Reviewed by Craig Hoffman
Gloria Estefan released Brazil305 in August 2020. It is the fourteenth studio album by the three-time Grammy Award winning Cuban-American singer. It is also her first album since the 2013 release of Standards.
Estefan pioneered the first Latin pop explosion, paving the way for artists like Ricky Martin and Shakira. Her earlier works combined pop, R&B, salsa, and Latin funk with great success. It’s perfect timing for the album as Latin pop music is once more en vogue in the music world.
“Three-oh-five is the area code for Miami. But then I found out later that there are exactly 305 indigenous ethnicities in Brazil. It was like kismet. Things tend to happen when they’re meant to be.” Estefan said when asked about the album in Rolling Stone magazine.
The work consists of re-recorded versions of her greatest hits with Brazilian rhythms. Reminding her fans that, despite entering the end of her illustrious career, Estefan remains relevant in her chosen genre. The album includes fourteen old hits and four new compositions, with an enormous international array of talented musicians.
The new interpretations of her hits are the best and retain the essence of what diehard fans loved about her earlier works. “Samba” is fantastic. It’s a new version of “Conga.” The update is a salsa beat layered with the polyrhythms of samba.
Estefan experienced worldwide success with “Conga” in 1985. The song became Estefan's signature song and led to the Miami Sound Machine winning the Grand Prix in the 15th annual Tokyo Music Festival in 1986. The trip down memory lane is a recurring theme on the album.
“Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” is a salsa jam with a funk bass line and big, bold trombone. “Get on Your Feet” retains its dance-pop vibe that will have anyone over the age of forty thinking they are back in high school.
Brazil305 is Estefan’s first bilingual album. There is a new Spanish adaptation of Brazilian composer Gonzaguinha’s “O Homem Falou.” It showcases Estfan’s talent for combining and crossing over various cultures and music styles with ease. The new and old mix is at the core of what makes Brazil305 special.
“Cuando Hay Amo” features batucada, samba, and cha-cha. Another stand out tune for fans of Afro-Brazilian percussion and Afro-Cuban guaguancó is Gian Marco Zignago’s “Hoy.” Finally, “Tuy Y Yo” (We Are Here) is a great bolero style tune mixed with Brazilian jazz music. These tunes are highly enjoyable as is the album as a whole. And the critics agree.
Quentin Harrison from Albumism rated the album four out of five stars, saying “The product of this action is an album that reverberates with the vibrancy of a woman still at her artistic best despite what she has already achieved—that is a testament to Estefan’s enduring creative excellence.”
There are few moments Brazil305 would have been wise to reconsider. The overall album while good does lose steam on a couple tracks. Time and age have caught up with Estefan’s once high-energy voice. She still has it in the key moments, but it’s work for the artist to push through the music.
Final Take: Brazil305 is a nostalgic ride back to Estefan’s glory days. The “Queen of Latin Pop” is not as good as she once was, but as they say, “She’s as good she ever was.” That’s more than enough to recommend Brazil305 and keep her fans around the globe in the conga line. 4.25/5.
Craig Hoffman is a music graduate of Ohio Northern University and The University of Akron School of Music. He also serves as the Icon’s Japan correspondent.
