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Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)

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"Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)"
Single by Gloria Estefan
from the album Cuts Both Ways
B-side"Oye Mi Canto (Spanish version)"
ReleasedSeptember 4, 1989 (UK)
March 1990 (US)
Genre
Length4:52 (album version)
4:55 (Spanish version)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Gloria Estefan singles chronology
"Here We Are"
(1989/1990) 		"Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)"
(1989) 		"Cuts Both Ways"
(1990)
Music video
"Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" on YouTube

"Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" is a song by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, released as a single from her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways (1989). It was the second single in the UK, released on September 4, 1989, and throughout Europe in September and October 1989. In the US, it was the fourth single from the album and was released in March 1990.

Composition and release

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A latin dance track, the song exemplified some of Estefan's musical roots, much like in the style of her earlier music with Miami Sound Machine, and is much in the style of "Conga" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You". Though the song was only a minor chart hit in the US, it was more successful internationally. Furthermore, Estefan obtained her first MTV Video Music Award for this song for the "International Viewer's Choice Awards" in 1990. The remixes of the song and short editions were created by Pablo Flores, who would go on to remix many other Gloria Estefan recordings, as well as Keith Cohen and David Morales.

Critical reception

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Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote, "Pop diva appears primed for club acceptance once again with this undeniably catchy tune, which comes with not only the requisite house mixes, but also English and Spanish versions.[1] Ernest Hardy from Cashbox commented, "Wherein little Gloria gets back in touch with her roots, then has them retouched so they’re palatable to the club crowd. There’s a Def 12", a House Mix, the 12” Pablo Mix and a Spanish version. Because Estefan has such a large following, this will do well regardless, but it has a forced feel to it, with all these mixes, none of which quite ring true."[2]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media found that "a bouncy salsa feel and a tough dance beat combine to support Estefan's voice. Latin music has never been a big commercial proposition in Western Europe but songs like this could change all that."[3] Pat Thomas from Number One named it the "most exciting cut" of the album, complimenting it as "stunning".[4] A reviewer from People felt that the song "seems much looser and much closer to the group’s Latin origins".[5] Mike Soutar from Smash Hits wrote that it's "choc-full of demented drum rhythms, carnival whistles and shrill trumpet parpings. It'll have people going "Arriba!" all over the shop and doing the rumba till they keel over, most probably."[6]

Retrospective response

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AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier remarked that the song is "club-ready" with its "big late-'80s synth-drum patterns", complimenting it as a "super" song.[7] In 2012, Pip Ellwood-Hughes from Entertainment Focus featured "Oye Mi Canto" in their list of "Our Top 10 Gloria Estefan Singles", declaring it as an "uptempo party track".[8] In a 2016 retrospective review, Pop Rescue described it as "a fantastic foot-tapping latin music song".[9]

Music video

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A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Paula Walker.[10] It was later published on Estefan's official YouTube channel in 2009, and had generated more than 13 million views as of March 2023.[11]

Track listings

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US 7" Vinyl Single (34 73269) [April 1990]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" (Radio Mix)Gloria Estefan, Jorge Casas & Clay Ostwald3:50
2."Oye Mi Canto" (Spanish Version - Edit)Gloria Estefan, Jorge Casas & Clay Ostwald4:08

Charts

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Chart (1989–90) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 13
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 50
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] 40
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 17
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 9
Poland (Polish Singles Chart) 4
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 16
US Cash Box Top 100[20] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 48
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 31
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[23] 10
West Germany (GfK)[24] 28

References

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  1. ^ Coleman, Bill (24 March 1990). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 69. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. ^ Hardy, Ernest (24 March 1990). "Pop Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 18. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 16 September 1989. p. 20. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  4. ^ Thomas, Pat (26 July 1989). "Albums". Number One. p. 43. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Cuts Both Ways". Entertainment Weekly. 21 August 1989. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  6. ^ Soutar, Mike (23 August 1989). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 65. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  7. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Gloria Estefan - Cuts Both Ways". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  8. ^ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (23 October 2013). "Our Top 10 Gloria Estefan singles". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Review: "Cuts Both Ways" by Gloria Estefan (CD, 1989)". Pop Rescue. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Gloria Estefan: Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)". IMDb. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Gloria Estefan - Oye Mi Canto (Official Video)". YouTube. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Gloria Estefan – Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1251." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 14 October 1989. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  15. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Gloria Estefan". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 76. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gloria Estefan" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Gloria Estefan – Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Gloria Estefan: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  20. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996. Record Research.
  21. ^ "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Gloria Estefan – Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
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