Gloria Estefan’s background is about as Latin American as they get. Growing up in Cuba, her father was the bodyguard of President Fulgencio Batista. But, during the Cuban Revolution, her family fled to Miami.

Desperate to learn English, she turned to an unusual source for help - Gerry Marsden.

Listening to his records, she gradually learnt to sing along.

“One of my all-time favourite songs is Ferry Across the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers,” says Gloria. “When I was a little girl my mother would take me to the laundromat and that song would play on the radio. To this day, whenever I hear the song, it takes me back to that time and I always remember the scent of laundromat.”

She also love the Gerry and the Pacemakers greatest hits. She’s a huge fan of The Beatles, too.

“I, like any other red-blooded musician, have to say I love The Beatles,” she grins.

“They definitely played a major part in my early love for music and helped shape a style of music in my mind. I know for a fact it influenced me when I began writing songs. Simple melodies and great, meaningful lyrics.

“And I love Relax, by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.”

So when she comes to Liverpool to play the Summer Pops at the Echo Arena this month, she’s looking forward to taking a stroll down Mathew Street to see The Cavern.

“I love England in the summertime, it’s so beautiful,” Gloria explains. “On my days off, Emilio (Gloria’s husband and bandmate Emilio Estefan), Emily (their 15-year-old daughter) and I always sight-see and visit historical sites in the city.”

Gloria is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 90 million albums sold worldwide - 26 million of those in the United States.

She has won seven Grammy Awards, placing her among the most successful crossover performers in Latin music.

But, she says, she loves playing England more than anywhere.

“The English fans have played such a great part in my career,” she says. “The UK was one of the first places where Dr Beat became a huge club hit back in the early 80s, and then again was a number one hit when Mylo sampled it a few years ago, so it’s always great to come back to the place it all started and where the fans have been so supportive for so many years.”

But picking out a set list is proving tricky.