Photo of a statue by sculptor Yino Marquez of Colombian singer Shakira on the Malecon in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, on December 26, 2023
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The high folded arms, the exposed stomach and the torso tilted to the side anticipate Shakira's symbolic hip movement, which was immortalized this Tuesday in a 6.5 meter high statue in her hometown of Barranquilla.
Made of bronze with some aluminum fragments, the monument depicts the pop star performing one of her signature dance moves. He wears a brown bra and a long skirt of the same color.
“Hips that don’t lie, an unrivaled talent, a voice that moves masses,” reads the inscription at the foot of the sculpture, presented at a public event attended by the singer’s parents, William Mebarak – of Lebanese origin – and Nidia Ripoll took part.
The local government had released images of the statue and its manufacturing process since August, but its face had not been revealed until today. The monument was located on the promenade next to the Magdalena River.
“Many thanks to the sculptor Yino Márquez and the students of the district art school for this example of the enormous artistic talent of the people of my country,” wrote Latin Grammy winner Shakira, 46, on the social network X (formerly Twitter). for Song of the Year 2023 for “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”.
The song, created together with the Argentine producer Bizarrap – a kind of catharsis about her separation from former footballer Gerard Piqué – immediately became a global success and brought her career back to the forefront.
The statue “really represents her very well, with all her details, right down to the way she dances,” Daniel Paulman, an American tourist who attended the inauguration, told AFP.
Shakira has also made headlines in recent months due to her financial turmoil. The singer reached a deal with Spanish authorities in November in which she pleaded guilty to tax fraud and accepted a fine of more than 7.3 million euros (about $8 million).
This year the Colombian paid a fine of almost 14 million euros for two cases of tax evasion.