MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Hometown celebrity Gloria Estefan will be joined by a number of celebrities as they prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Miami Beach.
Estefan could be seen rehearsing for her Thursday evening performance for the Hard Rock Rising Miami Beach Global Music Festival.
When asked what made performing on South Beach special, compared to other venues, she replied, "This is amazing. It doesn't get any better than this, and for me it's home,"
Performing on the sand is also special to Estefan. "I love the beach," she said. "I've been here since I'm 2. I used to come everyday with my grandfather 'cause my mom didn't like the water so much, but my grandfather and me were always in here ... so to be so many years later and performing a bunch of hits that were worldwide hits and 30 years of Conga, Oh my Lord how does that happen? It's really a privilege, an honor."
Many have joked that residents of the Magic City live where others vacation, and Estefan said it is so much a privilege that she has to pinch herself at times as a reminder that it is not a dream. "Totally. Everytime I drive over that causeway, and I see the beauty of where we live, and we live in paradise. What can I tell you?" she said. "There's nowhere better, and we've traveled the world, I gotta say, so we gotta keep it a little bit of a secret or else everybody's gonna move down [here] more than they do already."
The celebration begins Thursday at 5 p.m. and runs until midnight. Andrea Bocelli and Wyclef Jean are just a few of the artists expected to join Estefan for the festivities.
For tickets and more information: http://miamibeach100.com/
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Gloria Estefan Official Links
Website: http://www.gloriaestefan.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gloriaestefan
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GloriaEstefan
Instagram: http://instagram.com/GloriaEstefan
VEVO: http://www.youtube.com/GloriaEstefanVEVO
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/GloriaEstefanMusic
Dailymotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/GloriaEstefanMusic
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/gloria-estefan/id485022
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/preview/Ahs4767mwjfgz7apvuwpuff5rkm
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gloria-Estefan/e/B000APXJDK
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/5IFCkqu9J6xdWeYMk5I889