Gloria and Emilio Estefan were among the 17 "extraordinary people" who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award from President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday.

During the ceremony, Obama honored a group of exceptional Americans with what is considered the highest civilian honor for their contributions to music, entertainment, science, math, politics and sports.

While introducing the iconic couple, he praised them for pioneering the Latin-flavored fusion sound in mainstream music. He also gave a brief summary of their musical careers.

"Some worried they were too American for Latins and too Latin for Americans," Obama said about the Estefans, according to NBC News. "Turns out everybody just wanted to dance and do the conga," he added, referring to their 1985 classic hit song "Conga." The song was sung by Gloria Estefan and performed by the Estefans' band, Miami Sound Machine.

Obama went on to talk about the legacy that the Cuban-Americans created by infusing Latin sounds into American pop music. To date, Gloria Estefan has received seven Grammy awards, while her husband earned 19 as a music producer.

"Together their fusion sound has sold more than 100 million records. And as proud Cuban Americans they've promoted their cultural heritage and inspired fans all over the world," Obama said.

The president also shared the story of how the Estefans met at a wedding reception back in 1975. That's when Gloria Estefan saw Emilio Estefan playing "Do the Hustle" on an accordion.

"She said she found this sexy and brave." Obama said. "I can understand the brave."

Emilio Estefan was also credited with creating an original American sound, while Gloria Estefan was described as a "music powerhouse" who made music that transcended cultural barriers.

Other honorees who received the Medal of Freedom award included singer-actress Barbra Streisand, NASA mathematician Katherine G. Johnson, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and baseball star Willie Mays, reports USA Today.