USA: COLOMBIAN PO/ROCK STAR SHAKIRA IS TAKING THE UNTED STATES BY STORM WITH HER FIRST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MUSIC ON HER LATEST RELEASE "LAUNDRY SERVICE"

Record ID: 392156

  • Title: USA: COLOMBIAN PO/ROCK STAR SHAKIRA IS TAKING THE UNTED STATES BY STORM WITH HER FIRST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MUSIC ON HER LATEST RELEASE "LAUNDRY SERVICE"
  • Date: 17th November 2001
  • Summary: LV ANNOUNCER INTRODUCING SHAKIRA SLV SHAKIRA PERFORMING "OBJECTION" LV FANS LISTENING TO CONCERT FROM ACROSS STREET SV PULL OUT LV SHAKIRA PERFORMING "WHEREVER, WHENEVER" SV PULL OUT LV SHAKIRA WAVING GOODBYE TO FANS SV FANS SCREAMING FOR SHAKIRA
  • Embargoed: 2nd December 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5Y1AGDUPC5YHL31BW3B3N376G
  • Story Text: Colombian pop/rock star Shakira is taking the United States by storm with her first English-language music on her latest release "Laundry Service." Fans in Los Angeles on Saturday (November 17, 2001) were treated to a free outdoor performance by Latin America's answer to Madonna.
    Hundreds of Shakira fans gather on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard for a special, free concert to launch the Colombian singer's new album "Laundry Service." There were plenty of Latin American fans, but many North American fans who were excited to hear Shakira debut her new English-language singles.
    "... she's awesome -- everything about her, the way she sings, the way she dresses, her style, in Spanish and in English, she's just awesome, she is awesome. Everything about her is just awesome," said one fan.
    And when asked why he drove from San Francisco and back to get tickets and then return to see the show, one fan said: "She's worth it; she's original; she writes her own music, which a lot of people don't do that. She's compared to Alanis Morrisette, but she is her own person. She is totally different. She's just worth it."
    Shakira worked on "Laundry Service" for more than a year, producing or co-producing every track. She also wrote or co-wrote every song, making it a very personal piece of work -- as personal as her work in Spanish. And she hasn't forgotten her roots; Shakira included four tracks in Spanish on what is being dubbed her "crossover" album. But with so many bilingual fans, it matters little to many whether she sings in her native tongue or not.
    The Grammy and Latin-Grammy winner has been called Latin America's Madonna. Shakira is perhaps the most successful female Latin artist of her generation and she's only 24 years-old. But she sets herself apart from other young artists by having such control over her work, from writing the music, to producing it, to playing guitar in her performances, to deciding when it was time for her to break into the North American/English-language market.
    Shakira began at the age of 13 with her first recording contract and subsequent album, "Magia" ("Magic"). Two albums later with "Donde Estan Los Ladrones," produced by Shakira and executive produced by Emilio Estefan, she established herself as a major force in Latin pop-rock, going multi-platinum in the U.S, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. The came a Grammy and two Latin Grammys, a performance at the MTV Music Video Awards and now "Laundry Service," set to top the charts.
    "... after almost fourteen years of career, I needed a new challenge and definitely to write in English for the first time and embrace new audiences, it was a big, big challenge and an adventure," Shakira told Reuters.
    "Laundry Service" features 13 tracks, four in Spanish, ranging from rock 'n' roll tango on "Objection," to Middle Eastern strains of "Eyes Like Yours," to ballads like "Underneath My Clothes." The track "Suerte" is currently atop both the Latin Pop Airplay and Hot Latin Tracks charts.
    "Wherever, Whenever," the first English-language release from the album, is already in heavy rotation on MTV.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register