Gloria Estefan has admitted that she found it easy returning to her dance roots. The singer has worked with Pharrell Williams on her new single ‘Wepa‘, which is out now, and has said that her return to a heavier dance-oriented sound felt very natural. Speaking to Digital Spy about how she found working on new upbeat material, Estefan explained: “It felt great. I love dance. It’s been the core of my career if you go back to ‘Conga’ and ‘Dr Beat’ – there has always been some dance elements in my music.
“It feels very natural to me and it’s definitely a part of my sound. And it’s fun! Especially with Pharrell because it gives it a different take. It’s like Latin meets dance through his mind! It was very easy and we just clicked.” When asked what influenced her new single, the 53-year-old responded: “It’s inspired by a merengue beat mixed with Pharrell’s urban sensibilities. “The idea is that it’s an anthem for everyone, because dancing is something that everyone can participate in – whether you have a dollar or a million, it makes no difference when you’re out there sweating and being primal.”
Explaining what the meaning behind the single title is, Estefan said: “Wepa doesn’t really mean anything. It’s kind of an expression like ‘woo’ or ‘hey’ – it’s a celebratory expression. It’s used a lot by Colombians and Puerto Ricans.” Gloria Estefan’s 11th studio album Miss Little Havana will be released later this year. Wepa is available on iTunes now.