Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine - Conga

What this video is

Released in 1985 as the lead single from Primitive Love, 'Conga' arrived at the precise moment Miami was emerging as a global cultural brand, amplified by NBC's Miami Vice. The video encapsulates the aspirational, celebratory Cuban-American identity of the Miami Sound Machine, presenting Latin rhythm not as exotic novelty but as the inevitable life force that overtakes even the stuffiest Anglo diplomatic setting.…

Why it matters

A landmark artifact of Latin pop's first major mainstream US crossover moment. 'Conga' became Miami Sound Machine's first Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 10 in February 1986 after 27 weeks on the chart, and also topped the Dance Club Songs chart. The video's theatrical club-narrative format…

The director

Born June 25, 1948, Havana, Cuba. Director and producer active in Latin-American and US media from the late 1970s onward. Known credits include the bilingual sitcom ¿Qué pasa, U.S.A.? (PBS, 1977), the feature Corte tropical (1990), and South Beach Dreams…