Shakirixation: Her Lips Don’t Lie

Shakira was definitely on and her hips didn’t lie at TD Banknorth Garden for her Oral Fixation 2006 World Concert Tour in Boston. The Colombian-Lebanese songstress electrified the audience on Tuesday, September 5. The highlight of the concert was her performance with Wyclef Jean, formerly of the Fugees, in her hit song of this summer, “Hips Don’t Lie.”

Shakira had an amazing array of lighting, staging and costume changes that kept the audience on its feet and guessing what was coming next the whole night. But what struck me the most wasn’t just the pizazz at the concert; rather, it was how this artist carried herself. Throughout the performance, she would share with the audience at length about the inspiration behind her songs. She seemed down-to-earth, and had none of the haughty star vibe that I have seen all too often on stage.

It was amazing to see how she could appeal to people all over the world through her bilingual songs. There were many proud Colombians waving Colombian flags, and when she spoke in Spanish to the audience, many people cheered, showing their Latin pride. What I enjoyed most was that Shakira stayed true to her roots and sang many songs in Spanish, including one of my favorites, “Ojos Así” from the Dónde Están Los Ladrones album. It was a worry of mine that Shakira, like most artists, would only play songs from her new album Oral Fixation or sing in English because this was a U.S. show. But she had a great set list, including all of her famous singles in English as well as in Spanish.

I was also surprised to note that Shakira, in addition to co-writing and producing her songs, actually has musical talent. She played a couple of songs on the guitar, both electrically and acoustically. However, her real talents are singing and dancing. And of course, one aspect of the show that was truly amazing was Shakira’s dance routines. She is a great and versatile dancer, and is able to combine modern, hip-hop, and belly dancing into one seamlessly fluid and creative performance. A particularly memorable routine was when Shakira employed her Lebanese roots to show off her belly dancing skills, with a part Arabic, part Spanish song.

Unlike other mainstream pop artists, this Columbian-Lebanese songstress’ recent bombastic success isn’t just a one-time fluke. In fact, Shakira has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager. She released her first album, Pies Descalzos, to much acclaim in 1996, and became an international star then. But instead of relying on her past successes, this consummate entertainer continues to thrive. And she knows exactly how to keep a crowd energized all night. Shakira flawlessly performed a two-and-a-half hour show without wavering in energy and enthusiasm.

Source: The Tufts Observer