PEOPLE IN ENTERTAINMENT

“He is one of the best live performers I’ve ever seen,” says Miami Sound Machine’s Emilio Estefan. Adds Gloria Estefan: “He expresses so much emotion, he gives me goose bumps. I loved him the first time I heard his voice.” They are referring to Emilio’s musical discovery, Jon Secada. The 28-year-old, Cuban-born songwriter and performer has penned songs for Jose Luis Rodriguez, Luis Miguel and others, including two of Gloria Estefan’s top hits, “Can’t Forget You” and “Coming Out of the Dark,” to which he also contributed background vocals. His first album, “Secada,” includes “Angel” and “Just Another Day” (“Otro dia mas sin verte”), both of which are featured in English and Spanish.

Tenor Jose Carreras will sing at the Greek Theater on May 16 as part of a spring tour of the United States. Carreras, who is serving as artistic and musical director for the Olympic festivities in his hometown of Barcelona, says they will include a “greatest hits” operatic extravaganza in which he will be featured, along with Teresa Berganza, Montserrat Caballe, Juan Pons, Jaime Aragall and Placido Domingo.

Eydie Gorme’s new Sony album, her first one in Spanish in four years, is entitled “Eso es el Amor,” and features classic romantic standards, such as “Si no estuvieras tu,” “Somos” and “Junto a ti,” the latter a Spanish adaptation of Sammy Cahn’s “Day by Day.” Five of the cuts are duets--one with Armando Manzanero and two with Johnny Albino. In two more she is accompanied by her husband and singing partner, Steve Lawrence. Gorme, who was born in the Bronx but who traces her ancestry to Sephardic Jews in Spain, worked as a translator at the United Nations before launching her musical career. Her big break came in 1953, on what was then a new TV variety program, “The Tonight Show,” hosted by Steve Allen. She met Lawrence there. They married five years later and became one of the most celebrated couples of the international music world. Gorme first recorded in Spanish in the 1960s with Mexico’s popular Trio Los Panchos and has garnered hits in both languages.