Together with his wife, Gloria Estefan, won the court case for the right to use the name Bongo Cuban Cafe for the cafe they own in Disney World. They were sued by makers of Bongo blue jeans for trademark infringement. [13 February 1998]
Uncle of Spanish-language talk-show host/celebrity Lili Estefan.
Two children: Nayib (b. 1980) and Emily (b. 1994)
Although born in Cuba, he is of Lebanese ancestry
Emilio Estefan Detailed Biography
Emilio Estefan, Jr., (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban musician and producer of Lebanese ancestry. Estefan's first taste of celebrity came as a member of the Miami Sound Machine, but he is currently better known as the producer of many famous singers.
In 1968, Estefan moved to the United States, where he shared an apartment with 15 family members. He earned a living by running errands for neighbors, using an old car.
Estefan then began to work at local beauty contests, and at Bacardi, where he was employed as a mailroom worker. He reached the position of the company's Latin marketing department.
Emilio's real passion, however, remained with music. He started a group which became known as the "Miami Latin Boys". The group had success, being hired to play at multiple private parties and events around Miami. It was during one such event in 1975 that Emilio met Gloria Estefan, then Gloria Fajardo. He asked her to join their group, and the group was renamed "Miami Sound Machine". In 1977, Gloria decided to join the band. In the band, Miami Sound Machine, Emilio played the accordion.
In 1978, Emilio and Gloria Estefan were married. By the early 1980s, the group, which also included Cristina Saralegui's future husband Marcos, had become a major international band, with such songs as "Get On Your Feet" and "Conga" becoming number one hits in many countries. The group's success came after Emilio had signed them to an exclusive contract with CBS Records. In 1980, the couple's first son, Nayib, was born. He has gone on to follow in his father's footsteps as a music producer.
After Gloria Estefan decided to leave the group and embark on a solo career in 1987, Emilio Estefan made the decision to become a full time music producer.
The success that Gloria Estefan experienced as a solo singer made Emilio Estefan a popular producer among Hispanic singers. He began to arrange albums for a wide array of singers, and the Estefans became friends with their compatriots, Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight. By the late 1980s, the Estefans already owned a mansion in one of Miami's exclusive neighborhoods' and Emilio Estefan owned a studio.
In 1994, a daughter, Emily, was born to Emilio and Gloria Estefan. She has already expressed interest in the show business world.
In 1995, one student from Howard University was killed and another was injured when their personal water craft collided with the Estefans' pleasure boat. .
In 2002, Estefan began to produce the Grammy Latino Awards, a yearly ceremony that is televised.
In 2003, an actor alleged that Emilio Estefan had harassed him, but the actor turned out to really be a stalker; he was arrested by Miami police while trying to illegally enter the Estefan mansion.
On August 24, 2005, Estefan and well known rap singer P. Diddy announced the joint creation of a new record label, to help Hispanic rap singers. In November it was announced that Emilio will be the Executive Producer for Jennifer Lopez's first Spanish album entitled Como Ama Una Mujer due for released in January 2006.
