Carnegie Hall announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11, that 11-time Grammy Award-winning artist Gloria Estefan and her acclaimed singer-songwriter daughter, Emily Estefan, will debut during “A Night of Rhythm and Storytelling” on Monday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m.
“For one unforgettable night, Carnegie Hall will become the meeting place of Broadway, Latin music, and an inspiring true story that has touched hearts around the world,” Carnegie Hall said.
It said Emily Estefan will perform her own original music, while Gloria Estefan, appearing with Miami Sound Machine, will perform some of her greatest hits throughout the evening, “celebrating the music and legacy that have defined her remarkable career.”
Carnegie Hall said the concert also reunites the artists behind their acclaimed new musical, Basura, composed by the mother-daughter team and inspired by the “extraordinary true story of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra of Cateura — a group of young musicians who transformed discarded materials into instruments and, through music, changed their lives.”
The evening features performances by the young musicians of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, alongside members of the original world-premiere cast and orchestra that first brought the musical to life, Carnegie Hall said.
Conducted by Cynthia Meng (Basura, Ragtime), Carnegie Hall said the concert also reconnects with Tony Award-winning choreographer Patricia Delgado “whose dynamic choreography helped shape the heartbeat of Basura, bringing movement, joy and authenticity to a story that explores how hope and beauty can emerge from the most unexpected places.”
Carnegie Hall said the gala evening supports its artistic, education and social impact programs, and the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, an orchestral project where young artists from Paraguay illustrate music’s power to transform lives.
“This event will directly benefit both organizations, helping advance their shared mission of using creativity and the arts to drive meaningful social change and inspire communities around the world,” Carnegie Hall said.
It said the exciting new musical, Basura, tells “the extraordinary true story of a group of resilient students and their unlikely music teacher who share a seemingly unreachable dream of starting an orchestra.”
Carnegie Hall said that, at the center is Nambi, a hardworking young adult who discovers “a profound, hidden gift the moment she holds a violin.
“When the students find themselves without actual instruments to play, they must rely on their imagination and ingenuity to repurpose discarded materials,” Carnegie Hall said. “License plates and paint cans become violins with forks as their tailpieces, oil cans are transformed into colorful cellos, and drainpipes reimagined as saxophones.
“Together, they create instruments that are nothing short of magnificent and, against impossible odds, they transform themselves into a celebrated orchestra that travels the world,” it added. “Basura is a vivid, heart-swelling story based on the real journey of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra and the 2015 documentary film Landfill Harmonic.”
Carnegie Hall said Basura received its world premiere at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre in May 2026.
It said Basura’s original score is co-written by Gloria and Emily Estefan.
“Developed alongside a powerhouse Broadway creative team, Basura is a vibrant, deeply moving celebration of community, ingenuity and the life-changing power of creativity,” Carnegie Hall said.
It said Gloria Estefan is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, author, philanthropist and humanitarian whose career has spanned five decades.
Rising to international fame as the lead vocalist of Miami Sound Machine, Carnegie Hall said Gloria Estefan “helped bring Latin-infused pop music to a global audience with iconic hits including ‘Conga’, ‘Rhythm Is Gonna Get You’, and ‘Anything for You.’”
Having sold more than 100 million records worldwide and earned 11 Grammy Awards, Carnegie Hall said Estefan is recognized by Billboard as “the most successful Latin crossover artist in music history.”
It said her many honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honors, and induction into both the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“Through her artistry, philanthropy and cultural impact, Estefan remains one of the most influential and beloved figures in international entertainment,” Carnegie Hall said.
It said Emily Estefan is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose work reflects “a distinctive blend of pop, rock, jazz and Latin influences.
“An accomplished drummer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and vocalist, she wrote, recorded, produced and performed her debut album, ‘Take Whatever You Want’, at her own Fairy Light Studios in Boston,” Carnegie Hall said.
Through the founding of her own independent label, Alien Shrimp Records, Carnegie Hall said Emily Estefan has “championed creative independence while supporting emerging artists.”
It said Emily Estefan has performed at major events and venues including the Hollywood Bowl, the Miami Beach Centennial Concert before an audience of more than 100,000 people, NBC’s Today, and the University of Miami’s Festival Miami.
In 2017, Carnegie Hall said Emily Estefan honored her mother with a performance at the Kennedy Center Honors.