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Photos by qvMagazine
Luther
Orrick-Guzman.
Special thanks to Sony Discos.
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qvMagazine's May 2000
Artist
of the Month
Shakira!
Latina Roquera Sets the
Stage on Fire
After a fantastic set by opening
group, Son By 4, Latina pop rock artist Shakira appeared on stage
like a Goddess -- her body encapsulated in what looked like a
futuristic cocoon. Her silhouette alone drove the audience crazy.
The music started, the lights flashed, and our heroine stood
on a platform like a virginal apparition meets rock and roll
diva. She was dressed in what looked like blue snakeskin, form-fitted
pants, a blue tank top, and a matching waist wrap-around to give
a Middle Eastern touch to her gorgeous Latin figure. Her new
blonde hair was wild and free, just like her spirit on stage
when she sang with power, danced, and kicked through amazing
versions of "Si Te Vas," "Ciega Sordomuda,"
and the mesmerizing "Ojos Asi," just to name a few.
For the most part, the show covered the material from her 1998
album, "Donde Estan Los Ladrones?" and a few older
favorites like "Estoy Aqui," from her 1996 disc, "Pies
Descalzos." For the fans that fell in love with her MTV
Unplugged renditions, she played fantastic acoustic versions
of songs like "Moscas En La Casa" and the very popular
raggae version of "No Creo." Words or videos really
can't describe how theatrical, dramatic, innocent, humble, and
commanding Shakira is on stage. This tour is not to be missed!
--by Luther Orrick Guzman
All About Shakira
Born Shakira Mebarak Ripoll in
the coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira -- who goes
by her first name only -- is that blend of raw talent, brains
and charisma that only rarely comes along in any field. Her name,
which in Arabic means "woman full of grace," belies
her ancestry.
She is the daughter of a Colombian
mother and a Lebanese father -- a jeweler and writer whose Arabic
background greatly influenced his daughter. Shakira's fondness
for music was apparent early on, and she started winning local
and national talent contests at age 10.
By 13, she had signed a record
deal with Sony in Colombia, which resulted in her first album,
"Magia (Magic)," a compilation of songs she wrote between
the ages of 8 and 13. Shakira then recorded a second album of
original material called, "Peligro (Danger)."
After that, Shakira took a break
from music, graduated from high school (at age 15) and came back
with a vengeance. The result was the phenomenally successful
"Pies Descalzos," a hit-laden smash, which has sold
close to four million copies worldwide. On this album, she insisted
on recording her very own brand of music: a blend of pop and
rock that was unprecedented for a Colombian musician, much less
a woman.
Shakira became an international
sensation touring for an almost solid two years, playing her
songs to sold-out audiences throughout the world.
Such a smashing hit seemed impossible
to surpass, but Shakira did it with "Donde Estan los Ladrones,"
a collection of hits that further explored the realms of rock
'n' roll without losing Shakira's authenticity.
"It is totally refreshing
for me to work with an artist who knows exactly what she wants,
both at a musical and a personal level," said Emilio Estefan.
"Her music is Shakira. It's real music."
No wonder, then, that it was
Shakira who was chosen among dozens of female Latin singers to
grace the cover of Time Magazine in an article titled "Era
of the Rockera".
In 1998, the Colombian government
designated Shakira as an official goodwill ambassador, the Pope
granted her an audience in the Vatican, and she was named Latin
Female Artist of the Year at the World Music Awards.
The next logical step is crossover
to the English market, a goal that is now closer than ever.
In the meantime Shakira offers her
fans a special "MTV Unplugged" album in which she performs
her biggest hits in a live, intimate format.
Shakira is quite possibily the
most exciting singer/songwriter to come out of Latin America
in years. For the millions that already buy her albums, she is
already the voice of a new generation.
Bio courtesy Sony Music Latin
America
For more about Shakira, visit:
Sony Record's Shakira Website
Shakira.com
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