Gloria: Time For Hoochi-Koochi
I can’t be entirely sure, the alcohol having utterly pickled my brain by then, but I think on New Year’s Day around 5 a.m. I heard “Hotel Nacional,” the first song sung by a woman — Gloria Estefan — in the 25-year history of Billboard’s Latin Songs chart to debut at No. 1. But maybe I was having a flashback: about 15 years ago, I rang in New Year’s Eve at the Miami Beach mansion of Gianni Versace (I know, I name-dropped: deal with it) and I was lucky enough to sit at Gloria’s table. She was a completely charming and completely fun mamacita. Thrilled that she has a big hit: it’s been a while since she released a CD with new material.
