Shakira
Live @ Torino 27 Nov 2010

THE REVIEW

Taking the stage at the Palaolimpico, a few days after it was marred by Lady Gaga's performance, comes Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known to the world as Shakira, who chooses Turin for her only Italian date. The arena is, of course, packed to the brim, proving that offering just one date to us in the peninsula is somewhat limiting. But so be it. The waiting is alleviated by the long line and the sad faces of Juventus fans heading to the nearby stadium.

Then things start to get serious. The entrance of Shakira, from a side tunnel, humble but highlighted by a fuchsia wedding dress-like gown, nothing short of blinding, raises some eyebrows, but fortunately after a few steps down the stage's pier, surrounded by fans, the dress falls away and the spark ignites. Thus begins the show. Because calling it a show is appropriate: "concert" would be too limiting in her case, and disrespectful to those who place mere music at the center of their performance.

The first part of the setlist is a tribute to her roots, when Isabel was a diva in half of America but mostly unknown on this side of the Ocean: Pienso En Ti, Si te vas, Inevitable, interspersed with just one track - Why Wait - from the latest and not exceptional album Shewolf, which indeed will not be explored thoroughly. The 'aggressive' rendition (with distorted and muted guitars) of Whenever Wherever, the key to Shakira's success in the rest of the world, is interesting. It was 2001, and after 10 years the song, revamped by this interpretation, gains new freshness.

Pause. The lights dim and we find a gypsy-like Shakira on top of the bridge, immersed among the audience, surrounded only by a percussionist, a guitar, and a mandolin. Silence. This is how the world-renowned artist makes herself small and creates a show within a show in a three by three-meter space, suddenly making the rest of the world disappear. She performs a superb, utterly unexpected rendition of ... Nothing Else Matters, which for a Metallica fan in their golden age, one can imagine what that represents. The cover is elegantly tied to Despedida. A moment of great allure, almost magical, that silences the audience. The soft-acoustic tribute could only conclude with Gypsy, another excerpt from her latest album.

The lights return, and the show resumes with all the hits of the last 15 years: from those that drive South Americans crazy (Ciega, Sordomuda, Sale el sol, Antes de la Seis) to the more reggaeton successes (La Tortura and the fierce Gordita), and moving through the more recent global hits (She Wolf, Hips Don't Lie).

One must acknowledge that this artist is versatile (note, versatile: not a shapeshifter): whatever genre she interprets, in whatever role she steps into, she always seems perfectly at ease. She is not a 'pop princess' trying to coyly grab all the possible stages: she is an artist who manages to do so with relentless and unsettling naturalness. Shakira seems to simultaneously embody South American origins (and indeed, she is half Colombian), Arabic heritage (indeed, her other half is Lebanese), Latin blood (still true, as she is a native Spanish speaker and her blood is muy caliente), and also possesses the 'commercial' pop-star mentality typical of the West.

The second most captivating moment of the performance is the execution of Ojos Así, another over-10-year-old song that much of the audience (generally young / very young) seems not to know: it's a Arabesque piece, announced by soft lights and a harrowing violin intro - harrowing because it makes one's soul vibrate (by the way, the performer is one of the band's most eclectic and intriguing members). The song itself is overwhelming, and in its over ten minutes, it includes an authentic belly dance showcase.

Closing this second parenthesis, Shakira returns to excite and delight the audience, paying tribute to her most commercial hits.
At the 94th minute, the specter of Waka Waka materializes, which had been hovering throughout the concert: the rock version makes it less intolerable, and indeed in its five minutes of grand finale, it briefly brings summer back, albeit without its warmth because when the performance ends, the three degrees below zero remain unchanged.

A round of applause for Shakira for a show that, although relatively short (an hour and three-quarters), fully revealed all the qualities of this acclaimed 'pop princess' who is in reality and remains a singer-songwriter and whose musical talents should be admired in her more intimate tracks before even the commercial hits, which, by the way, are appreciated for bringing contagious energy and, live, a sheer indescribable vibe.