(Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL) “Shakira, Shakira” – the name speaks for itself. Transgenerational Latin icon best known for her top hits like “Hips Don’t Lie”, Shakira’s performance was not simply about singing and dancing, but about telling a story - her story. Shakira brilliantly used her platform to empower women all around the world, traveling internationally on her tour titled “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” (“Women No Longer Cry”). Primarily in Spanish, the performance lived up to its name and told its story of promoting strength and resilience.
The atmosphere was electric - you could feel the excitement from even outside of Camping World Stadium. But, once you entered the stands to find your seat, you were caught off guard by the immense size of the stadium, with the night sky wide-open above as occasional breezes kept the sold-out crowd a bit cooler than the high temps we've been experiencing as of late. The lofty sense of grandiosity was how I imagined it would feel if I had attended a show in the Colosseum back in ancient Rome. Passionate like gladiators, tonight’s audience was a lot more inviting, with all ages and walks of life coming together in unity. Mile-high boots covered the ground, but one outfit in particular stood out: a purple bob wig with bangs and a black necktie over a white collared schoolgirl blouse, an homage to Shakira herself when she wore this outfit in her music video for “Las de la Intuición”. More subtly amongst the crowd were the belly dancing coin belts around people’s hips, foreshadowing a later part of the show for which Shakira has become well-known around the world.
Shakira’s entrance was different than how other singers would have normally entered, and much bolder considering how the stadium could seat up to 65,000 guests - she walked right through the crowd! The main walkway was blocked off to clear the path for our star and her entourage, but Shakira really demonstrated how she truly was one with the people as she strutted through the floor’s sections merely several feet within the audience’s reach. What better way to connect with the people than to be physically ground level with them? So, when she came on stage and the platform slowly started elevating upwards toward the sky, the people still felt that personal connection she created right from the get-go, though she now was transforming into a beacon of light for all to see, even from the furthest of seats, viewing accessible to all. The singular jumbotron stretched on seemingly for miles upon miles, mainly depicting duplicate footage on both the left and right side for all attendees to view, while still maintaining the “larger than life” feel. The rainbow-colored laser beams dancing around only enhanced this, with the performers also waving around huge light up glowsticks in a circular fashion to create an intentional luminary blur during her popular song “Estoy aqui”. Crowd members were also offered a complimentary wristband upon entry that automatically changed according to the music. The entire stadium lit up with the warm white glow of each individual, while Shakira was dressed in this angelic, all-white long dress as she performed “Empire” and “Inevitable”. With the moon overhead in the clear night sky, looking all around you felt like you were surrounded amongst the stars listening to these wonderful serenades.
“There is no better feeling than when She Wolf is back with her pack,” Shakira affectionately welcomed before she howled on stage with her adoring crowd fiercely howled back. Inspired from her hit song “She Wolf”, with which our star ended the night on a strong note, fans were duly referred to as being part of her “Wolfpack”. Bolder fans were even wearing wolf-eared headbands throughout the crowd. Regardless of what individuals were wearing, everyone was one - like family. Shakira continuously referred to the crowd as “mi gente”, or “my people”, each time pronounced with genuine love and sentiment. She seamlessly switched from Spanish to English and back. For select songs, she brought out a guitar to play while she continued to sing, including a traditional-appearing one and a white triangular electric guitar. At one point, Shakira was strumming a new guitar as she talked about how we all have our falling downs, but it made us each stronger. She then remarked on how this especially made women strong and more resilient. Then, she introduced her next song, “Don’t Bother”, first noting that there were lyrical changes in this next song, which sparked intrigue amongst the crowd. This change in lyrics was symbolic of the takeaway Shakira based her tour upon: to encourage others to be resilient when things changed and that life was not stagnant,; furthermore, one has the capability to grow and change, just like her songs' lyrics have.
The drastic comparisons in scene changes throughout the evening really complemented Shakira’s captivating essence. From Shakira dressed in all blue while she serenaded us in Spanish with the background depicting a mermaid underwater, to her belly dancing around the pole from a giant metal letter “S” statue at a fast, upbeat tempo, she really demonstrated that can do it all. The transitions between the different sets were seamless as the audience was still entertained by the videos that thoughtfully included captions. One in particular got the crowd extremely excited as it hinted at what the next song was about to be; the words on the jumbotron read, “It was said that the first woman came from a man’s ribs…but in reality the first man was born from a woman’s hips… because a woman’s hips don’t… LIE.” This global hit, “Hips Don’t Lie”, marked the transition in her performance from ballads to increasingly faster-paced songs. Another unique transition was actually of Shakira doing an outfit change herself backstage while still performing, then re-entering from above the stage via an elevating platform. She glided across the stage so effortlessly that it made everyone want to dance. Her salsa dance moves reflected how proud she was of her Latin heritage. She further maintained her composure as she moved on to belly dancing during “Ojos Asi” with the bass extra amplified. This dancing style was another one of her signature moves that ultimately confirmed that her hips do not, in fact, lie. Shakira demonstrated her humbleness and gratitude, as one of the last few video transitions included Shakira performing at an extremely young age and her telling the interviewer that she “(aspired) to conquer the Latin world” and now after all these years, “even when she needed her, that little girl was there, and so she (remembered) why she’s there.”
Shakira further honored her early beginnings as she played a song not many of the young teenagers in the crowd may have known, but the more mature audience was ecstatic for and sang along word for word with Shakira to “Underneath Your Clothes”. She had prefaced that this song was a “new edition to the tour, (and that) for some of you, it might be an old favorite.” Ending the night strong with worldwide favorites “Whenever, Wherever”, “Waka Waka”, and finally “She Wolf”, Shakira truly gave a spectacular performance that left those in the crowd feeling as empowered as she intended.
It was empowering, uplifting, and spectacularly fun. The emotion and energy that she created on this night clearly served as confirmations that she was a bonified global superstar, and that we in Orlando had the privilege of hosting her on this most special evening.
Write-up: Brianna Guinigundo
Photos: Bailey Guinigundo
The atmosphere was electric - you could feel the excitement from even outside of Camping World Stadium. But, once you entered the stands to find your seat, you were caught off guard by the immense size of the stadium, with the night sky wide-open above as occasional breezes kept the sold-out crowd a bit cooler than the high temps we've been experiencing as of late. The lofty sense of grandiosity was how I imagined it would feel if I had attended a show in the Colosseum back in ancient Rome. Passionate like gladiators, tonight’s audience was a lot more inviting, with all ages and walks of life coming together in unity. Mile-high boots covered the ground, but one outfit in particular stood out: a purple bob wig with bangs and a black necktie over a white collared schoolgirl blouse, an homage to Shakira herself when she wore this outfit in her music video for “Las de la Intuición”. More subtly amongst the crowd were the belly dancing coin belts around people’s hips, foreshadowing a later part of the show for which Shakira has become well-known around the world.
Shakira’s entrance was different than how other singers would have normally entered, and much bolder considering how the stadium could seat up to 65,000 guests - she walked right through the crowd! The main walkway was blocked off to clear the path for our star and her entourage, but Shakira really demonstrated how she truly was one with the people as she strutted through the floor’s sections merely several feet within the audience’s reach. What better way to connect with the people than to be physically ground level with them? So, when she came on stage and the platform slowly started elevating upwards toward the sky, the people still felt that personal connection she created right from the get-go, though she now was transforming into a beacon of light for all to see, even from the furthest of seats, viewing accessible to all. The singular jumbotron stretched on seemingly for miles upon miles, mainly depicting duplicate footage on both the left and right side for all attendees to view, while still maintaining the “larger than life” feel. The rainbow-colored laser beams dancing around only enhanced this, with the performers also waving around huge light up glowsticks in a circular fashion to create an intentional luminary blur during her popular song “Estoy aqui”. Crowd members were also offered a complimentary wristband upon entry that automatically changed according to the music. The entire stadium lit up with the warm white glow of each individual, while Shakira was dressed in this angelic, all-white long dress as she performed “Empire” and “Inevitable”. With the moon overhead in the clear night sky, looking all around you felt like you were surrounded amongst the stars listening to these wonderful serenades.
“There is no better feeling than when She Wolf is back with her pack,” Shakira affectionately welcomed before she howled on stage with her adoring crowd fiercely howled back. Inspired from her hit song “She Wolf”, with which our star ended the night on a strong note, fans were duly referred to as being part of her “Wolfpack”. Bolder fans were even wearing wolf-eared headbands throughout the crowd. Regardless of what individuals were wearing, everyone was one - like family. Shakira continuously referred to the crowd as “mi gente”, or “my people”, each time pronounced with genuine love and sentiment. She seamlessly switched from Spanish to English and back. For select songs, she brought out a guitar to play while she continued to sing, including a traditional-appearing one and a white triangular electric guitar. At one point, Shakira was strumming a new guitar as she talked about how we all have our falling downs, but it made us each stronger. She then remarked on how this especially made women strong and more resilient. Then, she introduced her next song, “Don’t Bother”, first noting that there were lyrical changes in this next song, which sparked intrigue amongst the crowd. This change in lyrics was symbolic of the takeaway Shakira based her tour upon: to encourage others to be resilient when things changed and that life was not stagnant,; furthermore, one has the capability to grow and change, just like her songs' lyrics have.
The drastic comparisons in scene changes throughout the evening really complemented Shakira’s captivating essence. From Shakira dressed in all blue while she serenaded us in Spanish with the background depicting a mermaid underwater, to her belly dancing around the pole from a giant metal letter “S” statue at a fast, upbeat tempo, she really demonstrated that can do it all. The transitions between the different sets were seamless as the audience was still entertained by the videos that thoughtfully included captions. One in particular got the crowd extremely excited as it hinted at what the next song was about to be; the words on the jumbotron read, “It was said that the first woman came from a man’s ribs…but in reality the first man was born from a woman’s hips… because a woman’s hips don’t… LIE.” This global hit, “Hips Don’t Lie”, marked the transition in her performance from ballads to increasingly faster-paced songs. Another unique transition was actually of Shakira doing an outfit change herself backstage while still performing, then re-entering from above the stage via an elevating platform. She glided across the stage so effortlessly that it made everyone want to dance. Her salsa dance moves reflected how proud she was of her Latin heritage. She further maintained her composure as she moved on to belly dancing during “Ojos Asi” with the bass extra amplified. This dancing style was another one of her signature moves that ultimately confirmed that her hips do not, in fact, lie. Shakira demonstrated her humbleness and gratitude, as one of the last few video transitions included Shakira performing at an extremely young age and her telling the interviewer that she “(aspired) to conquer the Latin world” and now after all these years, “even when she needed her, that little girl was there, and so she (remembered) why she’s there.”
Shakira further honored her early beginnings as she played a song not many of the young teenagers in the crowd may have known, but the more mature audience was ecstatic for and sang along word for word with Shakira to “Underneath Your Clothes”. She had prefaced that this song was a “new edition to the tour, (and that) for some of you, it might be an old favorite.” Ending the night strong with worldwide favorites “Whenever, Wherever”, “Waka Waka”, and finally “She Wolf”, Shakira truly gave a spectacular performance that left those in the crowd feeling as empowered as she intended.
It was empowering, uplifting, and spectacularly fun. The emotion and energy that she created on this night clearly served as confirmations that she was a bonified global superstar, and that we in Orlando had the privilege of hosting her on this most special evening.
Write-up: Brianna Guinigundo
Photos: Bailey Guinigundo
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