Posted February 3, 200718 yr http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP400/P419/P41914ZG6BM.jpg Shakira Biography by Steve Huey After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-born Shakira became Latin pop's biggest female crossover artist since Jennifer Lopez broke down the doors to English-language success. Noted for her aggressive, rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially for a female artist; she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously poetic lyricists. When she released her first English material in late 2001, she became an instant pop sensation, thanks to her quirky poetic sense and a sexy video image built on her hip-shaking belly dance moves. Shakira Mebarak (full name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) was born February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, into a poor family. Her mother was a native Colombian and her father was of Lebanese descent, and so as a child Shakira soaked up music from both cultures; she also listened heavily to English-language rock & roll, listing her favorite bands in later interviews as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Police, the Cure, and Nirvana. Shakira wrote her first song at age eight, began entering (and winning) talent competitions at age ten, and started learning the guitar at age 11; one story runs that around this age, she was kicked out of her school choir for singing too forcefully. In 1990, at age 13, Shakira moved to Bogotá in hopes of pursuing a modeling career, but wound up signing a record deal with Sony's Colombian division instead. Her 1991 debut album, Magia (Magic), was comprised of songs she'd written over the past five or six years, including some of her earliest efforts. Although it didn't break internationally, the record started to make a name for her in her home country. Dissatisfied with the pop inclinations of the follow-up, 1993's Peligro (Danger), Shakira changed direction for a time, joining the cast of the Colombian soap opera El Oasis in 1994. When Shakira returned to recording in 1995, she asserted more control over the direction of her music, and worked more rock & roll rhythms — as well as occasional Arabic tinges — into her Latin pop material. The first results were Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet), which was initially released in 1995; a slow seller at first, the album gradually caught on thanks to "Estoy Aqui," which became a hit all over Latin America, as well as Spain. After that breakthrough, Pies Descalzos just kept spinning off singles: "Dónde Estás Corazón?," "AntologÃa," "Pienso en Ti," "Un Poco de Amor," "Se Quiere, Se Mata." The album hit number one in eight different countries and eventually went platinum in the U.S. as well; Shakira toured for nearly two years promoting it (she finally left El Oasis in 1997). Seeking to build on her success, Shakira signed Emilio Estefan — Gloria's husband and a highly successful music-biz insider — as her manager and producer. The move paid off when her follow-up album, 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?), became an even bigger worldwide hit than its predecessor. What was more, it cracked the lucrative U.S. market wide open, spending 11 weeks at number one on Billboard's Latin album chart and producing two U.S. number ones (on the Latin chart) with "Ciega, Sordomuda" and "Tu." The album's signature track, however, was the worldwide hit "Ojos AsÃ," her most explicit nod yet to the Arabic music she'd picked up from her father (not to mention its latent belly dancing connotations). Dónde Están los Ladrones? was also the most effective presentation yet of Shakira's strong-willed persona; her self-analysis made her even more popular among female fans, while her anger over love gone wrong drew comparisons to Alanis Morissette. When Gloria Estefan offered to translate "Ojos AsÃ" into English, the prospect of a crossover suddenly seemed tangible, and Shakira decided that the most effective way to maintain control over her material was to learn English well enough to write in it herself. In the meantime, she set the stage for her crossover bid with a performance on MTV Unplugged, the channel's first Spanish-language broadcast. MTV Unplugged was released as an album in early 2000, and topped the Latin charts for two weeks on its way to becoming her third straight platinum album; it also won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. At the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000, Shakira delivered a much-discussed, show-stopping performance of "Ojos AsÃ" and took home Unplugged-related trophies for Best Female Pop Vocal ("Ojos AsÃ") and Best Female Rock Vocal ("Octavo Dia"). Mainstream pop stardom beckoned. Shakira dyed her long brown hair blonde, romanced Antonio de la Rua (son of the former president of Argentina), and went to work on her first (mostly) English-language album, Laundry Service. The single/video "Whenever, Wherever" was released in advance of the album in late 2001, and made her a star in the English-speaking world almost overnight. Laundry Service entered the American pop charts at number three, and "Whenever, Wherever" climbed into the Top Ten of the singles chart, peaking at number six. The follow-up, "Underneath Your Clothes," also hit the Top Ten, halting at number nine; less than a year after its release, Laundry Service had gone triple platinum. Reviews of Laundry Service were divided as to the effectiveness of Shakira's English lyrics, but nearly all agreed on her unique poetic imagery. Extensive touring to support Laundry Service led to a long break for the singer, so a remix collection (2002's Laundry Service: Washed and Dried) and a live album (2004's Live & Off the Record) appeared in lieu of a new album. Revitalized, Shakira began the writing process for her next release and soon had 60 songs ready to go, some in English, some in Spanish. Twenty of the songs were selected and divided up by language to make two different albums. Both appeared in 2005 and both hit the Top Ten, with the Spanish-language album Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 leading the way in June with a number four placing and the English-language album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, following in November at number five. As sales of Oral Fixation began to slow in early 2006, Epic reissued the album in March with a bonus track, "Hip Don't Lie." The newly recorded song went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June, becoming one of the summer's biggest hits and reviving sales of Oral Fixation as well as Shakira's entire back catalog.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg800/g823/g82382iffzd.jpg Pies Descalzos (Apr 1996) 3 Stars Review by Jose F. Promis Shakira's 1996 debut album, Pies Descalzos set the stage for one of the international community's most celebrated and exciting stars. The album took a while to gain momentum, but once it did, the young chanteuse ascended to dizzying commercial heights that were only magnified with her more electrifying later releases. The more tranquil Pies Descalzos, however, finds the young singer/songwriter balancing heartfelt, earnest ballads (such as "Te Necesito") with catchy, jangly pop/rock. The album opens with the infectious and melodic pop/rocker "Estoy Aqui" and continues with the ballad "Antologia" before breaking into the dancehall-lite of "Un Poco de Amor." As can be seen from the diversity of the material, Shakira seems to still be finding her own voice, but the results are nonetheless engaging. Other highlights include the catchy "Se Quiere Se Mata," "Donde Estas Corazon," and the cool, jazzy "Te Espero Sentada," which unfortunately loses momentum during the chorus. All in all, Pies Descalzos is a solid debut from a young artist who was still evolving and would later further fulfill her artistic potential.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg800/g823/g82387panv0.jpg Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Sep 29, 1998) 4.5 Stars Review by Alex Henderson 1996's Pies Descalzos was Shakira's big commercial breakthrough; it was that album that established the Colombian singer as a superstar in Latin America. But Shakira's next album, Dónde Están los Ladrones? (which means "Where Are the Thieves?" in Spanish) is arguably the finest and most essential album that she recorded in the 1990s. This superb CD isn't just Latin pop — it's also rock en español, which as its name indicates, is rock with Spanish lyrics. Dónde Están los Ladrones? inspired some reviewers to compare Shakira to Alanis Morissette, but that comparison is only valid up to a point. The Colombiana sings with a bit of a cackle (something Morissette is known for) on pop/rock jewels like "Si Te Vas" and "No Creo," but Shakira is a very different kind of lyricist. While Morissette is famous for being angrily introspective and having a mad-at-the-world outlook, Shakira's lyrics tend to be poetic and are, at times, unapologetically romantic — even if Morissette sang in Spanish, it would be hard to imagine her coming up with something as poetic as the Middle Eastern fantasy that Shakira vividly describes on her Arabic-influenced mega-hit "Ojos AsÃ." And, besides, Shakira already had a few albums under her belt when Morissette enjoyed her big commercial breakthrough with 1995's Jagged Little Pill. Of course, only those who have some knowledge of Spanish will be impressed by Shakira's lyrics; Columbia doesn't provide English translations. What will impress non-Spanish-speaking listeners are the CD's attractive melodies and the emotion that the artist brings to her songs; you don't have to speak a word of Spanish to find Dónde Están los Ladrones? musically exciting. If you're acquiring your first Shakira release, this would be the ideal choice.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre000/e022/e02237y4z1m.jpg MTV Unplugged (Feb 29, 2000) 4.5 Stars (9 out of 10) Review by Alex Henderson The acoustic-oriented performances one hears on the show MTV Unplugged have a nice way of separating the men from the boys and the women from the girls. When artists go acoustic — or at least semi-acoustic — on that program, they can't hide behind decibels and amps or try to win you over with volume for the sake of volume. They become exposed and vulnerable, which is a good thing if they have solid material, strong vocals, and genuine talent to offer — although it isn't so good if they are lacking in those areas. Shakira, not surprisingly, emerged triumphant when she appeared on MTV Unplugged, and this 2000 release is a fine document of that appearance. Mainly performing songs from 1999's Dónde Están los Ladrones?, Shakira demonstrates that she doesn't need studio gloss to sound great. Are her studio albums full of slickness and studio gloss? Absolutely. But ultimately, the thing that does the most to enrich Dónde Están los Ladrones? and 2001's Laundry Service isn't the albums' shiny, attractive production — it is great vocals and great songwriting. "Si Te Vas," "Moscas en la Casa," "No Creo," and other Latin pop/rock gems lose nothing when Shakira unplugs; in fact, the Columbian vocalist really shines in an intimate, acoustic-oriented live setting. This more intimate environment tends to isolate the lyrics, which is certainly a plus when Shakira is performing something as poetic as the Arabic-influenced "Ojos AsÃ." Of course, those who don't speak Spanish won't be discussing the lyrics of "Ojos AsÃ" or any of the other tracks; this CD preceded Shakira's first English-language effort, Laundry Service, and came at a time when she was still recording in Spanish exclusively. But regardless of whether or not one understands Spanish, MTV Unplugged is an excellent live album.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf000/f024/f02415lph7b.jpg Laundry Service (Nov 13, 2001) 4 Stars Review by Alex Henderson The Latin pop and rock en español fields are full of talented artists who would probably be huge in the English-language market if they didn't sing in Spanish exclusively. Some non-Spanish-speaking listeners don't mind listening to lyrics they don't understand — the beat and the melody are enough for them — but many others insist on understanding every word that is coming out of an artist's mouth. Thus, Latin stars usually don't cross over to English-speaking audiences until they start singing in English, which is what Shakira does on 2001's Laundry Service. "Whenever, Wherever," this album's infectious lead single, is to Shakira what "Livin' la Vida Loca" was to Ricky Martin: the major hit that brought her to English-speaking audiences in a big way. For Shakira, singing and writing in mostly English was no doubt a challenge — Spanish, after all, is the Colombian star's primary language. But it's a challenge that she handles impressively well. Shakira, it turns out, sings quite convincingly in English — and her creativity is at a high level on melodic, hooky pop/rock like "Rules" and "Ready for the Good Times." Like Shakira's Spanish-language albums, this self-produced CD is enjoyably eclectic; she successfully combines pop/rock with everything from tango on "Objection" and Andean music on "Whenever, Wherever" to Middle Eastern music on "Eyes Like Yours" (which contains lyrics by Gloria Estefan and is an English translation of Shakira's late-'90s smash, "Ojos AsÃ"). While nine of Laundry Service's 13 tracks are in English, four are in Spanish (including Spanish translations of "Whenever, Wherever" and "Objection"). And by including these four tracks, Shakira seems to be assuring her Spanish-speaking fans that she hasn't abandoned them. Dónde Están los Ladrones? remains Shakira's most essential album, but Laundry Service is an excellent English-language debut for the South American vocalist.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg200/g270/g27052rbljf.jpg Live & Off the Record (Mar 30, 2004) 3 Stars Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Buying time while she preps a follow-up to 2001's Laundry Service, Shakira released the CD/DVD combo Live & Off the Record in the spring of 2004. This is standard practice for her — between each of her studio albums, she's released collections of remixes or live material. One of those, 2000's Unplugged, was excellent, capturing the diva on the rise and revealing another side of her musical personality. In contrast, Live & Off the Record doesn't offer any such revelations — it captures the big-budget spectacular of her stadium shows. As such, the DVD is preferable to the CD, since it has it all: the light shows, a 90-minute program that's close to a full concert, and, of course, footage of Shakira herself, singing, playing guitar, and dancing, all of which is worthwhile for hardcore fans. On record, this same material, cut from 15 songs to ten, is enjoyable — more so than other live albums from dance-pop divas, since Shakira sings live and the arrangements are longer and occasionally different than their studio versions — but it's not as absorbing as the visual experience. Overall, it's not bad and it will surely be of interest to hardcore fans — who themselves will be the only ones who have the patience to sit through the hourlong documentary on the DVD, filled with footage of Shakira touring the world and doing such fun things as blowing bubbles, getting massages, and being serenaded by a mariachi band — but it's ultimately not much more than a stopgap release between original albums.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg700/g777/g77704k9ma2.jpg Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (Jun 7, 2005) 4 Stars Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Laundry Service gave Shakira her long-anticipated English-language breakthrough, turning her into a global superstar in the process. A hit of that magnitude is hard to follow, so it shouldn't be a great surprise that she toiled on its sequel for upward of four years. What is surprising is that the subsequent album was split in two — à la Kill Bill — with the first being devoted to Spanish tunes and the second consisting entirely of English songs; the teasing titles Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 indicate which is which and which hit the market first. It's kind of a sharp move to relase Fijacion Oral first, since it not only satisfies her longtime fans who have been waiting a long time for a collection of brand-new Spanish material (she hasn't delivered one since 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?), it also subtly signals that she won't be placing American success above anything else. Similarly, Fijacion Oral smartly straddles the line between traditional Latin pop and the sexy, splashy dance-pop and bombastic adult contemporary pop that made Laundry Service a big hit in the U.S.: its heart is in the former, but the production — the omnipresent Rick Rubin serves as the executive producer — is slick and bright, enough to make the first single, "La Tortura," sound like a natural for American radio (even if it will never be played because it's sung in Spanish). Despite the surface sheen, Fijacion Oral is a proudly a Latin pop record, and it conforms to the conventions of its genre, alternating between melodramatic ballads and insistent dance tunes, sometimes working a sleek bossa nova number into the equation for good measure (the terrific "Obtener un SÃ," which sounds like it could have been a big hit in the late '60s). Even if it doesn't break convention, it nevertheless does its job extremely well, with an ample amount of style and flair, as well as more songcraft than Shakira is usually given credit for. She's written each song here, sometimes in collaboration with either Luis F. Ochoa or Lester Mendez, and these ten originals (the 12-track album includes two alternate versions) have a combination of commerical savvy and smart writing, making this album a small triumph, proof that Shakira can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them. Since this is a Latin pop record through and through, it will not cross over the way that Laundry Service did, but that's by design: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 will conquer half of the world, and the other half will follow with Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in six months' time. Given the strength of this album, it's hard to wait for the second part to arrive.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drh000/h084/h08424d74cm.jpg Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (Nov 29, 2005) 4 Stars Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Shakira delights in confounding expectations, and nowhere is that better seen than in how she secured a massive crossover audience on her own terms. She blended Latin pop and American mainstream pop, on both the dance and easy listening sides of the equation, on her 2001 breakthrough, Laundry Service, but it was no crass cash grab — she eased herself into the transition, balancing songs in Spanish and English on the record while crafting tunes in both languages to appeal to both longtime fans and new listeners. That set the stage for her magnum opus of 2005, the two-part album Fijación Oral/Oral Fixation. Volume one was her first Spanish-language Latin pop album since 1998 and the second was her first ever all-English crossover album, and if anybody was expecting the latter to be a continuation of Laundry Service, consisting of nothing but sexy dance tunes and power ballads, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 will be a bit of a surprise: it's a deadly serious, ambitious pop/rock album, most assuredly not frivolous dance-pop. Even when the album dives into pulsating neo-disco, it's in the form of a protest song in the closer, "Timor," which isn't exactly by-the-numbers pop. And that's a pretty good description of Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in general — it's pop, but it's unconventional. Even when she alludes to pop divas past, whether it's with the foreboding gospel choir on "How Do You Do" that brings to mind "Like a Prayer" or how she cribs from Alanis Morissette on "Illegal" ("You said you would love me until you died/And as far as I know you're still alive" is very close to "You Oughta Know"), Shakira twists these references to her own purposes, taking the music in unexpected directions. All these turns and detours lead to the same general destination: the sound is grandly theatrical, darkly sultry, and unapologetically lurid, a place where Madonna and U2 exist not as peers, but as collaborators. For if this album is anything, it's a global pop/rock album with each of those modifiers carrying equal weight: these are pop songs performed as arena rock, belonging not to a single country but to the world as a whole. As such, the album touches on everything from the expected Latin rhythms to glitzy Euro-disco, trashy American rock & roll, and stomping Britpop, all punctuated by some stark confessionals, as Shakira sings about everything from love to religion, stopping along the way to reveal that women with 24 inch waists may indeed be heartbroken. If some of these ideas don't necessarily gel, at least Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 is alive with ambition and, more often than not, Shakira winds up with music that is distinctive as both songs and recordings. And that means that Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 is not only a markedly different album from Fijación Oral, but from every other record in her catalog — or, most importantly, from any other pop album in 2005. Other artists may be bigger than Shakira while others may make more fully realized albums, but as of 2005, no other pop artist attempts as much and achieves as much as Shakira, as this often enthralling album proves.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f532/f53232zyt6i.jpg Grandes Exitos (Nov 5, 2002) 4.5 Stars Review by Iván Adaime After Shakira's international breakthrough with her first English-language album, her record company decided to release Grandes Exitos, targeted at Spanish-speaking audiences. This record gathers her hits from Pies Descalzos, Dónde Están los Ladrones?, and MTV Unplugged, as well as some Spanish versions of hits from Laundry Service (previously edited on the same album in Spanish-speaking countries). The smash hit "Whenever, Wherever" here is "Suerte," while "Objection" is "Te Aviso, Te Anuncio." Even though Shakira is usually compared to other Latin stars like ThalÃa or Paulina Rubio, she has more to offer and you can hear it on this album. She manages to make the sound her own, mixing pop, rock, and some oriental sounds (such as on "Ojos AsÃ"). For those who are looking for all of her hits in Spanish, this is the disc to start with.
February 3, 200718 yr wow thanks for this TIP! :D Very much a great read, thanks for digging all this up :D I think this should be pinned, but I shall to see what everyone else thinks :P
February 3, 200718 yr oooo yes that was a good read, it'd be nice if reviews for the first two albums could be found aswel, that may be to hard tho :lol:
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