Shakira's Zaghrouta Surprise

A few days before the Super Bowl, Shakira posted an update on her Instagram about the preparations that she has been putting together. She captioned her post, "Getting set for Super Bowl." Just seeing a fragment of her efforts and of those around her will definitely get fans excited for the event. Little did the whole world know what was in store for them.

Shakira is best known for her Latin American songs that are full of energy and culture. From lyrics in the past that are fresh in the minds of everyone up to this day; to dance routines, like belly dancing mixed with the hip hop genre; to gestures and facial expressions that leave her fans pleased and full of admiration, her performances are sure to leave a mark on her audiences from all over the globe. As Shakira started her performance at the Super Bowl, she thrilled us by opening with the song She Wolf and followed it with several crowd favorites, such as Empire and Whenever, Wherever. Alongside J Balvin, she also sang I Like It. She sang Chantaje just before singing Hips Don't Lie. As she sang one of her most popular songs, she graciously lied down to crowd-surf. Surprise after surprise, the crowd never expected what happened next. After she crowd-surfed, instead of simply continuing the song, she performed a zaghrouta, which is more commonly known in English as an ululation.

According to the Urban Dictionary, an ululation is a howling gesture that is produced by the lips which can also be accompanied by tapping the hand over the mouth quickly and over and over again. The zaghrouta, in particular, is of Lebanese origin. ¿Sorprendido? While Shakira is well known to be Colombian, it is a little known fact that her father is Lebanese. Her gesture was actually a way to acknowledge her Lebanese heritage.

From Meme to Memento

It is perhaps natural for big events to become the talk of the town due to the spectacular details and work that are undertaken by everyone involved. Nonetheless, certain moments that are simply amusing enough to tickle the minds of everyone, which often just last a few seconds become the highlight.

The gesture that Shakira projected instantly became viral as different memes were created. Others referred to it as a turkey call, judging by the sound created. Some saw it as an audible lick, mainly due to the involved action of the lips and mouth. In addition to those stated, some even referenced a cartoon show wherein a celebratory call is made when the consequence of an action relates to victory or the accomplishment of a goal, no matter how small or minute. Believe it or not, the closest to the actual meaning of her gesture was the latter. This Lebanese howl is actually a way to show excitement, especially during certain festivities. While a great number of people enjoyed such humorous memes, several were humbled and appreciated the acknowledgment of the Lebanese culture.