Cuban singer, actress and songwriter Gloria Estefan will enter the U.S. Songwriters Hall of Fame. The achievement is even more important because she is the first Latin composer to enter the prestigious club.

The organization includes artists 20 years after its first commercial success. For Gloria Estefan, the hit that catapulted her to worldwide fame was “Conga” (1985) with the Miami Sound Machine group.

This is not the first time Estefan was nominated, according to the singer, who told the American morning show “CBSMornings”.  “I have been nominated before. There are a huge number of composers who deserve it and getting here is a dream”.

Regarding the historic mark of being the first Hispanic to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Estefan took it with grace. “Being the first of something at this age is fantastic,” the interpreter told CBS, adding that “we were told no by many at the beginning of our career”.

Gloria Estefan will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Sade Adu, also known as Sade, Glen Ballard, Calvin Broadus Jr., also known as Snoop Dogg, Jeff Lynne, Teddy Riley and Liz Rose.

For Nile Rodgers, president of the Hall of Fame, the group of 2023 represents “the diversity and unity between genders, ethnicities and genders.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame honors the legacy and contributions “of songwriters in all genres of music, while developing and nurturing the next generation of songwriters through Master Sessions, songwriting forums, scholarships, and digital initiatives.” says the organization on its website.

Artists such as Bob Dylan, Carole King, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Elvis Costello, among others, are on the list.

In her more than 40-year career, Gloria Estefan has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is the voice behind hits such as “Anything for You” and “Rhythm is going to Get You”.

She has three Grammy Awards and five Latin Grammy Awards. In 2008, she became the first of two women to receive the Latin Recording Academy's Personality of the Year award.

In 2015, she and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama. This is the highest honor a civilian can receive in the United States.

That same year, Billboard magazine included Estefan on its list of the 30 most influential Latin artists in music history.