with the Lo Nuestro Excellence Award by Univision along with her husband and the track was performed by Puerto Rican singer Víctor Manuelle during the 2018 Lo Nuestro Awards.[30]

In the United States, the song reached numbers one and five on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Songs charts, respectively.[31][32] "Mi Tierra" was the second best-performing Latin song in the country after "Me Estoy Enamorando" by La Mafia.[33] In Europe, the song peaked at number 77 on the Media Control charts in Germany,[34] 27th on the Mega Single Top 100 chart in the Netherlands,[35] and 36th on the UK Singles Chart.[36]

Track listing

CD-Maxi single[23]

  1. Mi Tierra (album version) – 4:36
  2. Mi Tierra (Flores Latin House Dub) – 4:08
  3. Mi Tierra (Latin Mix) – 6:15
  4. Mi Tierra (Underground Vocal) – 5:40
  5. Mi Tierra (Flores Latin House Mix) – 6:39

Personnel

Adapted from the Mi Tierra liner notes:[1]

Charts


See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gloria Estefan (1993). Mi Tierra (CD liner). United States: Epic Records. EK 53807.
  2. ↑ Spelling, Ian (January 16, 1993). "To Gloria Estefan, 'music is part of my soul'". Waterloo Region Record. p. D8. ProQuest 275405664. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Lopetegui, Ernesto (June 22, 1993). "Q&A With Gloria Estefan : 'Mi Tierra': Paying Tribute to Her Roots". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Herrmann, Brenda (June 24, 1993). "'Mi Tierra' Gloria Estefan Draws Inspiration From The Heritage Of Her Cuban Roots". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ Lannert, John (June 20, 1993). "Disc Satisfying, Convincing". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Promis, Jose F. "Gloria Estefan - Mí Tierra Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  7. ↑ Morales, Ed (July 4, 1993). "Havana Affair". Newsday. p. 35. ProQuest 278657311. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  8. ↑ Lannert, John (June 30, 1993). "New Estefan Album Explores Cuban Musical Heritage". Sun-Sentinel. p. 4F. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Rivera, Francisco Perez (November 11, 1993). "New Album a Marketable Labor of Love for Estefan". Hartford Courant. p. 19. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  10. ↑ Flick, Larry (July 3, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 27. p. 66. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ Millan, Mark (January 20, 2010). "Gloria Estefan - Mi Tierra". The Daily Vault. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  12. ↑ Hurley, Anne (June 25, 1993). "Mi Tierra". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ Tarradell, Mario (June 22, 1993). "Estefan Sings Tribute to Homeland". Miami Herald. p. 5E. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Elie-Rivera, Clarence (July 17, 1993). "Records". The Morning Call. p. A64. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Chuck (July 21, 1993). "Gloria Estefan Explores Roots on 'Mi Tierra'". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  16. ↑ Masterton, James (June 27, 1993). "Week Ending July 3rd 1993". Chart Watch UK. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  17. ↑ Jones, Alan (June 26, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  18. ↑ Kline, Betsy (July 4, 1993). "Recordings". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. E-4. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Jeffery, Tim (June 26, 1993). "Hot Vinyl Buzzing" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Lo Nuestro – Historia" (in Spanish). Univision. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  21. ↑ Lannert, John (May 21, 1994). "First Latin Music Awards Recognize Range of Talent". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 21. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. LM-8. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Los Premios Latinos de BMI Latin Awards". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. December 23, 1995. p. 29. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  23. 1 2 Gloria Estefan (1993). Mi Tierra (Media notes). United States: Epic Records. 49 77063.
  24. ↑ Estefan, Gloria (1993). Mi Tierra (online video) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via YouTube.
  25. ↑ "Production Notes". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 33. August 14, 1993. p. 35. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  26. ↑ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (August 12, 2020). "Gloria Estefan – Brazil305 Album Review". Entertainment Focus. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  27. ↑ DeRosa, Robin (March 1, 1994). "Sting, Sinatra Go on with the Show". USA Today. p. 2D. ProQuest 306669044. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Estrellas honran a Gloria Estefan en Houston" (in Spanish). Telemetro. November 13, 2008. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  29. ↑ Garibay, Javier (September 1, 2016). "Gloria Estefan cumplió 59 años entre triunfos y reconocimientos" (in Spanish). Univision. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Premio Lo Nuestro celebra la música latina, a los Estefan y a Olga Tañón". Sun-Sentinel (in Spanish). February 23, 2018. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  32. 1 2 "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  33. 1 2 "Topping The Charts Year By Year". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 48. November 28, 1998. p. LMQ3. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  34. 1 2 "Estefan, Gloria – Mi Tierra" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  35. 1 2 "Gloria Estefan – Mi Tierra" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  36. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Part of Estefan's ARIA chart history, received from ARIA in 2022". ARIA. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  38. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gloria Estefan" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  39. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). July 17, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
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