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SHAKIRA - Latin
singer/songwriter - Brief Article - Interview
Thanks to
her memorable hooks, gorgeous looks, and impromptu belly-dancing sessions (her
father's of Lebanese heritage), 24-year-old singer-songwriter Shakira is
currently the most popular Latin female singer in all of the Americas. The
Colombian rocker anchors her crackling anthems on the fuzzy sounds of a
cranked-up guitar and her gutsy vocals: no smoothed-out synths or Swiss beats
for her.
"Technology scares me," she admits. "We live surrounded by a battalion of
sounds, engaged in ostentatious displays of new recording techniques. But, to
me, the fundamental essence of a song lies in the melody and the lyrics."
Now recording her debut English-language album, Shakira has imposed a regimen of
austerity in the studio. "I told my musicians: We're not using the full palette
this time around. We only have five basic colors to play with." Expect the
lyrics to focus on romance. Shakira is currently enjoying a passionate
relationship with Antonio De Ia Rua, the Argentinian president's son. "Seven
months ago, I was feeling jaded, like an old lady," she says. "Being in love has
made me feel young again."
Ernesto Lechner is a frequent Interview contributor.
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