O N S H A K I R A
Shakira talking about her, music, her heritageand the world. Read her thoughts below.
Britney and Madonna launched out in the cinema, but me I never thought of following this way. There are many stories much more interesting for a film than the history of my life
The human beings and their behavior always fascinated me and, to some extent, inspired the topics of my songs. I like to observe them. All the writers exaggerate a little, just like the women, and I am not an exception. Then when I write my texts He calls upon my imagination and my direction of the observation.... In final, I believe that I also exaggerate a little!"
I was a newborn child in the Anglo world. I was feeling handicapped at times and sometimes empowered, so it was confusing. There were moments when I felt really ready to do it and ready to accept a new challenge in my life, and there were moments when I was full of doubt and fears and insecurities. So the hardest part was to deal with that inner hurricane that I was experiencing and to put all those pressures aside – the pressure of the company and of the people who had high expectations about this project — and isolate myself and escape from all of that and sit in front of the mirror and start recognizing myself as what I was and look inside, dig inside for all those things I had to say
I feel the relationship that I have with my Latin fans is a very structured relationship. In a way, there’s a lot of trust in this relationship. I feel that they understand me and tolerate me and forgive my mistakes because there’s depth in our relationship. There’s roots. They know me through the lyrics of my song, they know the type of person I am, they know my principles, all that. And I was confident that they were not going to feel betrayed at any moment because that’s not the type of person I am. I’m not a betrayer. I’m loyal and I continue being loyal to my people
I always knew I was going to be a public figure. There was no doubt. Call it a premonition, or fatalism
I feel like a horse that hasn’t been castrated. That’s me – full of strength and very very productive. I feel that this is the time in my life when I should go out in the world and achieve. I have so much enthusiasm and determination, and I should make the most of these feelings. Who knows? Maybe when I get older, I won’t have that enthusiasm anymore so this is why I’m making the most of my time right now
I guess there's many ways to become an enlightened human being, but I guess the shortest path is always through love. And the shortest path to becoming a better person is always through loving someone. If you don't know how to treat the ones that you love then how are you going to treat those that you don't know, or those who are your enemies
I think we come into this world dressed in many layers, and life is about tearing them off to hit the core of your essence. With every album I release and every year that goes by, I'm getting closer to where I am. And my fans accompany me in that process
I’m a believer. I try to be near God, because when I feel that there’s a certain distance, everything begins to look like a blur. It makes the road somewhat smoother. When I feel that I’m without God, I have to make an effort to drag my feet to keep on going
This artistic life of a pop star or a rock star is full of distractions and all the extremes are excessive. Being able to expose yourself to the public 20 hours a day, but keeping a balance is not easy. When you fall in love, you prioritize everything. It's like cleaning up and putting things in place
An artist's career is surrounded with hysteria. It's a very neurotic business: you have to run, fight it out; because they throw you away if you arrive late...every hour there's a new reason to tell lies. But, for me, it's an order that the people that work with me tell the truth
I love the history of art and history in general. Sometimes I feel I was born in the wrong era. There was more creativity in the air when people was still discovering new worlds
I have never pretended to be anything that I'm not. Neither do I want to be the architect of my own prison, and label myself in such away that I can't take it off and it turns into a tatoo
Stability makes me ill. I'm a nomad and I live in airplanes. My family is my roots. And I wonder, what does a 23-year-old woman need stability for? Routine is a slow way to die
My belly dancing represents me - it's a trademark. I've tried to incorporate it in original ways in modern songs. But sometimes it bugs me a bit that people resort to (saying) that I'm shaking my ass with a huge sexual charge, instead of recognizing it as a move that, yeah, it's loaded with sensuality, but it's also part of an artistic expression
Someday I would look at my reflection and see garbage and I guess I was worried about the size of my breast for a long time. But now I think I have finally reached an age where I have accepted my self for who I am. And anyway, a big butt is far more important in Latin culture
If a 25-year-old woman tells you she isn't flattered to be chosen as the sexiest woman in music and put in the magazine like Blender, then I'm sorry, she is lying. Of course it's flattering I cannot deny that. And it is something to tell my children. Especially when I'm old and covered with cellulite, which will happen one day
I am a person who has many dreams, But as soon as I accomplish one I move on to the next. That's my fatal, absurd nature. Human beings are slaves to our dreams and I am, too...
We forget that bombs and missiles don't fall on top of
cardboard dummies, they fall on people -- children and
mothers. The leaders are lacking love, and love is lacking leaders . . . The values of the world are twisted and we need
to go back to principles of love and forgiveness. That's the
only way to survive. New leaders have to emerge, leaders who talk about love. Like Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Where are they? The thinkers, the journalists, the artists of this generation are the ones who determine the thoughts of a generation, and we have to pronounce those thoughts so people wake up, so we prevent future disasters . . . If we
don't demand from our leaders a peaceful solution to the conflict, then we aren't even going to be alive to regret it.
It's not easy to work with me, I recognize that. It's not easy if those people aren't as perfectionist as I am
I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when I will give my heart
I am a woman who is passionate and stubborn, but rational and analytical
I am trying to make my accent so it won't bother anyone, but I am not going to drive myself crazy trying to pretend I am an American girl when I am from Colombia
Every day, I feel a little bit older, a little less alive, more alive with the possibility of being less alive, closer to death
I want one day to be able to love with the same intensity the way parents love there children. Is this possible
I’m the type of woman that if I have the attention every second of my life, I’m an angel
I want to learn how to live in the present with my eyes open. Because, you know, we always go through the present blindfolded with our hearts in the past and our minds in the future. And that way we never enjoy the here and now
I'm always trying to escape from the pressure of expectation
For several years I worried a lot about protecting an image, but today I have understood that the image cannot be preconceived
It's very hard to give advice because I'm still learning a lot. I had to discover my call, my vocation, and follow it. I had to be very determined and stubborn sometimes in order to prevent myself from becoming a puppet in people's hands. Be sure of what you want and follow it
I am a blend of several cultures. Through my veins runs Spanish, Lebanese and Italian blood. All of this heritage is a strong influence on the character of my music
They always ask me what is my objective, but I don't want to share it, because it can be misunderstood
Everyone can know what is in my heart because I find it hard to conceal myself
There is nothing more fun than chatting with friends about the old times
My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with difficulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you and when they respect you they don't love you
It doesn't bother me to talk about my private life, it doesn't bother me to talk about anything. My life is like a glass of water, transparent
Sometimes I feel that Shakira is an old woman trapped in the body of a 24-year-old girl. Sometimes I feel that there’s a baby inside me that hasn’t grown up yet
I don’t go out too much at night. I don’t visit too many clubs. I like to go out sometimes and just observe how people behave
I don't go out without make up. I'm a woman, you know
I always believed that women have rights and that there are some women that are intelligent enough to claim those rights. There are some others that are stupid enough not to
I admire a person who, for the love of art, is able to take off their clothes in front of a camera. But I'm not capable, I'm too cowardly for that
I have many writings that I would not like it if they were published
In this life, to earn your place you have to fight for it
The most essential things are the hardest to give up
Her thoughts on her music:
The music does not have borders, nor of differences of race or culture. The music is there to make us forget that that exists, and help to build a new bridge between people!
I have always felt a call as an invisible hand behind me which pushes me towards the writte.Quand I were child, I know.All the three together!I remember to have written my first poem at 4 years, on my space t.I wrote for my mother, I named it the rose of crystal .But I did not really feel the need to become musician.
My first song, I wrote it at 6 years and I believe that my career started at the same time as that of singer
My celebrity arrived gradually, and this is why I am not too much shocked or am not traumatised. In spite of that, I am always surprised when I see myself on T.V... I know that it is not eternal and that one day one ages; one is also creative only front. I am unaware of when I write a good song for the last time. But that will arrive. I knew full artists whom I had admired and, suddenly, their work was not the same any more
In this career you learn a little from everyone. My teachers, that I know of, go from John Lennon to the musicians that work with me. Every day I learn something from them, from Luis Fernando Ochoa, from the people that I work with, from my parents, from my manager. With every person I learn something that comes to be very useful in my career and my life. I feel that every day I grow a little because I learn, I surround myself with people that I can learn from
But luckily, my career has developed in such a way that I had the chance to assimilate all the changes in my life. Life has been very benevolent to me
Someday I’ll be wrinkled, full of cellulite and probably not that creative. I don’t know when is gonna be the last day I write a good song. But that day is gonna come. I’ve known many artists that I’ve admired for a long time who suddenly come up with something that is just like “What is this? This is not the genius he used to be.” That’s pretty scary, huh
My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words
The audience that is in front of you is looking for something from you, so I wonder, “What do they need from me?” I try to give the best that is inside me, to share it with them
The stage never felt strange to me. It always seemed like my territory. Like the lion in the jungle. I’m the little lion of that wooden stage
I want my music to transcend all the barriers
Sometimes I feel like I am a rock artist trapped in the body of a pop artist
I’ve always been curious about the way humans react and live and behave. That’s why I like to observe others. It inspires me and [fuels] my songs
Writing songs has a therapeutic effect, and it either kills off love or wins the heart of the lover
I decided that I wanted to be a singer for the rest of my life when I was 10-years- old. So, I started participating in singing contests
I am the same Shakira in English as I am in Spanish. Expressing my ideas and feelings in another language turned into an interesting process
Writing in English was a major challenge. However, I didn't want other songwriters to write for me. I wanted to preserve the spirit of my songs in Spanish
My mum was the one who really discovered my vocal skills and she encouraged me to participate in singing contests and all that
Sometimes, I ask myself how any other singer could substitute the inspiration of god in their songs
I admire Madonna because she always did whatever she felt like doing. She went through some controversial periods when people rejected her, but she kept on reinventing herself
All the songs I was writing for that record were stolen at the airport in Columbia by the thieves. It was a very traumatic experience to have to write everything again from scratch. So I wrote a song that talks about how everybody is a thief in a certain way, because we all steal something from somebody
I've been writing about love since I was eight years old, when I didn't have a clue about what love was. But now I have a wider vision of love
Love and music together are like soap and water
I have a unique musical proposal
"I once wrote a song that belonged to me and now its yours"
that was underneath your clothes.
I have been living a gypsy life since the album has come out, bringing my music to so many different places and people. I want to find out what the people are about and their culture and get closer to it all. You cannot do that in a hotel room
Her thoughts on her family:
ANTONIO, MY SOUL MATE , my boyfriend, has a large heart and is extraordinarily sensitive. He is also very intelligent. I am not besides the only one to believe it. Each day which passes, I discover in him a better man. Being with him daily gets the same happiness as at the beginning to me. There is many affinities, it supports my career, and, besides my parents, it is to be closest for it which wants me only good...
I think my dad is the only Arabic descendent who is an unsuccessful businessman
He’s a terrible businessman. He is a bohemian writer now, but really he’s a frustrated doctor. He’s always carrying pills with him – he wants to create illnesses and then cure them
I have nothing but good memories of my home town and from my childhood
My earliest memory is when my mom received the bad news of my brother's death. Because I used to have six brothers, but one of them
died when I was two years old, and that's the earliest memory that I
have..
I try to build my own boundaries. My boundaries are my family. They contain me. They are my ground. That’s why it’s so important for me to take them on the road and travel with them
Parents always like to remind you about the important things in life. They’re always trying too hard to make a good person out of you
He’s a guy with a big heart. He never lies, and that’s pretty exotic for me. He is the best excuse I have to become a better person every day
I found in him goodness, precise mind, assurance. It’s the first time when I trust a man, and of course, I found many other things in him
He is not only good, but he takes care about me, makes sure everything is well. I tell him everything and he gives me advice, I feel that I can rely on him. I did not trust anybody besides my parents, I always felt quite lonely in the world, there was a huge responsibility on my shoulders and I couldn’t share it with anybody. But Antonio helps me carry this burden, he protects me and I feel protected
I’m lucky to have family around me. Otherwise, I’ll be taking the risk of falling in love with myself. But there are always people close to me who I trust, who will scold me and pull my ears if I need it. Fame isolates people from reality. That happens to many artists, and I don’t want it to happen to me
Her thoughts on her Arabic roots:
I’m worried that they will generalize because the Arab world is very extensive and it’s a great culture. The Arab world isn’t all Muslim and not all Muslims are terrorists. Neither do I think that the United States or any other country should get down to the level of the violent ones. I believe that you have to get rid of violence and terrorism but by looking for the way that innocent people don’t get hurt
When I received the news I believe that I reacted like the rest of the millions of people that found out about it at that moment… with a great nervousness and terrible confusion. The fear that I have is that an even bigger tragedy comes from this tragedy, because it’s very easy at this point in time to be filled with rage and spitefulness and that’s how many errors are committed. So, yes, I’m worried that a war will break out and I’m worried that the whole world will be punished for one irresponsible and terrible act of a few
I think this country is evolved enough to understand that there are Muslims who are not Arabic and there are Arabs who are not Muslims – and most Muslims and Arabs are not terrorists. One thing doesn’t necessarily equal the other. I’m pretty sure Americans have that clear, and that’s what makes this country one that everyone feels proud of
I would have to rip out my heart or my insides in order to be able to please them…No! This is the music that I know how to do, it’s the music that I do and it’s part of my feeling and my way of thinking and living and I can’t sacrifice it for anyone – not anyone,” she told us, a little mortified. My dad has 100% Lebanese blood and he’s not a terrorist, I come from a Catholic Arab family and I never met a single terrorist in my whole life
Her thoughs on Columbia:
Colombia is not how people think it is. We used to eat fish every Sunday at the beach. In the town where I grew up, people did not tell lies
People are not depressed in Colombia the same way people are in America
I want to see my country at peace. There’s nothing original in what I’m saying. You’ve probably heard it from thousands of Colombians, but that’s the most true and honest feeling I can express about my country. I want to see my people living in harmony. I don’t want to see one more Colombian touched by bullets. I think we deserve to enjoy the wonders of a country that’s been blessed by God
The city is not a zoo, you know, Or maybe it is, but with one kind of animal
I feel like it’s my responsibility to serve as an ambassador for Colombia.I don’t take my accomplishments personally. I take them as being good news for my people, so they can celebrate with me
Colombians are people with a great sensitivity surrounded by a difficult reality, That makes us look for ways to channel all those feelings. Sometimes pain creates artists, or at least shapes them
Life has been very benevolent to me. People know me and love me all over the world, and that makes me feel like the citizen of the entire planet. But ultimately, I dedicate my work to my country, Colombia. Number one – because I was born and raised there and number two because they need reasons to smile and reasons to celebrate. They need good news. I feel such responsibility to my people; I think I’m a motivation to them all. You know, sometimes I don’t just carry my family on my shoulders, but also many thousands of people and all their hopes and dreams. I take this job very seriously indeed
We’ve been having a very musical decade. It’s a very small country, but very rich in folklore and culture and artistic talent. I’m proud of people like Carlos Vives and Juanes. In a way, they’re ambassadors of what Colombians really are
I want my music to transcend all the barriers. The spirit of conquest is a trait that has survived in human beings from the beginning. I want it for the same reason the Spaniards wanted to come to America. You have to cross the oceans. To be able to sink my Colombian flag in this land, that is a motivation
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