But it went even more mainstream in a huge way in the 1980s.
During that decade, Miami was the place to be — at least where many people wanted to visit. "Miami Vice" was a hit cop show on NBC. The 1983 crime drama "Scarface" was set in Miami, NFL quarterback Dan Marino was slinging touchdowns for the Dolphins and the Miami Hurricanes hit the college football big time with swagger and championships.
At the same time, a Cuban-born singer named Gloria Estefan and her band the Miami Sound Machine — formed in 1975 by husband Emilio Estefan Jr. — emerged on the American music scene.
The band's first big hit in 1985, "Conga," achieved international success with seemingly endless airplay on radio stations on VH-1 playing the video regularly.
The pulsating salsa sound of "Conga" caught on, with other hits to follow: "Bad Boy," "Words Get in the Way," "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" and the 1988 ballad, "Anything For You," the first of the band's three No. 1 songs.
Despite a 1990 bus crash that left her injured, she continued touring in that decade to spread the "Miami sound" that inspired numerous artists.
Estefan in recent years received honors for her decades of contributions. President Obama in 2015 awarded the Estefans the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A few years later, Gloria Estefan received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime contribution to American culture.
