Shakira, where did you go?

I fell in love with this woman in 1999, when an expansion to Dad's older (yet still amazing, mind you) collection of Latin music was desperately in order. I stumbled upon her in Borders and had a listen. Instant amor! As a child, my first introduction to the Spanish language was through Sesame Street (of course), but my love for this language along with the many Latin cultures tied to it was officially born through musical artists such as Gloria Estefan (Cuban), Linda Ronstadt (Mexican-American), Luis Miguel (Puerto Rican), the Gypsy Kings (of Spanish descent) and several others.

But it was time for something new. Something more modern, yet still rich with a powerful ancestral sound....something like my Colombian-Lebanese goddess and child prodigy, Shakira. Her voice immediately invited me to places I had never been and had longed to experience. She exuded the true meaning of sexy, eloquent, and "hard core" all at the same time. A rare find, in my opinion.


Shortly thereafter, however, Shakira crossed over into the English-speaking world of music and her transformation began. It was that of something bolder and more daring...and unfortunately a lot less appealing to me. Her image AND sound. I mean, I get it... sex sells and in order for the public to really take notice of this new Latina crossing over into mainstream America was to play that part way up, right?? Everything from dress to hot n' bothered yelps in her songs started to rub me the wrong way. Although, it's only fair to say that "Laundry Service" (the first cross-over album) wasn't entirely a "sell-out" disaster for me... I admit that it was actually tantalizing and, I'll admit, an overall good buy. The infusion of both worlds was present and it was fun both to blast in the car and sing to.

Sadly, I can no longer proclaim my undying love for La Shakira... she still hits it here and there for me... but the commercialization of this woman has gotten ridiculous. I agree with other critics that her new single, "She Wolf" creates nothing new and inspiring for her audience, and unfortunately is just another brittney or jessica video. Shakira, if you're out there, please just take some time to retreat to your childhood and envelope yourself in poems like "Tus Gafas Oscuras"/"Your Dark Glasses" that you wrote, and allow its raw and pure, genuine, lyrical genius to bring you down a notch. Is that asking too much?

Samples of Shakira before