International sensation Shakira will shake it up Aug. 12 at Mandalay Bay
Shakira for president. Of Colombia. Seriously. Don't be surprised if the comely Colombian songstress — superficially known for her lithe sexuality and temperature- raising dance moves — is eventually a prominent political figure, either formally or as a self-styled, Bono-like artist-ambassador for change.
The 29-year-old phenomenon's stage show has openly mocked war-mongering world leaders; she already has her own foundation, Pies Descalzos, dedicated to aiding deprived Colombian kids; and songs like "Timor" from her latest "Oral Fixation" album display an awareness of even distant human rights issues.
And by the way, she's engaged to the son of Argentina's former president (lawyer Antonio de la Rua).
Shaki, as her fans call her, was born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a Colombian mother and a father of Lebanese descent. Her music reflects her Latin-pop roots, tinges of Arabic influence and the thrust of Western rock — she lists Led Zeppelin, The Cure and Nirvana amongst her favorite bands.
But those are just the broad strokes of Shakira's musical influences. She's a true multigenre artist, a magpie of sonic signatures that has both entranced and befuddled critics and redefined the notion of a "world artist."
Shakira wrote her first song at age 8 and soon was winning talent shows in Colombia. By 14, she'd signed a deal with Sony Records and was on her way to bubblegum- pop stardom in Latin America. Teaming with managerproducer Emilio Estefan (husband of singer Gloria), she raised both the musical bar and her worldwide profile with "Donde Estan los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?)" album in 1998. The recording of her 1999 "MTV Unplugged" performance (the channel's first Spanish-language broadcast) won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album in 2000 and the scene was set for Shakira's seduction of America.
After a crash-course in English, Shakira opened the commercial floodgates with the (mostly) English-language "Laundry Service" in late 2001 — the album achieved triple platinum sales within a year of its release.
Extensive touring and a prolonged break followed, but Shakira returned with a vengeance in 2005 with two albums: the Spanish-language "Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1" and, five months later, the English-language "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2." "Vol. 1" has sold more than 3 million copies in the U.S. and "Vol. 2" has passed the 1-million mark.
Shakira burst into American pop-culture consciousness at the height of blonde-domination of the charts by the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. With her then-peroxide mane, angelic features and knockout figure, it was easy to lump in Shakira with the ex-Mickey Mouse Club brigade.
But Shaki's a more accomplished, well-rounded talent. She co-writes her songs, produces her CDs and conceives, co-directs and edits many of her videos. And Shakira's voice — a more diminutive, feminine take on Cher's tremulous, empowered croon, flecked with the late Ofra Haza's Yemenite wail and Alanis Morrisette's angst-fueled inflections — is both instantly recognizable and utterly transporting.
Likewise, don't expect Shakira's show at Mandalay Bay to feature lip-synching or to be the creation of some remote choreographer. She makes cameo appearances on guitar, drums and harmonica during her concerts, as if to remind us that she's nobody's puppet. Though undoubtedly well-crafted for arena-size showmanship, Shakira's performances are — by pop and Vegas standards — still relatively unpredictable events.
Shakira's special guest at Mandalay Bay is former Fugees allrounder Wyclef Jean, who also guests on her current "Hips Don't Lie" single (which also appears on a new, special edition of "Oral Fixation").
Shakira with Wyclef Jean at Mandalay Bay Events Center, Saturday, Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $105, $78.75, $57.75, $20.48 (tax inclusive). Mandalay Bay Event Center is part of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., South. 702.632.7777. - Kurt Storm