I love Gloria Estefan, though -- she is cool. It's always just been about the music with her and they've been really good fun pop songs and really gr… - Gloria Estefan

There are singers who can captivate a community. There are vocalists whose sound can penetrate deeply into your soul. There are entertainers who can mesmerize, enlighten and entertain, all in one breath. [And there is] Gloria Estefan -- who does it all, effortlessly.

Well, I'm proud of it. I was declared persona non grata not by the country but by a terrorist regime. But I know that Cubans love me and my music.

Just because we're celebrities, we shouldn't get dissed. What people might be complaining about is that they think a lot of these [other] celebrities don't write their own books. But I've written every word in this book -- both in English and in Spanish. I love music and I love children and I love animals, and it's a great combo of all those things.