Barranquilla Pays Tribute to Shakira with a Bronze Statue of More than 6 Meters

Emotional Recognition in Barranquilla: Shakira Statue Revealed

I feel honored and moved by this incredible recognition that they give me in my Barranquilla, the city where I was born, and where I grew up with my dreams. I am moved by my parents and my children and by this gesture of love and brotherhood," said Shakira, who did not attend the event, in which she was represented by her parents.

The 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' and 'Hips don't Lie' singer added: "Every day I carry them in my heart because every Barranquilla man and woman are my brothers and sisters and the inspiration of my life from my childhood".

The statue, made by local artist Yino Márquez and on which more than 30 workers worked for several months, shows the singer moving her hips and has, as a curious detail, a skirt that turns into waves and was made of aluminum which was then covered with an enamel varnish to prevent the weather from destroying it.

"To make this sculpture, we first began modeling it in clay, then we took a mold out of silicone and fiberglass, and in the end, we cast it in bronze. It is cast in bronze and parts in aluminum," explained Márquez, quoted in a statement. of the Mayor's Office of Barranquilla.

Márquez added that the idea was "to build a symbology that allows us to observe in it the concept of transcendence, being vertical with our arms raised and holding a light in our hands allows us to symbolize transcendence."

"The waves are made of aluminum to give more strength to the symbology that I want to express," he added.

A tribute to young people

The mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo, said that the bronze statue also shows "millions of girls that it is possible, that you can pursue your dreams, and that any of them can achieve whatever they want."

"Being a singer or being president or being (…) a businesswoman, in short, those dreams that she drew and that she painted and that she sang in her home, that I remember that I saw her at the Friday concerts of ' pelaos' (young people) in Washington Park, became a reality," said Pumarejo.

The artist, in the mayor's opinion, "showed that Barranquilla and the Caribbean are incredible" and that is why they are paying this tribute to her.

Nidia Ripoll, Shakira's mother, showed her excitement at the unveiling of the statue, which happened on her birthday.

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"My mother is as excited as I am about this recognition that she receives on her birthday and it becomes the best gift. She represents the wonderful heart of the people of Barranquilla, who with joy receive this monument on the banks of the Magdalena River," he added. Shakira.

In addition to the three Grammy Awards and 14 Latin Grammy Awards, Shakira throughout her career has won 10 American Music Awards, 13 Billboard Awards, four HTV Awards, and 23 Lo Nuestro Awards, among many other awards, as well as million-dollar sales for her albums and international tours.