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From album
Mi tierra
Gloria Estefan · 1993 · Track 9
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The story behind
In “Montuno,” Gloria Estefan revisits the rhythm that shaped her childhood in Havana and turns it into a bridge between two worlds. Recorded between 1992 and 1993, the song captures the essence of son montuno with an energy that evokes both a street party and a dance hall at the same time. Its nearly five-minute runtime—unusual for a single of that era—gives it room to develop the interplay between piano, percussion, and backing vocals that defines the genre. The most intriguing technical detail is its seven-inch vinyl version: it was pressed at 33 rpm to fit the four minutes and fifty-four seconds without losing the intensity of the arrangements.
The track appeared as the fourth track on the album *Mi Tierra*, released in June 1993, and was distributed unevenly across different markets. In Europe and Latin America, it was promoted alongside “Mi Buen Amor” and “¡Sí Señor!...” as part of the same promotional package, while in the United Kingdom it was released in December as a limited edition: a maxi CD and a seven-inch vinyl record that included an extended remix by Dr. Beat. The recording, made at Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, brought together musicians such as Arturo Sandoval and Cachao López, key figures in recreating that authentic Cuban sound. Engineer Charles Dye and his team worked with borrowed equipment for three intense days, and the result was a single that, although it didn’t reach the top of the charts, became a cult classic for lovers of modern mambo.