Karol G chose one of the most emotional moments of her historic night at Coachella 2026 to pay tribute to Gloria Estefan: the Colombian performed "Mi tierra," the iconic son montuno of the Cuban artist, before thousands in California.
The gesture was much more than a rendition: it was a generational bridge between two giants of Latin music, the Cuban artist who opened doors in the nineties and the Colombian artist who today leads the global scene.
"Mi tierra" was released by Gloria Estefan in 1993 as the lead single from her self-titled album, a love letter to the pain of the immigrant who carries their homeland in their soul. The song was written by Colombian composer Estéfano —Fabio Alonso Salgado— along with Emilio Estefan, making it a natural bridge between Gloria’s Cuban roots and Karol G’s Colombian heritage.
The album won the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album in 1993 and has sold 19 million copies worldwide.
The context of the performance added an even more powerful dimension: Karol G sang From my beautiful land, from my holy land on the largest stage in the world, during a moment of great tension for the Latino community in the United States.
Days before her performance, the artist herself had confessed that she feared speaking publicly about immigration raids because "they can take away my visa."
During the show, Bichota dedicated her performance to "my Latinos who have been struggling in this country lately" and declared from the stage: this is not just about me. It's about my Latino community. It's about my people."
The tribute to Gloria Estefan was not the only generational nod of the night: Karol G also danced to the rhythm of "Rompe" by Daddy Yankee in tribute to classic reggaeton, incorporated mariachis and Caribbean rhythms, and closed the show with "Provenza" and fireworks, with the Colombian flag waving on stage.
Among the special guests were Becky G, with whom he performed "Mamiii"; Wisin, who had the audience buzzing with classics like "Rakata"; Mariah Angeliq, with Cuban roots; and the musician Greg González, with whom he presented an emotional, unreleased ballad.
The bond between Karol G and the Estefan family is genuine and documented: at the Billboard Women In Music 2024, the Colombian artist performed alongside Emily Estefan —daughter of Gloria and Emilio— who played percussion on stage. Gloria and Emilio Estefan also attended Karol G's charity gala Con Cora in Miami in February 2025.
It’s not the first time that Karol G has used the Coachella stage to honor her influences: during her debut at the festival in 2022, she sang "La vida es un Carnaval" in tribute to Celia Cruz, and also paid homage to Shakira, Ricky Martin, and Selena Quintanilla.
This time she did it from the top of the lineup, as the first Latina to headline it in 27 years of the festival's history, with a phrase that summed it all up: I am the first Latina to headline Coachella... it feels late".
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