Shakira performs during the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 in Newark, NJ (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)Charles Sykes/Invision
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Pop star Shakira has been immortalized in her Colombian hometown of Barranquilla, where officials unveiled a giant bronze statue of the music diva known around the world for her catchy melodies and stirring moves.
The six-meter-high monument shows the multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy winner in one of her famous belly dancing outfits, with her hips swaying to the right and her arms gracefully raised towards the sky.
A plaque beneath the statue states that on February 2, 1977, the city of Barranquilla and the world witnessed the birth of a heart that composes, hips that do not lie, a voice that moves masses, and a pair of bare feet that walk You for the benefit of children and humanity.”
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
The statue, located on a recently constructed promenade along the Magdalena River that runs along the edge of the city, was unveiled on Tuesday in a small ceremony attended by Shakira's parents and Mayor Jaime Pumarejo.
However, the bronze giant is not the first Shakira statue in the Caribbean city. In 2006, Barranquilla unveiled a Shakira memorial depicting the pop star in her early days, playing acoustic guitar and wearing jeans and boots. This statue stands near the entrance of the local football stadium.
In a post on
The Colombian pop star won three Latin Grammys earlier this year and also made headlines in January when she released a fiery rap song about her ex-partner that broke YouTube records.
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
She also settled a tax fraud case in Spain this year for $7.5 million and recently moved to Miami with her two children.